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Carbon Management Integration at Road Freight Service Providers : Contingency- and Learning-based Analysis of Integration Alternatives
Type
book
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Abstract
Global warming and its expected consequences have led to increased interest within business and government circles in detailed information about the amount of carbon emissions emitted by road transportation. According to the International Energy Agency, the transportation sector is responsible for approximately 19 percent of global energy use and 23 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Seventy-five percent of these emissions are related to road transportation. Against this background, selected road freight service providers (RFSPs) have addressed the management of carbon emissions (CM). Because CM presents a new task field for companies, the business practice reveals that RFSPs are increasingly facing the challenge of concretizing tasks, as well as conducting and integrating CM at the company. Despite increasing awareness from scholars in various disciplines, studies of the elements of CM and its integration remain scarce.
This thesis focuses on this topic by systematically structuring and exploring the key elements - the cornerstones - of the management of carbon emission. It also specifies various integration alternatives of CM in business practices and explores internal and external framework conditions (situational parameters) that affect the chosen integration alternative of CM and their relations. Finally, the thesis develops a management model for conducting CM that supports RFSPs in addressing and integrating the new task field of CM in the company.
The contributions of the investigation address scientific and practical issues. From a scientific point of view, this thesis contributes by exploring the research construct through an eclectic approach, including insights from such literature fields as sustainability management, management accounting, integrated management systems, organization, and logistics management. Beyond this, the study discusses the empirical findings with respect to the relations between situational parameters and design variables (integration alternatives of CM) in the context of the contingency theory. Moreover, the development process of CM within the company is explained by the patterns of the organizational learning theory.
From a managerial point of view, the thesis is particularly fruitful for sustainability managers or executives of RFSPs that intend to, or have started to, deal with the issue of CM. The characterization of the related tasks of each cornerstone of CM can help practitioners acquire an overview and enhance their understanding in the field of CM. Moreover, the management model of conducting CM provides sustainability managers with indications about which integration alternative might be appropriate, depending on the specific framework conditions.
This thesis focuses on this topic by systematically structuring and exploring the key elements - the cornerstones - of the management of carbon emission. It also specifies various integration alternatives of CM in business practices and explores internal and external framework conditions (situational parameters) that affect the chosen integration alternative of CM and their relations. Finally, the thesis develops a management model for conducting CM that supports RFSPs in addressing and integrating the new task field of CM in the company.
The contributions of the investigation address scientific and practical issues. From a scientific point of view, this thesis contributes by exploring the research construct through an eclectic approach, including insights from such literature fields as sustainability management, management accounting, integrated management systems, organization, and logistics management. Beyond this, the study discusses the empirical findings with respect to the relations between situational parameters and design variables (integration alternatives of CM) in the context of the contingency theory. Moreover, the development process of CM within the company is explained by the patterns of the organizational learning theory.
From a managerial point of view, the thesis is particularly fruitful for sustainability managers or executives of RFSPs that intend to, or have started to, deal with the issue of CM. The characterization of the related tasks of each cornerstone of CM can help practitioners acquire an overview and enhance their understanding in the field of CM. Moreover, the management model of conducting CM provides sustainability managers with indications about which integration alternative might be appropriate, depending on the specific framework conditions.
Language
English
Keywords
Carbon management
integration alternatives
sustainability management
road freight service providers
contigency theory
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SoM - Business Innovation
Refereed
No
Publisher
Springer (im Erscheinen)
Start page
274
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
235638