Title: Macro institutions as impediments for the institutionalisation of family firms: cases from Turkey

Authors: Recai Coşkun; Ali Taş; Gökhan Gürler

Addresses: Department of Business, Izmir Bakirçay University, Seyrek Mah. Kaynaklar Cad.35660, Menemen/IZMIR, Turkey ' Department of Business, Izmir Bakirçay University, Seyrek Mah. Kaynaklar Cad.35660, Menemen/IZMIR, Turkey ' Department of Business, University of Sakarya, Kampus, 54100, Serdivan/Sakarya, Turkey

Abstract: This study investigates the effects of macro institutions on family firms' institutionalisation in Turkey. By using Whitley's National Business System as the research framework and employing a qualitative case study research strategy, we identified several factors that hinder firms' institutionalisation. First, the intense yet unstable institutional contexts create an extraordinary relation between the state and firms where the state plays determining roles. Second, firms have low trust in Turkey's educational system, which does not meet the specific expectations of the industries. Third, financial institutions are highly politicised and open to the intervention, which in the long run creates certain inefficiencies and lowers national competitiveness. Finally, certain cultural values generate unstable relations between and within the institutions. Therefore a country-specific policy is needed in order to create a more stable and productive institutional environment. This study also contributes the literature by generating numerous propositions that may provide directions for the future researches.

Keywords: family firms; institutionalisation; macro institutions; Turkey.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2023.129422

Middle East Journal of Management, 2023 Vol.10 No.2, pp.133 - 162

Received: 04 Oct 2021
Accepted: 08 Nov 2021
Published online: 09 Mar 2023 *

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