The destabilisation of the German electricity industry (1998-2015): Application and extension of a multi-dimensional framework

This article aims to explain the rapid destabilisation of the German electricity industry between 1998 and 2015. The longitudinal case study uses analytical categories from a multi-dimensional framework, which emphasises the importance of external pressures on the industry (both techno-economic and socio-political) and firm-level response strategies (technical innovation, economic positioning, cultural framing, corporate political strategies). We also extend the framework by investigating the effects of different kinds and temporal sequence of external pressures, and the role of industry heterogeneity in shaping response strategies. The case study uses a wide range of primary sources (interviews with high-level managers, press releases, annual reports, newspapers) and secondary sources (quantitative statistics, academic articles, books) to develop a comprehensive, multi-dimensional explanation of the destabilisation process.