https://www.mdu.se/

Date:             2009 – 05 – 28

Level:            Master thesis in Industrial Management with specialization in Sustainable Development, 30 hp

Authors:       Nominchuluun Nyamdavaa                      Sam Amirebrahimi

                      Engerbrektsgatan 19                         Centrallasarettet Ing.21

                      72216 Västerås                                         72189 Västerås

                      073 – 696 93 69                                       073 – 907 74 91

Tutor:           Magnus Linderström

Title:             Organizational interactions in the energy sector regarding environment and growth – case study of Mälarenergi AB

Problem:       Energy sector has been much debated regarding growth and environmental issues. Energy situation in 2020 sets an emergency that a New Energy Policy has to be made immediately in order to meet the growing energy demand without compromising the environment. Thus the energy sector is strictly regulated by national and international level policies. It is interesting to investigate how organizations interact with each other in the sector regarding growth and environment.   

Purpose:       Aim of this thesis is to describe the inter-organizational relationships in the Swedish energy sector and analyze how organizations interact with each other depending on their attitude towards sustainable development. The research involves a case study of a local energy company Mälarenergi AB and different actors in its institutional field and how the company acts according to its interests in forming relationships with others.

Method:        This thesis is an interpretive case study which aims to research the link between understanding and action. Organizational and institutional theories are used as theoretical framework. Empirical data will be collected through qualitative semi-structured interview with organizational members as well as secondary data that are collected through literature, documentation, archival records and previous researches.  

Result:          The Swedish energy sector is a complex field that consists of different actors and complicated relationships. The sector is mainly affected by national and EU-level decisions thus a local energy company is regulated by national and EU-level environmental policies. Interactions with other actors are fundamental in Mälarenergi’s institutional field. Organizations form co-operations and collaborations in order to achieve environmental goals as well as to conduct joint R&D activities. The environment pressure made it clear that the organizations have to work together in order to maintain a sustainable growth in the energy sector.