How do car manufacturers use rhetorical strategies to gain legitimacy for their investments in renewable and non-renewable technologies under conditions of energy transition?

Details

Supervisors

Desmet, Carlos

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

How car manufacturers legitimate their actions under conditions of energy transition is a central yet little understood question. This paper examines the rhetorical strategies employed by car manufacturers to manage legitimacy for their investments in legitimacy-gaining and legitimacy-losing technologies. Employing a critical discourse analysis of 77 press releases, published by Peugeot and Renault during the time period 2019 to 2022, I find that car manufacturers utilize two different types of hybrid rhetoric to justify their investments. Regarding non-renewables investments, pragmatic blending is used, appropriating the clean rhetoric and highlighting performance and benefits to the consumer. The rhetoric for investments in renewables make use of visionary blending, relating to the corporate strategy and technological performance with sustainability rhetoric. This study contributes to the research on rhetoric analysis, car manufacturers’ role during energy transition and technology legitimacy.

Citations

• APA

Richard de Foucaud et d’Aure, M. (2022). How do car manufacturers use rhetorical strategies to gain legitimacy for their investments in renewable and non-renewable technologies under conditions of energy transition? https://dial-mem.test.bib.ucl.ac.be/handle/2078.2/30235