The Turkish management thinking in the period 1930-1945: A historical analysis on the case of Sümerbank

This research is an exploratory work aimed at understanding the evolution process of the Turkish management thinking in the period 1930-45. The historic period of concern starts with 1930 because this is the year in which protectionist and statist policies were put into practice as a systematic and coherent model. The period lasting until 1939 is comprised of years in which management practices in state enterprises were increasingly put to use which had impacts lasting until as late as 1950?s. The period of 1940-45 is important in regard to the Turkish administration history in the sense that practices were tried to be developed to mature and the years in this period make up the period of stand-by before the influence of USA was introduced. From the perspective of management and organization literature, the rationale for examining the period 1930-45 arises from the necessity for gathering preliminary historic data which would help grasp the relatively well known post 1950 period in detail.Focusing on the management thinking of 1930-45 period in which statism was adopted as an ideological principle in Turkey led to a scrutiny of Sümerbank, which was one of the State Economic Enterprises (SEE?s) that depicted the rules governing the process of statism. Both for being the result of a detailed design for its establishment and legalization processes, and for breaking ground with practices influencing enterprises established after itself, as well as undertaking the role of a pioneer for administration practices, Sümerbank deserves being termed as an ?industrial headquarters? and it has a significant importance among SEE?s.Twelve factories incorporated inside the Sümerbank organization were included in the study. Four of these (Feshane Woolen Textiles, Hereke Woolen and Silken Textiles, Bakırköy Cotton Textiles, and Beykoz Leather and Shoe) were the factories handed over to Sümerbank from the Government Industry Office in 1933. The remaining eight factories (Karabük Iron and Steel, İzmit Paper, Bünyan Woolen Textiles, Bursa Merinos, Gemlik Artificial Silk, Kayseri Cloth, Nazilli Cloth, Ereğli Cloth) are the ones which Sümerbank made the investments for within the scope of the I. Industrial Plan. Along with the ones handed over by the Government Industry Office, these factories which were started to be built and completed in the period 1934-38 are organizations affiliated with the five organizations established under Sümerbank, following the passing of the legislation of State Economic Enterprises, no. 3460.In this study text analysis, an important qualitative data development technique, has been used. The data set has been formed by database scanning performed in libraries of various public organizations and archives. The main resources utilized in the formation of the data set for this research are as follows: Cumhuriyet and Sovereignty of the Nation (Nation) newspapers present in the newspaper archives of the National Library; documents and books in the National Library; The Turkish Grand National Assembly library and archives; Republic Archives of the Prime Ministry; Higher Commission of Auditing archives; libraries of the Turkish History Foundation, Public Administration Institute for Turkey & the Middle East (TODAİE), and the Ministry of Finance. The data set obtained was comprised of books, catalogues, and internal publications (legislation, laws, public acts, statutes, regulatory statutes, etc.); memoirs related to social life, testimonials, and conference-symposium proceedings, etc.; General Auditing Committee reports; reports prepared by various expert individuals and organizations; Republic Archives of the Prime Ministry and Turkish Grand National Assembly minutes and news reports in newspapers pertaining to SEE?s in general and Sümerbank in particular.The data set of this research has been construed as an organized narrative, which is based on the predetermined categories of ?organizational structure? and ?laborization?, through narrative analysis, one of the leading methods used in the construction of document type data. The narrative, which has been expanded using the main themes of ?organization? and ?social organization? while adhering to the categories, includes a periodization as well. The critical date determining this periodization is the year 1938, in which the legislation of State Economic Enterprises, no. 3460 was passed. In the narrative, pre and post 1938 have been represented by the General Auditing Committee reports which appeared after the audits performed in 1939. Another aspect of the narrative is that it processes the discrepancy between the ?management knowledge of the period? and ?current practices at the factories? in the background of the text.The first outcome of the research is that the state management practices employed at SEE?s, which were the dominant economic actors of the period 1930-45, have created an institutional environment which shaped organizational forms of post 1950 period. The second conclusion which, in conjunction with the first conclusion, expresses that state enterprises have presented a model with respect to the properties of organizational structure for the holdings which were the dominant forms in the country in post 1950 period. Another conclusion reached is about the traditions carried over from the past that impact the administration mentality of the government. According to this, the area in which knowledge obtained from import channels is shaped by traditions carried over from the past is the area which expresses the specificity of the management thinking of the period. Inside a practical application area shaped by the administration mentality of the government, this management thinking indicates a Fayolist management approach in organizational structure processes. On the other hand, it is observed that processes relating to ?social organization? were rather shaped by welfare practices specific to the period.