Impact of Syrian firms' adaptation and connections to Turkey on innovation performance

The aim of this study is to examine the factors affecting the innovation performance and overall business success of Syrian firms operating in Turkey. The population of the research consists of Syrian entrepreneurs active in Turkey, and data collected from a sample of 196 Syrian firms were evaluated. Data were gathered through a survey method, and SPSSand AMOS statistical software were used during the analysis process. In addition to descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, multiple linear regression analyses, and Relative Importance Index (RII) calculations were conducted. The Cronbach's alpha values for the four main constructs used in the study — "Integration and Challenges," "Company Performance," "Innovation and New Products," and "Relations with Foreign Markets" — ranged from .755 to .950, indicating the scales are reliable.According to descriptive analyses, 63.8% of the firms are small-scale enterprises with 0–9 employees; 50.5% are Syrian partnerships, 13.8% are Turkish partnerships, and 35.7% are sole proprietorships. Additionally, 44.4% of the firms operate only in Turkey, while 41.8% operate both in Turkey and abroad; 70.4% had no prior commercial relationship with Turkey.The regression analyses revealed that the level of integration of firms into Turkey has a significant and positive impact on both innovation and business performance (p < 0.001). Moreover, firms operating in both Turkey and foreign markets showed higher innovation performance compared to those operating only in Turkey (p = 0.002). On the other hand, firms with prior commercial ties to Turkey were found to have lower levels of innovation and performance (p < 0.05).