Drive to Survive - A Critical Discourse Analysis of Sustainability Reports in the German Automotive Industry from 2012 to 2022 Centering on the Industry's Pursuit of Legitimacy
(2023) BUSN79 20231Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of the use of discourses and their rhetorical design in corporate sustainability reports for securing and sustaining legitimacy over time within an industry that has an inherently adverse impact on the environment and has been subject to a variety of contextual changes within recent years. The purpose is fulfilled by conducting a three-level Critical Discourse Analysis adapted from Fairclough (1992) with an emphasis on the rhetorical devices employed in the text level of analysis. This study draws upon legitimacy theory to analyze the dynamic interplay between organizational practices and societal expectations in light of contextual changes. Due to its environmental and societal... (More)
- The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of the use of discourses and their rhetorical design in corporate sustainability reports for securing and sustaining legitimacy over time within an industry that has an inherently adverse impact on the environment and has been subject to a variety of contextual changes within recent years. The purpose is fulfilled by conducting a three-level Critical Discourse Analysis adapted from Fairclough (1992) with an emphasis on the rhetorical devices employed in the text level of analysis. This study draws upon legitimacy theory to analyze the dynamic interplay between organizational practices and societal expectations in light of contextual changes. Due to its environmental and societal significance, the automotive industry presents a viable domain to fulfill the study’s purpose. The analysis focused on sustainability reports issued by BMW, Mercedes- Benz, and Volkswagen between 2012 and 2022. Six discourses were identified in this study. The companies utilize a broader range of discourses in years marked by contextual changes, specifically incorporating discourses that respond to the changing expectations of their environment. The rhetorical construction of the discourses has been found to play a crucial role in leveraging the discourses’ persuasive impact and in securing and sustaining organizational legitimacy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9129601
- author
- Matterne, Katharina Francesca Yvonne LU and Muckenfuss, Lisa LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN79 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Sustainability Reporting, Legitimacy, Critical Discourse Analysis, Rhetoric, Automotive Industry
- language
- English
- id
- 9129601
- date added to LUP
- 2023-09-12 16:15:18
- date last changed
- 2023-09-12 16:15:18
@misc{9129601, abstract = {{The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of the use of discourses and their rhetorical design in corporate sustainability reports for securing and sustaining legitimacy over time within an industry that has an inherently adverse impact on the environment and has been subject to a variety of contextual changes within recent years. The purpose is fulfilled by conducting a three-level Critical Discourse Analysis adapted from Fairclough (1992) with an emphasis on the rhetorical devices employed in the text level of analysis. This study draws upon legitimacy theory to analyze the dynamic interplay between organizational practices and societal expectations in light of contextual changes. Due to its environmental and societal significance, the automotive industry presents a viable domain to fulfill the study’s purpose. The analysis focused on sustainability reports issued by BMW, Mercedes- Benz, and Volkswagen between 2012 and 2022. Six discourses were identified in this study. The companies utilize a broader range of discourses in years marked by contextual changes, specifically incorporating discourses that respond to the changing expectations of their environment. The rhetorical construction of the discourses has been found to play a crucial role in leveraging the discourses’ persuasive impact and in securing and sustaining organizational legitimacy.}}, author = {{Matterne, Katharina Francesca Yvonne and Muckenfuss, Lisa}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Drive to Survive - A Critical Discourse Analysis of Sustainability Reports in the German Automotive Industry from 2012 to 2022 Centering on the Industry's Pursuit of Legitimacy}}, year = {{2023}}, }