Effectuation na moda: uma análise de gestão estratégica à luz do intraempreendedorismo e inovação

Abstract

The fashion retail sector is undergoing significant transformations driven by digitalization, technological advancements, and a growing focus on sustainability. In this ever-changing landscape, established companies like the Brazilian group Arezzo&Co have stood out for their ability to adapt. Using a multifaceted business strategy and a global presence, Arezzo&Co exemplifies how the concept of "effectuation" can be an effective approach for decision-making in uncertain environments, paving the way for continuous innovation and adaptation in the sector. Within this context, the "effectuation" approach emerges as an alternative to traditional methods of planning and control. It offers a set of principles that prioritize rapid adaptation to circumstances and the efficient use of available resources. This focus is especially relevant for volatile sectors like fashion retail, and academic literature suggests that both startups and mature companies can benefit from this strategy. There is a growing interest in understanding how "effectuation" can be applied at different stages of the entrepreneurial journey and across various sectors. To deepen this understanding, the present study focuses on the benefits of the "effectuation" approach at Arezzo&Co, a mature company in the fashion industry. The study aims to fill a gap in the literature, which often concentrates on startups or small and medium-sized enterprises. The specific objectives of the research include analyzing Arezzo&Co's entrepreneurial trajectory, identifying how the company incorporates the principles of "effectuation" into its strategy, and proposing a tool to guide decision-making. To achieve these objectives, the study adopted an exploratory research approach of a qualitative nature. Using interviews and document analysis, the research examined five key categories: control, flexibility, tolerable loss, pre-commitments, and experimentation. The findings revealed that Arezzo&Co effectively combines the "effectuation" and "causation" approaches, demonstrating flexibility and tolerance for losses while maintaining a minimum degree of control. Additionally, the company benefits from networking and experiments at different organizational levels. As a final contribution, the study proposes an adaptive decision-making framework, which allows for the coexistence of "effectuation" and "causation," thereby enriching the field of studies on business strategies in uncertain environments.