Resumo

A growing number of organizations rise in the midst of several societal functional systems among which they need to legitimize themselves relying in different reference systems. As an implication, these organizations house permanently under the same umbrella relevant groups of actors supporting different rationales, which raises the complexity of decision processes. For this context, Schedler and Rüegg-Stürm (2014, p.44) propose the concept of multi-rational management. Our paper addresses this issue with special attention to cooperative organizations.

Cooperative organizations provide a context in which, often, multiple rationalities can trigger conflicts that trouble their performance. In this paper it is argued that corporate governance practices relates to multi-rational management in cooperatives. Corporate governance is indicated for overcoming agency problems. While there is consensus on that, there is not, until now, any research that tackles whether corporate governance relates to multi-rational management. In our research, a first step is taken by analyzing how multi-rational management relates to cooperatives' corporate governance

As mentioned by Kraatz and Block (2008), multiple regulatory regimes, normative orders and cultural logics submit organizations to more than one system of reference to legitimate themselves. To be successful, a multi-rational management stance must develop which envolves all the organizations’ decision-making bodies. Representatives of individual rationalities should acquire competences that enable them to respect the perspectives of others as legitimate. A typology of practices of Tolerance, Exploitation, Avoidance and Polarization is proposed, by which organizations deal with these challenge

Empirical research was designed in two stages. First, a typology of agricultural cooperatives’ potential for multi-rational management in relation to corporate governance is proposed. This typology has four quandrants, among which 21cooperatives from Mato Grosso do Sul state, were mapped using coordinates based on data from assembly participation and levels of separation of ownership and control. For each quadrant, a proposition was created related to practices of multi-rational management. Second, based on the typology, a field research was conducted that allowed analysis of the propositions.

Cooperatives were mapped among the four quadrants related to different potentials of multi-rational management. The 2x2 matrix shows that the cooperatives from Mato Grosso do Sul are more representative of quadrants "Cooperatives in legitimacy crisis" and "Traditional Cooperatives with ceremonial assemblies". Therefore, we note a reduced potential for multi-rational management in cooperatives of this state, with only a few exceptions. Data from a field research based in four case studies, one organization representing each quadrant, was also analyzed.

By analyzing the four case studies, we found convergence with propositions 1, 2 and 3. Coop 1, in accordance with proposition 2, shows signs of adopting exploitation practice. In Coop 3 evidence points to avoidance practice in line with proposition 3. Proposition 1 was confirmed, as well, by analyzing Coop 13. In Coop 16, however, data did not allow confirming proposition 4, related to polarizing practices. Instead, we found some evidence of avoidance practice. Therefore, it is believed there is, at least partially, a positive relation between corporate governance and multi-rational management

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