Cultura organizacional e inovação: um estudo de caso no Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Urbanitários do Estado de Goiás.

Abstract

This study focuses on analyzing the relationship between organizational culture and innovation within a trade union context, specifically examining the organizational culture of the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores nas Indústrias Urbanas do Estado de Goiás (STIUEG). While the impact of organizational culture on innovation has been widely studied in the literature, there is a lack of research examining this dynamic in trade unions. Organizational culture theory divides culture into artifacts, beliefs, values, and underlying assumptions—elements that influence innovation. Meanwhile, innovation theory presents innovation as a driver of sustainability, competitiveness, and organizational renewal. This research seeks to understand how a union like STIUEG fosters innovation, considering its long-standing history, and whether its core values and beliefs have played a decisive role in this process. The methodology is exploratory and descriptive, employing a case study approach to deeply analyze the field and address the gap in qualitative studies at the intersection of organizational culture and innovation in this specific context. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven union members—four from the leadership and three rank-and-file workers—using snowball sampling combined with the researcher's field observations. The study reveals that STIUEG’s organizational culture, deeply rooted in values such as defending workers' rights and class solidarity, serves as a moral compass for innovation. While the union is open to adopting new tools and methods—such as professionalizing digital communication—these innovations are only incorporated when aligned with its fundamental principles. The research demonstrates that innovation at STIUEG is not an end in itself but a means to strengthen political representation and ensure survival amid systemic attacks on labor rights. These findings highlight a unique characteristic of innovation in trade unions: it is instrumental, aimed at solving concrete challenges—such as increasing member engagement or achieving financial self-sufficiency—but always subordinate to political objectives. The study advances theory by filling gaps in the literature, showing how organizational culture shapes innovation in previously unexamined contexts and suggesting that innovation theory must be adapted to realities beyond the private sector. For future research, key questions emerge: How can an innovation framework be developed to account for the specificities of unions, considering their collective values and structural constraints? Another avenue for investigation is analyzing the philosophical underpinnings of innovation to ensure not only instrumental alignment but also ontological coherence between tools and organizational principles. This raises the question: To what extent can management tools—often rooted in capitalist contexts—be applied without contradicting the values of organizations guided by different worldviews? Additionally, it would be valuable to explore how the professionalization of areas like communication impacts internal union dynamics.