Culture and management in Turkey: State-Dependency and paternalism in transition

Abstract

In this chapter, we focus on the change and continuity in the Turkish business system and managerial culture. First we discuss the distinguishing characteristics of the business system, family-owned big business groups, and their relationships with each other and the state. After a brief presentation of Turkish cultural values, we discuss the main features of Turkish organizational and managerial culture and their implications for the practice. We conclude that the state-dependent characteristics of the Turkish business system have started to erode due to the liberalization policies implemented over the last three decades. However, the dominating economic actors are still big business groups, invariably diversified vertically and horizontally, and controlled by the owning family members through pyramidal or complex ownership structures. We also conclude that Turkish managerial culture has gradually become less paternalistic and collectivistic, and more masculine and risk-taking.