Revista de Administração da UFSM

Guidelines and frameworks of governance for the adoption of generative artificial intelligence in higher education institutions: a scoping review

Maria Gabrielle Soares Gomes — 2025-12-02

Purpose: This study examines academic production on guidelines and frameworks for the governance of generative artificial intelligence in higher education institutions.

Design/methodology: A scoping review was conducted utilizing the Web of Science database, analyzing publications from 2023 and 2024.

Findings: The results were organized into four thematic clusters: guidelines and frameworks, challenges in the adoption of generative artificial intelligence governance in higher education, stakeholder perceptions, and research gaps.

Research implications: The study provides insights and could serve as a reference for adopting generative artificial intelligence in other institutions.

Originality/value: This research contributes to the body of studies focused on the integration and governance of generative artificial intelligence in higher education institutions.

Leadership and job performance: relationships with autonomy, intrinsic motivation and engagement

Aldeci Rufino de Queiroz — 2025-12-02

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between engaging leadership and job performance through a mediation and moderation model, incorporating engagement as a mediator and intrinsic motivation and autonomy as moderators.

Design/Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 425 workers from various economic sectors, predominantly consisting of women (53.6%), individuals with a college degree (64%), and private-sector employees (61.6%), with a mean age of 36.7 years (SD = 10.7) The participants completed the Engaging Leadership, Engagement, Autonomy, Intrinsic Motivation, and Job Performance Scales.

Findings: Engagement mediates the relationship between engaging leadership and performance, while autonomy moderates the relationship between engagement and job performance.

Originality: Our findings suggest that engagement precedes improvements in job performance, and that workers with high autonomy levels rely less on engagement to achieve high performance. Practically, this study highlights the importance of leaders fostering a healthy organizational environment through practices encouraging communication, mutual support, and continuous encouragement between leaders and employees. This approach signifies a contemporary and innovative leadership style, emphasizing the satisfaction of workers’ basic psychological needs as central to achieving organizational goals effectively and sustainably.

Exploring the integration of sustainability and digital transformation as an organizational strategy: a systematic literature review and guidance for future research

Isabela Marques Kumer — 2025-12-03

Purpose – Digital Transformation (DT) and sustainability have attracted significant interest from researchers and professionals, sparking debates about their interaction. However, the literature still lacks a comprehensive analysis of this connection. This study examines the relationship between DT and sustainability, aiming to fill this gap and provide a holistic view of these interactions.

Design/methodology/approach – A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted based on the protocol of Tranfield, Denyer, and Smart (2003), analyzing academic studies that discuss the interaction between DT and sustainability.

Findings – The results highlight that DT is crucial in advancing corporate sustainability goals by streamlining administrative processes, enhancing efficiency, boosting competitiveness, and driving innovation.

Originality/value – This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between DT and sustainability, proposes a future research agenda, and provides valuable insights for companies and researchers interested in exploring these synergies.

Critical Success Factors in ESG: Asymmetries between Corporate Communication and Investor Perceptions

Matheus Ghitti Baione — 2025-12-05

Purpose: This study explores which ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) attributes are most valued by investors and whether they align with the priorities disclosed by Brazilian companies recognized for sustainable performance.

Methodology: A mixed-method approach was adopted. First, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on the reference forms of 15 companies listed on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE). Then, a survey with 145 investors assessed the relevance they assign to ESG themes. ESG items were categorized using the Critical Success Factors (CSF) framework.

Findings: Results reveal a substantial misalignment: companies emphasize environmental and social disclosures, while investors prioritize governance aspects, particularly integrity, compliance, and cybersecurity. Gender differences emerged, with women attributing higher importance to social and environmental pillars. The findings suggest ESG communication often fails to meet investor expectations, limiting its usefulness for decision-making.

Originality: The study offers a novel integration of corporate ESG disclosures and investor perceptions, structured through the CSF lens. It contributes to understanding the gaps between institutional narratives and stakeholder priorities, emphasizing the risk of symbolic ESG adoption (greenwashing).

Research limitations/ implications: The study focused on companies already engaged in ESG (ISE B3), which may limit generalizability to the broader market. The investor survey was distributed through professional networks and may reflect the perspectives of individuals with a declared interest in sustainable finance. Future research could expand to different sectors, investor profiles, and data sources. Despite these limitations, the study offers relevant insights to improve ESG alignment, transparency, and stakeholder trust.

Industry 4.0 and Its Relationship with Digital Transformation: A Systematic Literature Review 2019-2024

Josiane de Fátima Daniel Cardoso — 2025-12-16

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the main concepts, benefits, and challenges related to Industry 4.0 and its relationship with Digital Transformation in the Brazilian industrial sector, based on a systematic literature review between 2019 and 2024.

Methodology: The PRISMA protocol was used to conduct the systematic review, with searches in the Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases, resulting in the selection of 42 articles. The analysis was guided by theoretical frameworks such as Verhoef et al. (2021), Schwab (2016), and Rogers (2019).

Results: The findings demonstrate that Industry 4.0 has driven Digital Transformation through the adoption of technologies such as Big Data, IoT, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The studies highlight gains in efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness, but also reveal gaps, such as adoption difficulties by small businesses and challenges in workforce reskilling.

Social and Practical Implications: The research highlights the need for public incentive policies, continuous professional training, and technological integration strategies to enable digital transformation in various industrial sectors.

