JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The VW Diesel Scandal: A Case of Corporate Commissioned Greenwashing
Author(s): Timothy W. Aurand, Wayne Finley, Vijaykumar Krishnan, Ursula Y. Sullivan, Jackson Abresch, Jordyn Bowen, Michael Rackauskas, Rage Thomas, Jakob Willkomm
Citation: Timothy W. Aurand, Wayne Finley, Vijaykumar Krishnan, Ursula Y. Sullivan, Jackson Abresch, Jordyn Bowen, Michael Rackauskas, Rage Thomas, Jakob Willkomm, (2018) "The VW Diesel Scandal: A Case of Corporate Commissioned Greenwashing," Journal of Organizational Psychology, Vol. 18, Iss. 1, pp. 23-32
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
Few corporate scandals involving greenwashing are more blatant and laden with disregard for the
environment and a firm’s own consumer base than Volkswagen’s (VW) recent Dieselgate. Employing
both decoupling and attention deflection greenwashing tactics, VW attempted to mislead millions of
unsuspecting auto owners in an attempt to position itself as one of the world’s “greenest” auto
manufacturers. The following case outlines many of the managerial tactics employed by VW, the impact these actions had on corporate performance, the financial penalties incurred, and the corporate culture that made it all possible.