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Organizational Rare Events: Theory and Research Practice

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Abstract

This paper conceptualizes organizational rare events and proposes a research methodology to explore them. To achieve this endeavour, we use case of the closure of CBA as an empirical field which allowed us to explore and discuss the theme. Existing literature suggests an organization rare event as an occurrence which presents a historical character and generates propagation in media and social mobilization. Our research contribution adds to this definition the emotional dimension of the organizational rare event. It means the relevance of the feelings and experiences of people involved in this particular situation. As a result, we enrich the definition and comprehension of rareness of an organizational event. In addition to this, we argue that organizational rare events demand a mix of qualitative research methods using interviews, observation, photographs, drawings and documental research in social media and newspapers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundação Getulio Vargas, EAESP/FGV, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    André Luis Silva, Márcia de Freitas Duarte & Flávia Plutarco

  2. University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    André Luis Silva

  3. Universidade de Fortaleza, UNIFOR, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

    Márcia de Freitas Duarte

  4. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, IFCE, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

    Flávia Plutarco

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  1. André Luis Silva
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Correspondence to André Luis Silva.

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A.L. Silva, M. de Freitas Duarte and F. Plutarco declare that they have no competing interests.

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Silva, A.L., de Freitas Duarte, M. & Plutarco, F. Organizational Rare Events: Theory and Research Practice. Schmalenbach Bus Rev 72, 635–659 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41464-020-00099-7

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