Management of People and Strategies of Attraction, Development and Retention: The Petrobras Case

Abstract

This case study examined the management of people in remote units (i.e., far from urban centers) and in urban units of PETROBRAS - Petróleo Brasileiro S/A. Specifically, this research was performed in three offshore platforms, three bases, and in the Amazon jungle’s unit, interviewing 31 employees that included directors, managers, HR professionals, supervisors, and coordinators. The following two questions were addressed: How to manage people working in units far away from the main headquarters of the organization? How to manage them in order to assure the organizational strategic objectives of attracting, developing and retaining valuable human capital in these units? The primary data collection was done by means of interviews and observations, and the data were analyzed via content analysis. The results indicated that the specific policies and practices for managing people, based on the strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining the professionals working in the studied units, are advantageous, illustrating effective policies and practices to the field of strategic people management.