Mimetic Institutionalism and Inclusion in the Public Service: An Analysis of the PCCTAE as a Comparative Model of Federal Careers

Institutional Theory has been widely employed to explain processes of structural convergence and organizational homogenization, particularly in public environments characterized by strong normative density and comparability among institutional arrangements. Within the field of Brazilian federal careers, however, there remains a gap concerning the empirical application of mimetic isomorphism to the analysis of institutional design and structural inclusion dynamics. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze mimetic institutionalism and elements of inclusion in the federal public service, taking the Career Plan for Technical-Administrative Staff in Education (PCCTAE) as a comparative model of federal career structures. This research is characterized as an integrative literature review, adopting a qualitative and interpretative approach. The search was conducted through Google Scholar using keywords related to PCCTAE, federal public careers, organizational institutionalism, and mimetic isomorphism. Study selection followed a convenience sampling strategy, beginning with a preliminary screening of titles, abstracts, and keywords, followed by full-text analysis of eligible works. The final corpus comprised 23 studies, organized into thematic axes that enabled the integration of empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks. The findings indicate that the PCCTAE occupies a tensioned position within the inter-career comparative field, particularly regarding the architecture of functional progression and career predictability. The recent restructuring modified core valuation mechanisms, aligning the plan with formats associated with fiscal rationalization and administrative modernization. However, evidence related to demographic, distributive, and inclusion dimensions suggests that structural convergence does not eliminate persistent organizational asymmetries. The empirical synthesis indicates that career reforms are shaped by institutional pressures favoring alignment with legitimized models within the field. It is concluded that the transformation observed in the PCCTAE may be interpreted as a process of institutional recomposition driven by mimetic dynamics, in which the search for legitimacy and public defensibility operates as a vector of structural convergence. Nonetheless, the adoption of institutionally accepted formats does not automatically ensure substantive transformation of internal inequalities, indicating that public sector career reforms require a balance between standardization, fiscal sustainability, and organizational inclusion.