The aim of this paper is to present a discussion about the supposed loss of authenticity and tradition in samba schools and provide a contribution to organizational analysis considering the peculiar characteristics of this type of organization which highlights the idea of borderless organizations. Despite being widely studied in anthropology and sociology, these organizations have failed to gain the attention of the field of business administration. These organizations are treated by some authors as entities that have undergone major changes, and therefore have lost their authenticity and tradition as a result of what has became known as commodification / modernization of carnival, invasion beyond the call of the middle class. We argue that the "mercantilization / modernization" of Carnival and the "invasion" of the middle class has not led to the alleged loss of authenticity and tradition because the marketing of carnival has been present in Brazil since the early twentieth century and the relationship between elite and popular culture is not something new. We take the position that "tradition" and "modernity" are neither dichotomous nor exclusionary. We point out that a study of organizational practices would be an interesting way to overcome the dichotomies commonly used in studies of samba schools, which actually take shape as organizations without borders.
Samba school; Carnival; Popular culture; Organizing practices; Carnival parades