Leadership and sustainability: the perceptions of managers in an agroindustrial enterprise

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to analyze sustainable leadership practices adopted by an agroindustrial company. The research was qualitative, having as a technique the case study, conducted through interviews and document analysis. The case studied is a company that operates in the southern region of Brazil in the production of pigs, as well as in the industrialization of products derived from them. It was possible to verify, in the case studied, that the interviewees understand that the Company elaborates strategies focused on sustainability, whose most perceived dimension is environmental. With regard to leadership, the study allowed to capture the valorization of the types of leadership: behavioral, transactional and transformational. It was not possible to capture significant perceptions of leadership specifically focused on the dissemination of principles and values aimed at sustainability. This study focuses on the exploration of the interfaces between leadership and sustainability, a factor advocated by the UN Global Compact and aims to contribute to foster new studies that can base the way for managers and researchers in understanding how leadership can contribute to sustainability in organizations.