A field analysis about product design process and innovation approaches at home appliances industry in Turkey: Arçeli̇k and vestel

Electrical household appliances have emerged as new technologies that facilitate or completely take over the work done with human power before the industrial revolution and save time and power. The evolution and development of white goods goes back to the industrial revolution. The White Goods Sector is one of the durable consumer goods sub-sectors and generally produces products within the electrical household appliances sector. The production of white goods, which has evolved and developed in the world since the pre-1900s, started in Turkey in the mid-1950s and developed in parallel with the manufacturing industry. The survival and growth of companies today; The level of competitiveness in the global market is related to the increase in the market share and the level of added value that the company can create is above the average. The realization of this targeted added value depends on the innovations implemented by the companies' design and research and development studies. Manufacturers need to keep up with changing innovation approaches in order to gain competitive advantage in the changing global market. In addition, the innovation process approaches and innovation characteristics preferred by the companies are also affected by the factors such as the company strategies preferred by the companies and the structure of the sector. The aims of the research carried out in this context are as follows: To examine the periods and factors affecting the development of the Turkish white goods industry, to examine the relationship between technology capability, design management capability and innovation characteristics in line with the competitive strategies of companies operating in the white goods industry today, through large-scale white goods manufacturers in Turkey and analysis is to determine the role of industrial design and design management capability in the innovative and original white goods product development process. In line with the targeted purpose, first of all, the evolution and development of white goods in the world and the diverging periods in this development were determined by literature research. Following the determination of the evolution of white goods in the world, data based on the use and production of white goods in Turkey were also determined by literature research. The development of the white goods and manufacturing industry in Turkey has been examined and presented in a tabular form in the light of different periods in economic history. In the continuation of the research, a model proposal was developed by examining the literature on the competitive strategies, technology capability levels, product development process, innovation approaches and design management that companies follow in order to survive in the competitive environment. In line with the relevant model, case studies were conducted with Arçelik and Vestel Beyaz Eşya, two large-scale companies producing white goods in Turkey. The obtained data were analyzed with thematic content analysis method. As a result of the research, design management levels, innovation characteristics and technology capability levels were determined and compared in line with the different competitive strategies followed by the participating companies in order to survive in the global competition.