Competitiveness Strategies for Negative Organizations: Challenging the Status Quo (Information Systems Engineering and Management, 1)

The book aims to describe how a certain type of organisation may come into existence and may even become prevalent in society - what we call a negative organisation. This type of organization is one where the status quo prevails over what is best for the company, in strategic terms. Namely, certain employees who are actually very good may be forced to leave so as to not disturb the status quo and existing loyalties and ties which are actually prejudicial to the company, in the medium to long run. Change is very necessary and strategies need to change to accompany technological breakthroughs and other market developments. Wanting to maintain the same course so as not to “disrupt the waters” is often a bad strategy and the firm will suffer. Innovation must prevail over the maintenance of the status quo or, in other words, must prevail over the maintenance of the existing state of things and hierarchy. Our book discusses the topic as well as providing solutions for the situation of a firm becoming negative. Various levels of leadership in the organisation may contribute to a negative organisation and this too is discussed. We hope to have contributed in whatever small way to a more joyous, satisfactory and, above all, more productive and innovative workplace.

Beatriz Graça was born and raised in Aveiro, Portugal. She started her bachelor’s in office management and business communication. After her bachelor’s and while working at a law firm, Beatriz realized she wanted a more active role in managing an organization, and having decided to pursue a Master’s, she settled on a master’s degree in management from the University of Aveiro. Her thesis, which focused on negative organizations, and strategies on how to improve them, or prevent their emergence, showed her eagerness to make an active change in the corporate sector, having served as the basis for the current book (though quite a lot of more material was added to the narrative, in order to better establish the concept of what a negative organisation is and the solutions to the problem). While looking for a role more suited to her capabilities, and all the while finishing her master’s thesis she was also invited to start working in Luxembourg at an European Institution.

Dr Manuel Au-Yong Oliveira is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the University of Aveiro, having lectured previously at the University of Porto (FEUP) as well as at other universities and polytechnics in Portugal. He has a career of two decades in industry, having performed in a number of different firms, including with three multinationals (Accenture, Worthington Cylinders, Waterco). Manuel uses his unique past experience to bring real-life practical contributions to the classroom and to his research in Portugal, including about a certain negativity felt in some organisations in Portugal – which may explain our economic lag and systematic underperformance. Manuel finished his PhD in 2012, at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) – a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management. The PhD thesis (awarded a distinction) focused on innovation (management), as Manuel during his career realised its importance to sales and to the well-being of the enterprise. Manuel became a full-time academic in 2014. Manuel was immediately invited to become a member of the Executive Committee of his department DEGEIT (Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism), a post which he maintained for eight years. Manuel was also the Director of the BSc in management (2015-2016) as well as of the Master’s in Management (2016-2022), all at the University of Aveiro. Manuel has embraced three roles as Principal Investigator for internationally funded academic European projects (including a CoVE project in the tourism sector, as Manuel did his post-doctoral studies in this area), as well as serving as consultant researcher to a number of other projects at the University of Aveiro. In 2023 Manuel was awarded an honourable mention in the UA Annual Researcher Awards, for the Social Sciences. Manuel has published two authored books, both on negative organizations, while providing ample solutions to the problem.