Definição de atores-referência na rede de representantes de vendas de um laboratório farmacêutico

Abstract

People are in constant interaction in organization. These interactions develop a network of relationships in which different elements are exchanged, among them we have knowledge. Usually these exchanges happen by way of common routine activities over conversations, situation sharing and while performing tasks. This process is called informal learning. So that knowledge may become a competitive advantage, companies must encourage social interactions in the network, learning the nature of the content exchanged and which are the people who carry out an important role in the process of informal learning, which means who the reference-actors are in the organization. This dissertation is a case study of a network of sales representatives from a pharmaceutical laboratory. Its aim is to evaluate what is relevant in defining of a reference-actor in this network, in view of technical knowledge. The study was performed in two stages: a) a focus group was conducted with 15 representatives to better define the problem and b) a quantitative study was conducted with 149 sales representatives. Data analysis was performed using the metrics of Social Network Analysis and sociograms, and also the variables to verify hypotheses. The study results revealed that the choice of a reference-actor is made individually, based on the perception of those who choose. It was concluded that technical knowledge is an important attribute in the choice of a referenceactor, however, relevant knowledge is the one recognized by the peers and deals with general knowledge, since the reference-actors are the same, regardless of the nature of the knowledge. Nonetheless, what happened was that the definition of a reference-actor in this network, the relationships established among the actors are more decisive than the technical knowledge this actor may possess. That is, the choice of an actor as source of information is more tied to the level of trust and closeness this actor has with the one who chose than with his expertise. The results also revealed that there are strong and cohesive subgroups in this network, but no interaction among these subgroups making this network weak, diluted with an untapped potential and unable to generate social capital