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Driving the electric bandwagon: The dynamics of incumbents' sustainable innovation

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  • René Bohnsack
  • Ans Kolk
  • Jonatan Pinkse
  • Christina M. Bidmon

Abstract

Given that entire industries face sustainability challenges, it is important to understand the dynamics that lead “firms‐in‐an‐industry” to engage in sustainable product innovation. To provide more insight into the question of how innovation activities spread from individual firm action to an industry‐wide engagement, this paper examines the automobile industry and the development of electric vehicles (EVs). The analysis covers automobile incumbents over a crucial decade for EV development in the industry, focusing on the different strategic motives that especially the so‐called “first movers” used to justify their earlier engagement. We find that EVs became a core pillar of the incumbents' technology strategies through a combination of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures. Yet, the strategic motives to engage in EVs stayed poles apart between different companies. The insights from our study are relevant for those interested in the diffusion of sustainable product innovation and in incumbent behaviour in sustainability transitions.

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  • René Bohnsack & Ans Kolk & Jonatan Pinkse & Christina M. Bidmon, 2020. "Driving the electric bandwagon: The dynamics of incumbents' sustainable innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 727-743, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:29:y:2020:i:2:p:727-743
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2430
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    6. Thomas Magnusson & Viktor Werner, 2023. "Conceptualisations of incumbent firms in sustainability transitions: Insights from organisation theory and a systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 903-919, February.
    7. Na Zhang & Bon‐gang Hwang & Xiaopeng Deng & Yan Ning, 2020. "Achieving transient competitive advantage in high‐speed rail projects bidding: Sustainable development perspective," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 1738-1754, November.
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    9. Matos, Stelvia & Viardot, Eric & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Geels, Frank W. & Xiong, Yu, 2022. "Innovation and climate change: A review and introduction to the special issue," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    10. Ignė Stalmokaitė & Tommy Larsson Segerlind & Johanna Yliskylä‐Peuralahti, 2023. "Revival of wind‐powered shipping: Comparing the early‐stage innovation process of an incumbent and a newcomer firm," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 958-975, February.
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    12. Geels, Frank W. & Ayoub, Martina, 2023. "A socio-technical transition perspective on positive tipping points in climate change mitigation: Analysing seven interacting feedback loops in offshore wind and electric vehicles acceleration," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    13. Szalavetz, Andrea, 2022. "Transition to electric vehicles in Hungary: A devastating crisis or business as usual?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    14. Ben Zhang & Lei Ma & Zheng Liu, 2020. "Literature Trend Identification of Sustainable Technology Innovation: A Bibliometric Study Based on Co-Citation and Main Path Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
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