People analytics na Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul: uma proposta de implementação

Abstract

People Analytics (PA) is the organizational function that integrates the systematic practice of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting employee data to support managerial decision-making, with special emphasis on organizational dynamics and individual and collective performance. Although primarily applied in the private sector, this study aims to propose procedures for implementing the organizational function of People Analytics within the people management framework of the State University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS). The study adopted a qualitative exploratory approach, structured around three complementary methodological pillars: (1) a literature review conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, with articles collected between January and June 2025 – serving as the foundation for systematizing the benefits, challenges, limitations, and requirements of People Analytics according to the specialized literature; (2) an organizational maturity assessment using the Maturity Model by Rigamonti, Gastaldi, and Corso (2024), operationalized through empirical data collection – three semi-structured interviews with UEMS leaders (Rector, Vice-Rector, and Pro-Rector of Human Development) conducted in November – December 2025, and a focus group with six staff members from the Pro-Rectorate of Human and Social Development. The main findings revealed that UEMS is predominantly at the Initial and Limited stages across the four assessed maturity areas – Technological, Organizational, Functional, and Dissemination – encompassing fourteen dimensions of the model. The diagnosis identified three critical structural constraints: (1) Technological Integration – fragmentation among systems compromising data quality; (2) Organizational Formalization – sporadic initiatives lacking formal structure, assigned responsibilities, or dedicated budget; and (3) Planned Dissemination – absence of an institutionalized infrastructure for sharing analyses. Nevertheless, the research evidenced significant potentialities: leadership support, skilled staff, initial practices of descriptive data analysis, and an institutional context of modernization. The analyses indicate that UEMS possesses sufficient maturity to initiate structured People Analytics implementation at an initial stage, enabling gradual evolution through a specific Action Plan. Therefore, the general objective is achieved by developing an action plan divided into five axes, serving as a roadmap for the initial implementation phase of PA at the University. The research fills a identified gap in the national literature regarding the application of People Analytics in public higher education institutions, contributing theoretically by adapting a consolidated model to the Brazilian public context and practically by producing a Technical-Technological Product (PTT) – an Action Plan – based on a robust diagnosis, which offers UEMS a structured and realistic roadmap for transforming strategic people management through data analysis.