The decision-making process in the Brazilian foreign policy: the case of Petrobras (1972-2016)

• Grant number: 20/10529-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: December 30, 2020
• End date: September 29, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Feliú Ribeiro
• Grantee: Rodrigo Pedrosa Lyra
• Supervisor: Anthony Wynne Pereira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Relações Internacionais (IRI). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: King's College London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/19289-4 - Foreign policy decision making in Brazil: the case of Petrobras, BP.DR

Abstract

This research analyses the relationship between Brazilian foreign policy and Petrobras' international operations in all the countries this company has invested so far. I aim to contribute to the development of the foreign policy analysis (FPA) field in Brazil. This research addresses a significant theme within Brazilian society: the performance abroad of the country's largest enterprise. Besides its economic stature, Petrobras was at the center of the largest corruption scandal in Brazil . Most of the reasons for its fall from grace lie in its international operations, such as its poor management of foreign contracts. In this regard, it is crucial to investigate Petrobras' decision-making to understand how different actors have led to constraints in the company's ability to make autonomous investments abroad. (AU)