Journal of Sustainable Institutional Management

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And ESG in Companies in Northeast Brazil

Eliana Andréa Severo — 2026-03-19

Objective: This study aims to analyze the importance of DE&I and ESG in different organizations in Northeast Brazil.

Method: The methodology used was quantitative and descriptive research. A questionnaire was administered to 419 respondents. Descriptive statistics techniques were used for data analysis, using percentages, means, and standard deviations. Furthermore, a framework for analyzing these aspects was presented, aiming at the sustainable development of the region.

Results: The results highlight that 88.3% of respondents are from Generation Y and perceive diversity and inclusion as fundamental, in line with existing literature. However, only 45.6% positively evaluate the organizations' environmental practices, indicating a gap in ESG policies. Furthermore, 45.6% of respondents consider companies' environmental initiatives adequate, but with room for improvement. Social responsibility and governance received a positive rating from 58.7% of respondents, reflecting the importance of these practices for a safe and effective workplace. The results provide a solid foundation for developing a framework for guiding ESG actions.

Practical Implications: The proposed framework can serve as a practical diagnostic and guidance tool for sustainability and equity actions in the corporate environment.

Originality/Relevance: The growing relevance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) has sparked significant interest in the organizational context and in the field of Applied Social Sciences.

The Sharing Economy As a Strategy for Institutional Sustainability: Evidence from the Brazilian Context

Márcio Rodrigues Rocha — 2026-03-19

Objective: To examine how collaborative platforms contribute to sustainable resource management by analyzing environmental, social, and governance impacts across four representative sectors in Brazil.

Method: A sequential mixed-methods approach is adopted, beginning with a systematic review of 26 articles from Q1/Q2 international journals published in 2024, followed by case studies on selected platforms (Airbnb, BlaBlaCar, Ecofood, and OLX). Qualitative data are examined through thematic content analysis using NVivo, while quantitative data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlations in SPSS.

Results: The results highlight substantial contributions to sustainability: an estimated reduction of 1.6 million tons of CO₂ by BlaBlaCar, an 82% decrease in food waste by Ecofood, and a 57% extension of the useful life of goods on OLX. Recent literature confirms that digital trust, transparency, and adequate governance are critical conditions for the sustainability of these platforms. However, regulatory fragmentation, legal uncertainty, and digital exclusion persist, limiting scalability and the equitable distribution of benefits.

Relevance and contributions: The study contributes to the literature on institutional sustainable management by empirically demonstrating how governance and digital infrastructure condition the effectiveness of the sharing economy as a sustainability strategy.

Is Corporate Governance Synonymous with Profitability? A Performance Analysis of B3 Indexes

Danilo Cesar da Silva Silva — 2026-03-19

Objective: To analyze and compare the financial performance of B3’s corporate governance indexes (IGC, ITAG, IGCT, and IGC-NM) in relation to the Ibovespa, to verify whether corporate governance indexes outperform the main Brazilian stock market index.

Method: An empirical study with a quantitative approach, employing a descriptive comparative method based on time series. Data from the Quantum Axis platform were used up to May 31, 2024, considering return, volatility, Sharpe and Treynor ratios, and maximum drawdown over 60-, 48-, 36-, 24-, and 12-month windows.

Results: ITAG, IGC, and IGCT outperformed Ibovespa in several time windows, while IGC-NM showed inferior performance in terms of both nominal and risk-adjusted returns. Volatility levels were similar across the indexes, but more pronounced drawdowns occurred in the governance indexes.

Originality/Relevance: The study updates the literature by considering multiple time windows up to 2024, including the pandemic period, thereby expanding the analysis of index resilience.

Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: It structures a conceptual model that connects governance theories (Agency Theory, Stakeholder Theory, Resource Dependence Theory, and Stakeholder Salience Theory) to financial metrics, providing a basis for further analyses.

Social/Managerial Contributions: It provides insights for investors, regulators, and policymakers, reinforcing the importance of corporate governance for more transparent and responsible markets.

Investigation of the Scientific Production of the Term “Carbon” In Brazilian Academia from the Perspective of Social Network Analysis

Henrique César Melo Ribeiro — 2026-03-19

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the profile and evolution of scientific production related to the term “carbon” in Brazilian academia, focusing on collaboration structures and thematic trends through a social network analysis approach.

Method: The research adopts a bibliometric and sociometric design based on articles indexed in the SPELL database. Social network analysis techniques were applied to examine co-authorship patterns, network structures, journal distribution, and keyword co-occurrence, enabling the identification of structural and thematic dynamics in the field.

Findings: The results indicate a gradual growth in scientific production on carbon-related topics, marked by increasingly interconnected collaboration networks and thematic diversification. The most recurrent themes were associated with sustainability, climate change, carbon credits, greenhouse gases, environmental disclosure, and renewable energy. The field presents a multidisciplinary orientation and reflects a growing alignment with environmental, economic, and regulatory challenges.

Originality/Relevance: This study contributes to the literature by integrating social network analysis with the examination of carbon-related scientific production indexed in SPELL, offering a broader understanding of the structural configuration and thematic development of this research field in Brazil.

Conclusions: The findings expand the understanding of how knowledge on carbon has been organized and disseminated in Brazilian academic production, while also offering support for future investigations using bibliometric, sociometric, and systematic review approaches.