An organizational view on transport transitions involving new mobility concepts and changing customer behavior

The integration of electric, shared and autonomous vehicles is shaping new forms of mobility and ultimately the future of the entire automotive industry. Our study addresses the ongoing shift in values and individual customer demand that has to be met by providing innovative concepts for future transport. We call into question what challenges arise when new technological developments and complex societal changes need to be aligned in a socio-technical system. Our qualitative approach is based on the use of semi-structured interviews with representatives from a traditional car manufacturer. By investigating the expectations and actions from an organizational perspective we find important predictions concerning the inevitable changes in customer behavior and organizational strategy. It becomes clear that one of the key challenges is an appropriate steering system to motivate innovation activities and enhance creativity within the organization in order to ensure long-term success in an increasingly competitive market environment.