The impact of growth on performance: The example of the automotive i̇ndustry

As an industry, automotive manufacturing and sales hold strategic importance for countries. This strategic significance arises from its contribution to employment, its positive impact on the national economy through foreign exchange earnings via exports, and the benefits it provides to other sectors that produce parts for the automotive industry and those that use the vehicles produced by the sector. In addition to these benefits, the automotive sector helps governments generate tax revenue and supports insurance and financial activities. Worldwide, the mass production technique initiated by Ford enabled the production of automobiles more quickly and cheaply. Over time, this method was replaced by Toyota's lean production technique, which provides cost advantages and offers variety according to customer needs. Due to increasing competition and the need for continuous renewal and transformation, some of these automotive companies went bankrupt, some were sold, and some tried to survive through mergers. In our country, the automotive industry, which began to develop in the 1950s, now possesses the knowledge to build a car from scratch, including its engine. Additionally, the sector has been the leading exporter in our country for years, consistently breaking export records. In this study, the performance of automotive companies engaged in production and sales in our country from 2013 to 2022 was measured using the TOPSIS method, and the impact of growth factors on firm performance during the same period was investigated. The sample for the research consisted of seven companies: Ford Otomotiv Sanayi A.Ş., Anadolu Isuzu Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., Karsan Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., Tümosan Motor ve Traktör Sanayi A.Ş., Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi A.Ş., Türk Traktör ve Ziraat Makineleri A.Ş., and Tofaş Türk Otomobil Fabrikası A.Ş. Based on the literature review, the growth variables were determined as the number of employees, sales revenues, assets, equity, R&D expenditures, and operating profit. As a result of the study, it was determined that the variables of sales revenues, assets, equity, and R&D expenditures have a statistically significant effect on firm performance. However, it was found that the variables of the number of employees and operating profit do not have a significant effect on firm performance.