Strategical coordination between production logistics and marketing logistics: An application about SMEs located in the county of Demi̇rci̇ in Manisa province

ABSTRACT STRATEGICAL COORDINATION BETWEEN PRODUCTION LOGISTICS AND MARKETING LOGISTICS: AN APPLICATION ABOUT SMEs LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF DEMİRCİ IN MANISA PROVINCE Süleyman TOPUZ Department of Business Administration Uşak University Institute of Social Sciences, March 2016 Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa SOBA In the globalizing world economy, enterprises have been required to transform along with the fast occurrence of changes, the upsurge in technological developments, the competitive environment and the awakening among consumers. Hence, enterprises have started to act in accordance with the concept of customer orientation, and they have adopted a management style with a focus on customers. While enterprises conduct production and marketing activities, they aim at increasing customer satisfaction and assuring gcompetitive superiority. Logistical operations have crucial contribution to increase customer satisfaction and assure competitive superiority. However, all expenditures for logistical operations hold a significant share in overall cost. The aim of this research is to determine how SMEs in the county of Demirci in Manisa Province handle the strategical coordination between production logistics and marketing logistics and to identify problems they encounter during this stage. In the theoretical part of this study, there are three chapters. In the first chapter, general components of the concept of logistics; in the second chapter, concepts of production and production logistics; in the third chapter, marketing and marketing logistics are addressed while the fourth chapter includes an application over the SMEs in the county of Demirci in Manisa Province. In the application, 13 hypotheses were constructed and these hypotheses were tested by regression analysis. Keywords: Logistics, Production Logistics, Marketing Logistics.