Corporate political strategies: the case of the Brazilian railway sector

Abstract This research aims to identify the corporate political strategies employed by four Brazilian freight concessionaires in two cases of regulatory change and in a case of request for extension of the concession contracts. The theme has been gaining notoriety due to corruption scandals in the relationship between political and economic actors, both public and private, in Brazil. Multi case studies were performed and 33 interviews were conducted, both with managers of the concessionaires, as well as representatives of associations of interests, the regulator, the legislature, and experts in the sector. The collected data indicates that the strategic behaviors analyzed do not fit into a single generic type of strategy as portrayed in the literature. However, in general, there is a tendency towards a reactive stance in cases of regulatory change, in contrast to a proactive stance regarding the change in the contract terms of the concession.