Erfolgsfaktoren von Unternehmenskooperationen in der europäischen Kunststoff--Recycling-Wirtschaft

Abstract

VI Abstract Starting Position The fairly young, buying market-oriented, professional expertise-rooted and growth-driven European plastic-recycling industry is being faced by the greatest challenge so far in its existence: the global financial and economic crisis that has been a cause of dramatic fall in both prices and sales volumes. Along with growing market dynamics, requirements also grow in terms of technical complexity, research and development needs and investment volumes. The importance of legal requirements, for example the European Regulation on chemicals (REACh), increase and will have a major impact on the future Recycling Business. Matter at Hand Efforts should not remain limited to merely finding the way out of the current crisis but to develop essentially new structures, build competitive advantages and adapt in a sustainable and long-term oriented approach to the change. The need arises of a more flexible company management along with the implementation of preferably pragmatic competitive strategies and of useful management competences. Approach Chosen Business cooperations appear a useful tool in order to improve one’s competitive status while taking the need of flexible company management into account. Scope Delimitation The present study focuses on analysing horizontal intercompany cooperations in the European (EU27+ Norway and Switzerland) plastic-recycling industry. Abstract VII Objective The study aims at identifying cooperation characteristics of relevance to cooperation success within the plastic-recycling industry. Based on the results of the effort, a cooperation strategy shall be designed for a general market player. In the follow-up, a guide shall be compiled to serve as a reference and a decisionmaking support tool for designing and implementing cooperation schemes. Method In terms of the method applied, the study is structured in two parts. In the first part, the structural framework is established based on analysis of current theories and basic relevant notions and concepts. In the second part, the data gathering effort follows implemented by means of empirical surveys in form of expert interviews and a survey. By exploring the insights made, a cooperation strategy shall be conceived in a modelling approach. Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: Business cooperations in the European plastic-recycling industry are carried by aspects that in mature industries play a less important part; soft factors prevail while the strategic dimension largely is relegated to a second-tier variable. Hypothesis 2: Cooperations in the European plastic-recycling industry embrace the cost leadership and differentiation strategy, boost sales and promote corporate flexibility. Nevertheless a cooperation success is by no means a warranty of corporate success. Hypothesis 3: In designing cooperation models for the plastic-recycling industry, apart from branch-specific characteristics particularly opportunistic behaviour of the decision making functions concerned needs to be accounted for. Abstract VIII Hypothesis 4: Apart from the branch-specific particularities of the plasticrecycling industry, further also different types of market players apply that need to be differentiated between and accounted for in designing cooperative strategies.