Victory through conquest in 1960’s Brazil: Business interest associations, moral panic, and policymaking

Abstract

We analyse the impact of business interest associations (BIAs) on policymaking through coordinated efforts. We focus on short films produced in the early 1960s by the influential Brazilian think tank, Institute for Research and Social Studies (IPES; 1961–1972). Founded, funded, and managed by the business elite, IPES aimed to counter the alleged ‘advance of Soviet communism’ by shaping public opinion and destabilising the political landscape, ultimately paving the way for the 1964 businessmen-military coup, prioritising business interests over workers’ welfare. These short films were widely disseminated through various channels, serving as a means to propagate moral panic. Exploring the historical engagement of BIAs sheds light on the complex relationships among the State, governments, and business, showcasing diverse voice strategies employed by BIAs. The article also delves into the contemporary use of videos and partisanship among executives, highlighting the films’ significance as historical documents for crafting new management histories.

Keywords:

• Business interest associations
• thematic analysis
• film analysis
• IPES
• moral panic

Acknowledgements

We thank Antonio Biselli Colombo, who supported us as an undergrad research intern (PIBIC) during the initial research phase. We also thank historian Gabriel Marinho, who gave us copies of all IPES short movies. He is the editor of the documentary ‘O Prólogo’ (The Prologue) about IPES.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The designation of the coup d’état in Brazil varies among different groups of historians. In general terms, we can identify three streams: ‘the military coup’, ‘the civic-military coup’, and the ‘businessmen-military coup’. The latter wants to highlight the role of businessmen in the taking over of the State following the Gramscian perspective of Dreyfuss (1981). The most representative group of scholars of this latter stream is ‘Businessmen and Dictatorship’ (see Campos et al., 2020). ‘Businessmen-military coup’ is a designation more appropriate to our understanding of IPES as a BIA and the active role it played in 1960s Brazil.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the CNPq under Grant CNPq Universal [404418/2016-3].

Notes on contributors

Denise Franca Barros

Denise Franca Barros teaches at PPGAd—Postgraduate Program in Administration, Fluminense Federal University (UFF), State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), and Professional Master’s Program—MADE-UNESA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Amon Narciso de Barros

Amon Barros is an Associate Professor in Organization Studies at FGV EAESP. His research focuses on management and organizational history and the sociopolitical impacts of business on society.

Sérgio Eduardo Pinho Velho Wanderley

Sergio Wanderley is an associate professor at Unigranrio Afya. His research focuses on organizational history and the governance of the higher education market.