MECHANISMS FOR RISK ELIMINATION OF A COMPLIANCE TRAP IN THE BRAZILIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to analyze how the Brazilian National Communications Agency (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações – Anatel) and cellular operators in Brazil used ceremonial and discursive practices to build enforcement and compliance actions, adopted during a period of crisis in the cellular sector industry in 2012 when the legitimacy of the respective regulatory model and the regulatory agent were challenged, shaping a compliance trap situation. Originality/value: The work fills a theoretical gap by associating the normative-cultural perspective of regulation associated with organizational institutionalism, based on the assertion that the relationship between regulator and regulated is interactive and not unidirectional, allowing that enforcement mechanisms represent political efforts, realigning the interests of the actors within their institutional environments. Design/methodology/approach: The case study research strategy with a qualitative approach is adopted, studying the 2012 crisis in the cellular sector industry, with the collection of data from documentary sources and semi-structured interviews with participants in the process. Findings: The results show that, in the compliance trap situation, symbolic criteria can appropriate the speeches, producing texts and practices in favor of legitimizing the enforcement mechanisms and the respective compliance responses in view of the audience. Therefore, the compliance trap risk on the regulatory agent is mitigated to the extent that ceremonial and discursive practices manifest themselves responsively and gain political and cultural support, reducing social pressure on the legitimacy of the regulation model. RESUMO Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar como a Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) e operadoras de telefonia celular utilizaram-se de práticas cerimoniais e discursivas para construir ações de enforcement e compliance adotadas durante o período de crise no setor celular em 2012, quando as legitimidades do respectivo modelo de regulação e do agente regulador foram contestadas, desenhando uma situação de compliance trap. Originalidade/valor: O trabalho preenche uma lacuna teórica ao associar a perspectiva normativo-cultural da regulação associada com o institucionalismo organizacional, a partir da assertiva de que a relação entre regulador e regulados é interativa e não unidirecional, permitindo que os mecanismos de enforcement passem a representar esforços po