Manufacturing sustainability: Institutional theory and life cycle thinking

This study sets out to bridge resource perspective on material selection with stakeholder and institutional theory considerations provide a more comprehensive understanding of life-cycle thinking decisions in the automotive industry. The objective is shed light how regulatory, normative mimetic pressures, affect sustainability when switching or substituting materials manufacturing processes Within hybrid life cycle analysis framework, environmental hotspots across supply chains two empirical management examples Aluminium CFRP LCA models are presented, quantified ranked. Further justifications provided why normative-peer peer-normative pressures decisions. Findings reveal early, mid-process late-stage hotspots, both process for components. decision support framework can be used diverge from high energy-intensive conventional raw materials, forward-looking manufacturers opportunity make asset-specific investments lightweight, fuel-efficient vehicles, sustainable operations. presents new that hybridises enable standard routine assessment sustainability. provides novel theoretical by highlighting framing rules given institution mirror trajectory regulatory (organised laws) through behaviour) (copied behaviour).