Full speed towards a sustainable future. The story of the electric car in Germany

An institutional approach

Tesis de Máster , 2013 , 83 Páginas , Calificación: 1,7

Economía de las empresas - Negocios - General

“I believe in horses, automobiles are a passing phenomenon”1
(Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1905)
More than 100 years ago when the first motorized vehicles appeared on the streets, Kaiser Wilhelm II was not able to see the potential of this invention and how it would change the world he lived in. Today we are facing the next revolution of transportation technology, elec-tric mobility (e-mobility). In consideration of continuous scarcity of fossil resources and pro-gressive environmental issues caused by increasing amounts of CO2 emissions in our atmos-phere, a rethinking of universally accepted habits is needed. Public and private transportation account for 19% of the overall CO2 emissions in Germany and is therefore one of the largest contributors to climate change and local air pollution (Umweltbundesamt, 2011). This circumstance also shows the great political relevance of this topic as well as the need to make the whole industry more sustainable. A sustainable innovation like the electric car can help to decrease the negative externalities of economic growth and reduce the ecological footprint of a modern-day life. Against this background, the German government proclaims that Germany should be the leading market for e-mobility; aiming to have a diffusion rate of one million electric cars until 2020 (Delhaes, 2008). In order to achieve this, they are dependent on the innovation activities of the German automotive industry. But consumers as well as car manu-factures seem to be skeptical about this novelty, which results in a comparable small diffusion rate of only 7114 electric cars in the end of 2012 (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, 2013). For instance, in Denmark the diffusion rate of new electronic cars is 30 times higher than in Germany and even The Netherlands have a rate that is 8 times higher (Masson, 2013). The mentioned diffu-sion rate shows the total number of newly registered electric cars in comparison to the total number of traditional fuel cars within a year. This is curious on a first view as Germany has the largest automotive industry in the world, consisting of firms like BMW, Daimler, Opel and Volkswagen. One would hence expect great interest and a proactive stance from both the firms as well as the government in supporting this innovation.
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Table of Content
1. Introduction
1.1. Research Objectives & Research Question
1.2. Research Contribution
1.3. Structure of the thesis
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1. Sustainable Innovation
2.2. Institutional Theory
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Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Research Objectives & Research Question
• Research Contribution
• Structure of the thesis
• Theoretical Framework
• Sustainable Innovation
• Institutional Theory
• Coercive Pressure
• Mimetic Pressure
• Normative Pressure
• Institutional Change
• Strategic Responses
• Methodology
• Sample Introducing the electric car
• Research Approach & Design
• Data Collection: Sources & Search Terms
• Setting the timeframe
• Database composition
• Analysis
• Results
• A Niche Market (Q1 2003 - Q3 2006)
• The Beginning (Q4 2006 - Q1 2008)
• First Hype (Q2 2008 - Q2 2009)
• Rising Skepticism (Q3 2009 – Q3 2010)
• Second Hype (Q4 2010 – Q4 2011)
• Disenchantment (Q1 2012 – Q4 2012)
• Conclusion
• Discussion
• Limitations of this study
• Future Research
• References
• Appendices

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master thesis aims to analyze the development of the electric car market in Germany from an institutional perspective. It examines the role of institutional pressures in shaping the market's evolution and the strategic responses of companies operating in this sector. The thesis utilizes a qualitative research approach, drawing on a comprehensive database of relevant events and company actions.

• The impact of institutional pressures on the electric car market in Germany
• The strategic responses of companies to these pressures
• The role of sustainable innovation in the electric car market
• The evolution of the electric car market over time
• The challenges and opportunities for the future development of the electric car market

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides an overview of the research objectives, research question, and the structure of the thesis. It also highlights the research contribution of this study. The theoretical framework chapter delves into the concepts of sustainable innovation and institutional theory, outlining the different types of institutional pressures and their impact on strategic decision-making. The methodology chapter explains the research approach, data collection methods, and analysis techniques employed in this study. It also details the sample selection process and the timeframe covered by the research. The results chapter presents a detailed analysis of the electric car market in Germany, divided into six distinct phases based on the dominant institutional pressures and company actions. Each phase is characterized by specific events, industry trends, and strategic responses. The conclusion summarizes the key findings of the study and discusses the implications for future research.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text include sustainable innovation, institutional theory, electric car market, Germany, strategic responses, institutional pressures, market diffusion, and industry evolution. The thesis examines the role of institutional pressures in shaping the development of the electric car market in Germany, analyzing the strategic responses of companies to these pressures and the overall evolution of the market over time. The study highlights the importance of understanding the interplay between institutional forces and company actions in driving sustainable innovation and market development.

• Universidad: VU University Amsterdam
• Calificación: 1,7
• Autor: Fabian Guse (Autor)
• Año de publicación: 2013
• Páginas: 83
• No. de catálogo: V281498
• ISBN (Ebook): 9783656754343
• ISBN (Libro): 9783656754336
• Idioma: Inglés
• Etiqueta: Sustainability, Innovation, Elektromobilität, Institutional Theory, Unternehmensstrategie, Elektroauto, Coercive, Normative, Mimetic, Sustainable Innovation, BMW, Daimler, Opel, Tesla, Electric Car