This document summarizes a master's dissertation on guidelines for sustainable value creation within the German automotive industry's strategic response to the carbon crisis. [The dissertation analyzed annual reports of automakers and suppliers from 2010-2015 to identify key clean technology initiatives. It proposed 7 strategic initiatives including product innovation, new clean technologies, and collaboration. The guidelines provide a framework for environmental and social sustainability throughout the supply chain to reduce carbon footprints and create shared value.]

1. Carina Legl, MSc
Edinburgh Napier University
Dr Miles Weaver
Edinburgh Napier University
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the
context of German automotive industry’s strategic
carbon crisis management

2. Carina Legl, MSc with Distinction
in International Business Management
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 2
• Master’s dissertation
‘The German automotive industry’s strategic sustainability management – dealing with
the ongoing global carbon crisis through sustainable-value creation’
• Supervisor: Dr Miles Weaver (Program Leader, SCM/Operation Management)
• Graduation: October 2016, Edinburgh Napier University
• Potential research work for publication
(Encouraged by Miles to submit and present the Paper
on an international platform – EurOMA 2017 conference)
• Strong intentions on prospective PhD research activities
– Part/full-time, internal/external PhD program, starting 2017/18
internal: research and teaching position, general academic research (LMU)
external: research and job position, specific research (SAP, or else)
– PhD supervision, potentially, in collaboration with LMU or ENU

3. • Relevance/contribution Improving carbon emissions’ efficiency, and thus, having a
real impact on climate change – through the interrelation of stakeholders (collaborative
undertaking approach)
• Objectives/aim
– To identify and classify single-applied and collaborative-contributed key, strategic
clean/green-technological initiatives by Germany’s influential OEMs and OEM-parts
suppliers through interpretation of annual/sustainability-reporting’
patterns/relationships within 2010 to 2015
– To unify those already enforced/realised significant, future-oriented measures/ideas
– To propose universal guidelines of transferable, operational initiatives that motivate
the guideline’s incorporation by environmental/sustainability managers of diverse
industrial sectors to ensure/promote strategic sustainability
development/management
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 3
Research’s relevance/aim/objectives
‘Transferable, operational guidelines for sustainable-value creation’

4. • What were key, strategic clean/green-technological initiatives applied
by German’s automotive industry to address the ongoing global
carbon crisis?
• How and why have those initiatives contributed collaboratively to
create sustainable-value?
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 4
Research questions
Exploratory research

5. • Literature review
– Strategic sustainability management
– Clean/green-technological innovation
– Collaborative sustainable-value creation
– Research gap – on the incorporation of strategic sustainability management
• Design/methodology/approach
• Analysis/interpretation/findings
– Project 1, analysis of each corporation’s sense of mission (within NVivo 10)
– Project 2, analysis of each corporation’s environmental and social sustainability initiatives
(within NVivo 10)
– Final step, analysis of collaborative contribution towards collaborative, sustainable-value
creation (within IBM SPSS Statistics)
• Towards operational guidelines for collaborative sustainable-value
creation
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 5
Research’s presentation
‘Operational guidelines for sustainable-value creation’

6. • Theoretical key concepts’ discussion of: strategic sustainability management;
clean/green-technological innovation; collaborative sustainable-value creation
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 6
Sustainable value framework
Sustainable
Value
Drivers
• Pollution
• Consumption
• Waste
Drivers
• Disruption
• Clean Tech
• Footprint
Drivers
• Population
• Poverty
• Inequity
Drivers
• Civil Society
• Transparency
• Connectivity
Strategy:
Clean Technology
Develop the sustainable
competencies of the future
Corporate Payoff:
Innovation & Repositioning
Strategy:
Pollution Prevention
Minimise waste and
emissions from operations
Corporate Payoff:
Cost & Risk Reduction
Strategy:
Sustainability Vision
Create a shared
roadmap for meeting
unmet needs
Corporate Payoff:
Growth Trajectory
Strategy:
Product Stewardship
Integrate stakeholder
views into business
process
Corporate Payoff:
Reputation & Legitimacy
Tomorrow
Today
External
Internal
Campbell and Yeung’s Ashridge mission model
PURPOSE
“Why the
corporation exists”
BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS
“The corporation’s
policies and behaviour patterns
that underpin the distinctive competences
and the value system”
VALUES
“What the corporation
believes in”
STRATEGY
“The corporation’s competitive position
and distinctive competence”
Figure: Author's presentation of the Ashridge mission model,
based on Campbell and Yeung (1991:13)
Figure: Author's presentation of the sustainable-value framework,
based on Hart and Milstein (2003:60)
Literature review
German automotive industry’s strategic sustainability management

7. Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 7
Frameworks’ linkage
Research on the foundation for embedding sustainability
Linking Campbell and Yeung’s Ashridge mission model with
Hart and Milstein’s sustainable value framework
Strategy: Clean Technology
Develop the sustainable competencies of the future
Corporate Payoff: Innovation & Repositioning
Strategy: Pollution Prevention
Minimise waste and emissions from operations
Corporate Payoff: Cost & Risk Reduction
Strategy: Product Stewardship
Integrate stakeholder views into business process
Corporate Payoff: Reputation & Legitimacy
Figure: Author's presentation of the link between Campbell and Yeung's (1991:13) Ashridge mission model to Hart and Milstein's (2003:60)
sustainable-value framework, with strategic focus on clean technology, pollution prevention, and product stewardship

8. • Exploratory research, inductive approach
• Interpretation of annual/sustainability-reporting’ patterns/relationships
• Applied quantitative methods
• Examined secondary data collection in consideration of effective, supportive
initiatives for reducing/preventing car’s carbon footprint
• Quantified content by counting occurrence’ frequency of predetermined,
indicative keywords
 What does each corporation actually report in context of applied clean/green-
technological innovation/s
 What characteristics does each, single corporation shares with others
 What is the collaborative contribution, i.e. the relationships between each
analysed corporate clean/green-environmental initiative/s
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 8
Design/methodology/approach
Research on the foundation for embedding sustainability

9. • Clear indication of corporations’ strong sense of mission
• Positively stated in each, single corporations’ annual reports within the
specified timeframe of – all 4 intertwining, reinforcing categorical areas
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 9
Analysis/interpretation/findings
Project 1: Corporation’s sense of mission
Table: Defined keywords, i.e. child nodes, for the four intertwining and reinforcing
categorical areas and the nine mission statement components with additional supportive
child nodes

10. • All corporations actively-reported on sustainability/CSR within the set time frame –
either in annual reports with integrated sustainability/CSR information or separate
sustainability reports – with given signals of concentrated environmental and social
sustainability
• Based on previous research and study cases (foremost on environmental and social
sustainability reporting as well as certain frameworks, specifically with regard to termed
indicators that in turn link to sustainability, offers potential key parameters/keywords
for the three-interlinked strategic categories)
• Each corporation displays key, strategic clean/green-technological initiative/s
with various focus on prior-defined categorical areas, i.e. the three strategies of
Hart and Milstein’s (2003) sustainable-value framework: clean technology;
pollution prevention; and product stewardship
• Distinct intersection and interrelation between sustainability, sustainable
competitive advantage, and sustainable-value creation
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 10
Analysis/interpretation/findings
Project 2: Corporation’s environmental and social sustainability initiatives

11. Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 11
Towards operational guidelines
Corporations’ collaborative contribution to create sustainable-value
Environmental AND management
AND systems
2%
Environmental AND research AND
development
1%
Increase AND investments AND R&D AND
environmental AND products AND processes
2%
Integrated AND
management
2%
Market AND value
2%
Product AND development
1%
Reduction AND fuel AND
consumption AND emissions
1%
Regional AND global AND
environmental AND impact
1%
Report AND activities
2%Risk AND
management
2%
Sustainable AND development
1%
Technology AND power AND vehicles
1%
Total AND quality AND
environmental AND
management
3%
Waste AND management
2%
Cooperation AND stakeholders AND
using less energy during product
transportation
1%
General AND external AND
report
2%
Integrated AND management
2%
Labour AND management AND relations
1%
Sustainability AND requirements AND partners
1%
Sustainability AND requirements AND suppliers
1%
Rest of nodes, i.e.
keywords
71%
Figure: Extract of the three OEMs and seven OEM-parts suppliers collaborative contribution, i.e. the 20 highest occurrence of nodes, i.e. keywords, connected to the environmental
(keywords coloured in blue) and social (keywords coloured in violet) sustainability dimensions – towards the collaborative sustainable-value creation

12. Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 12
Creation of operational guidelines
based on 7 key strategic clean/green-technological initiatives
Strong
sense of
mission
- Purpose
- Strategy
- Behaviour
standards
- Values
Effective and
successful
strategic
sustainability
management
- Vision, mission
- Business benefits
- Strategic goals
- Specific environmental
objectives
- Guiding principles
- Clean/green organisational
culture
Environmental
and social
sustainability
- through clean/green-
technological initiatives
Collaborative
Sustainable-
value creation
The Key, Strategic Clean/green-technological Initiatives
of the German Automotive Industry’s Strategic Sustainability Management
Based upon Hart and Milstein’s Sustainable Value Framework
Reinforced by Each Corporation’s Strong Sense of Mission, based on Campbell and Yeung’s Ashridge Mission Model
Collaborative
Sustainable-
value
Creation
• Strategy: Clean Technology
Develop the sustainable competencies of the future
Corporate Payoff: Innovation & Repositioning
• Strategy: Pollution Prevention
Minimise waste and emissions from operations
Corporate Payoff: Cost & Risk Reduction
• Strategy: Product Stewardship
Integrate stakeholder views into business process
Corporate Payoff: Reputation & Legitimacy
Since
2010
until 2015
External
Internal
INITIATIVES:
1. Product and Process Innovation
form Environmental Core
Competencies
2. Advancement of New Clean/green
Technology, Innovations of Policy-
making Processes, and Sustainable
Solutions for Corporation’s
Activities
3. Competitiveness from Sustainable
Development
4. Sustainable Value from Clean/green-
technological Products and
Processes
5. Achievement of the Higher Ideal
from Reduction, Minimisation, and
Elimination of Waste and Emissions
O
pportunities
Enhancedreputation
Productdifferentiation
Motivatedemployees
Reducedcosts
Entryintonewmarkets
INITIATIVES:
6. Collaboration from Joined Sustainability
Best Practices
7. Benefits to Society and Nature from
German Automotive Industry’s Strategic
Sustainability Management
Figure: Researcher's suggestions of the key, strategic clean/green-technological initiatives of the
German automotive industry's strategic sustainability management to enhance the collaborative sustainability performance
Research’s
WHAT-question

13. Environmental sustainability addresses expectance of corporation’s pursuit of
environmental protection throughout the entire supply-chain to reduce/prevent
carbon footprint, in rather more general-terms than particularly of just cars.
The guidelines aid in dealing with the ongoing global carbon crisis through:
• effective, supportive clean/green-technological initiatives, as expected to
create sustainable competitive advantage for corporation and entire supply-
chain;
• corporation’s implementation of specified sustainability requirements for
suppliers and partners, as expected to lead to collaborative sustainable-value
creation throughout the supply-chain;
• accurate environmental performance assessment of suppliers and partners,
as e.g. total environmental quality management is crucial for collaborative
sustainable-value creation.
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 13
Transferable, operational guidelines
for sustainable-value creation
Research’s
WHY & HOW-questions

14. Social sustainability addresses corporation’s effective and successful
application and implementation of sustainable activities, i.e. business processes
to create collaborative sustainable-value throughout the value-chain.
For this, corporation’s:
• suppliers, partners, and employees are expected to operate responsible,
according to corporation’s sustainability requirements with measures and
mechanisms for products and processes’ waste reduction, emission
minimisation, and pollution prevention;
• integrated management involves participation of all, relevant stakeholders,
especially, employees, partners, and suppliers.
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 14
Transferable, operational guidelines
for sustainable-value creation
Research’s
WHY & HOW-questions

15. • Initial step towards conceptual-framework creation
• Contribution to further discussion
– What can be achieved with clean/green-technological initiatives
– Why those initiatives matter
– How German automotive industry’s key, strategic clean/green-technological
initiatives can be transferred to and implemented by environmental/sustainability
managers with diverse industrial sectors – to ensure with clean/green policies and
practices the promotion of strategic environmental and social sustainability
management
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the context of German automotive industry‘s strategic carbon crisis management
Carina Legl and Dr Miles Weaver (2017) 15
Prospective research
Towards the creation of a conceptual-framework

16. Presented by Carina Legl, MSc
Connect with me via
Guidelines for sustainable-value creation within the
context of German automotive industry’s strategic
carbon crisis management