Community-based associations for job and income generation: the issue of management

Abstract

This article presents the results of a piece of research entitled “Emergence of Third Sector Organizations: Learning to Manage”, which aimed at understanding the different strategies, techniques and ways of carrying out the management of community-based associations, located in the metropolitan area of Florianópolis. This descriptive and exploratory research was carried out within the context of community-based associations and it systematizes a set of information on the issue. The study generated knowledge on the workings of five of such associations by shedding light on their ways of structuring and managing themselves. The object investigated tackles complex issues involving a number of concepts debated both in academic contexts and in society in general. The study does not seek to discuss whether such organizations belong or not in the so-called “third sector”, “social economy” or “solidary economy”. It does seek, however, to contribute to the debate related to the topic by making some empirical findings available to the reader.