Structuring Corporate Governance in the Context of Crisis: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Nonprofit Organization

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the adaptations in the corporate governance practices of a Brazilian support foundation, in the context of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support foundations act as pillars of support for research and innovation, ensuring the continuity of strategic activities in teaching, research, and outreach. This research adopted the Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) methodology to identify the organization’s core values and objectives, assessing their influence on decision making. Through the application of the VFT method, decision-making alternatives were structured based on the sessions conducted with the foundation’s employees. Among the adaptations made were the implementation of health protocols, the adoption of technologies for risk monitoring, and the restructuring of workflows, with a focus on financial support and process optimization. The results indicated that governance practices were strengthened, with an emphasis on transparency and cost reduction. This study contributes to good governance practices by integrating organizational strategy into the digital transformation process. As a suggestion for future research, it is proposed to investigate the impact of these adaptations in the post-pandemic period, as well as to conduct comparative studies with other institutions to deepen the understanding of the effectiveness of corporate governance practices in different contexts.