Organizational rare events have been a relatively neglected stream of research in the organizational context, either by conceptual and/or methodological reasons. This article presents a definition for the term rare events in the organizational context and suggests a research strategy to investigate them. For this purpose, we used the unusual aspects that emerged on the last day of activities of Cine Belas Artes, in São Paulo, Brazil, which was forced to leave the property it held since its inauguration in 1943. Through an exploratory qualitative research perspective, we concluded that an organizational rare event is an occurrence that has historical character, which generates propagation in media and social mobilization due to its emotional relevance to those involved in the situation. From this definition, three guiding questions arose, forming a research strategy to investigate such events. In the theoretical dimension, this research enables us to understand that although an accidental event may be rare, this does not indicate that all rare events are per se accidental, since the unpredictability inherent to the aspects that distinguish accidents do not necessarily characterize rare events. Regarding the practice of research, this study draws attention to the many aspects involved in setting an organizational rare event, which was revealed as a complex phenomenon, whose origin and rarity of assimilation can take many forms. Therefore, it is important to note that the results of this study indicate that the research approach to unusual events do not admit simplistic methodological choices and understanding by researchers. Above all, the main point is to have the sense that organizational rare events create the challenge, for both organizations and researchers who investigate them, to develop alternative ways to perceive them in their nature and peculiarities, even if the results are contingent to a particular context, time and situation.
Cine Belas Artes.; Organizational rare events; Research strategy; Organizational studies; Qualitative research