Title: A strategic shift of automobile manufacturing firms in Turkey

Authors: Refik Culpan, Guner Gursoy

Addresses: Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, USA. ' Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Abstract: This paper examines major business environmental changes influencing a strategic shift of automobile manufacturing firms in Turkey. Within a conceptual model consisting of environmental forces, strategic shift, and mediating variables, including firm size, ownership pattern, and market entry mode, it empirically investigates how such market changes influenced the business strategies of automotive firms in Turkey. The findings indicate that the multinational automotive firms in Turkey have shifted their strategic focus from relying solely on the domestic market to balancing domestic and export markets because of environmental forces. The paper concludes with discussions and suggestions for further research on the subject.

Keywords: market environment; strategic shift; FDI; foreign direct investment; FDI; export performance; multinational corporations; MNCs; automobile industry; Turkey; automotive manufacturing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2009.023443

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 2009 Vol.1 No.3, pp.211 - 231

Published online: 23 Feb 2009 *

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