Originality: The study contributes by consolidating an updated and systematized vision of the pillars of Industry 4.0 and the stages of Digital Transformation, in addition to identifying gaps and proposing an agenda for future research in the Brazilian industrial context.

Entrepreneurship and resilience: a systematic literature review

Amanda Priscila Bachiega Dadona Souza — 2025-12-16

Purpose: To identify characteristics of the resilient behavior of self-employed entrepreneurs in contexts of uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted based on the PRISMA-ScR protocol, using articles published between 2020 and 2025 from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. After applying filters, removing duplicates, and screening, 49 studies were qualitatively analyzed and organized into thematic clusters using Vosviewer software.

Findings: Four dimensions of resilient behavior were identified: (1) intrapersonal resilience, related to emotions, attitudes, and beliefs; (2) strategies and proactiveness, associated with anticipating action and innovation; (3) coping with extreme adversities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and (4) connections, involving support networks and the use of technologies. The most recurrent characteristics include self-control, persistence, adaptability, positive attitude, faith, optimism, and seeking support, manifested in a combined and contextual manner.

Research limitations/implications: Scarcity of studies dedicated exclusively to self-employed entrepreneurs, suggesting the need for further qualitative research.

Practical implications: The findings can guide public policies and training programs that, in addition to technical skills, also foster socio-emotional and adaptive abilities.

Social implications: By highlighting the importance of resilience, the study contributes to initiatives that support the sustainability of self-employed businesses, strengthening their economic and social role.

Originality/value: Systematizes recent evidence on entrepreneurial resilience, detailing dimensions and strategies, and emphasizing the relevance of emotional and contextual aspects for survival and growth in uncertain environments.

Analysis of the Interfaces Between GRI and SDGs: a bibliometric review on the WOS platform with a focus on Brazil

Samuel Carvalho De Benedicto — 2025-12-16

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the Global Report Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, focusing on publications on the Web of Science (WoS) platform that deal with Brazil.

Methodology: The research has a qualitative approach and an exploratory strategy. A bibliometric survey was carried out on the WoS platform, with subsequent descriptive analysis, producing maps and clusters using the VOSViewer software.

Results: The WoS database contains a large number of publications dealing with the GRI and SDGs separately and considerably fewer articles dealing with the two topics together. The relationship between the GRI and the SDGs in the port sector is particularly noteworthy. Of the 17 SDGs, only a few are covered in open access publications. Brazil stands out among the countries that have published articles relating the themes together, indicating its importance in research and publication of studies related to sustainable development.

Practical implications: We sought to quantify and characterize the publications that address the themes, analysing the nature of the articles published, the predominance of themes, authors, countries and institutions in the spotlight, the proportion of articles that address the two themes together, which SDGs are most addressed in the publications that work on the GRI as a research object, and the relevance of Brazil in the context of research and publications on the themes.

Originality: There are few studies that address the two topics dealt with here simultaneously. Therefore, the study seeks to fill a gap found in the scientific literature.

Overview of Smart Contract adoption in South America: Legal infrastructure, projects and initiatives

Rafael Micheviz — 2025-12-19

Purpose: This article aims to analyze the adoption stage of smart contracts in the most representative South American countries, considering legal, institutional, technological aspects and ongoing practical initiatives.

Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative approach, based on documentary and bibliographic research. Legislation, court decisions, bills, governmental and business initiatives in seven South American countries were examined. Data collection involved official primary sources and a structured digital survey.

Findings: The findings show that all analyzed countries legally recognize electronic signatures, providing a favorable environment for implementing smart contracts, even in the absence of specific legislation. Brazil stands out with bills under discussion. Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay present significant pilot initiatives in both public and private sectors.

Contributions: The study proposes a comparative analytical model that synthesizes the maturity level of smart contract adoption in South America. By articulating legal, institutional, and technological dimensions, the article contributes to academic debate and provides insights for public policy and regulatory harmonization strategies.

Autonomy in Decision-Making Processes and Forms of Control: A Study Based on Adorno's Negative Dialectics with Technology Professionals

Tiago Henrique Ferreira — 2025-12-19

Purpose: Do technology companies truly adopt horizontal management models? This study aimed to analyze the level of autonomy of individuals in the decision-making process within technology companies, identifying forms of control and contradictions in the interviewees' discourses, through the lens of Adorno's Negative Dialectics.

Methodology: The interviewees consisted of 16 professionals working in technology companies, occupying various positions such as founder and partner, CEO, manager, analyst, software developer, among others.

Findings: The results indicate, firstly, that even in organizations characterized by higher levels of horizontal management, where greater autonomy of individuals is presumed, some form of "authority" is still observed. The data also reveal that the autonomy of individuals in these technology environments is closely related to the technical competence of the professionals in their respective fields. Finally, it was found that some managers advocate for the autonomy of their employees but still seek to maintain control through various mechanisms, such as budget centralization; management by objectives; creation of formal and standardized structures; and attempts to copy and replicate American management models adopted by companies in Silicon Valley.

Originality: In the national literature, there was no national study that sought to analyze horizontal management in the context of technology companies from the perspective of Adorno's Negative Dialectics. In this sense, this study was able to promote a deeper and more critical analysis of the dynamics of power and authority within technology organizations.