Sustainability in the Auto Industry: The Significance of a Leader's Mindset

This case addresses the ability of organisations to respond and drive change in a responsible manner, showing that the capacity to do so depends on the leader’s ability to see the bigger picture and to listen to wakeup calls in the industry. The issue is whether the leader has an autopilot mind-set vs one that continuously seeks awareness of the drivers of change and of the underlying reasons for this change. The case presents the difference in actions and results of key players on the American Automobile market during the period from around 1970 until 2012. We have chosen to take a look on the big three automakers of Detroit - General Motors, Chrysler and Ford - and the biggest Japanese Producers - Toyota and Honda. With the mindset in focus we are interested in what distinguish the actors at the US Car market, being either an 'American' or a 'Japanese' car manufacturer, and how it influences their ability to react responsibly.