Zur Verwendung nationaler Identitätskomponenten in der Unternehmenskommunikation – ein deutsch-dänischer Vergleich

Abstract

How does globalization influence companies’ depiction of their national origin? In this study, we analyse and compare corporate websites of German and Danish companies related to the wind energy sector. Traditionally, Country of Origin (COO) has been used within certain industries with the purpose of achieving a competitive advantage. The wind energy sector is a relatively new sector with market potential worldwide. This situation has led us to investigate whether companies in this sector regard themselves as national and whether they choose to position themselves by means of COO indicators. The analysis includes various indicators of national affiliation, such as the use of national flags or colours and references to Germany or Denmark. Moreover, we investigate which alternative parameters are chosen by the companies that do not depict themselves through national identity features. In summary, the study shows that the national identity is still of great importance and is regarded as a valuable position parameter in the cleantech-industry.