State, agency and change: Institutional change in the Turkish air transportation field from 1983 to 2013

The main purpose of this study is to understand and explain the role of the state on the development and change of Turkish airline industry field from 1983 to 2013. In the scope of the study, an analysis conducted within field level to determine the institutional works of state and to describe the institutional entrepreneurship of the state. Turkish airline industry field examined as a unit of analysis. Fort his purpose, the study designed as a qualitative case study and research data including interviews, documents, newspaper articles and documentaries gathered from multiple sources. The results of the study revealed that the state is not out of Turkish airline industry field, quite contrary, at the centre of Turkish airline industry field, and the state is not an regular actor in the field but the most powerful and unpredictable actor of Turkish airline industry field. As an institutional entrepreneur, the state creates, maintains and disrupts the institutions with its political, cultural and technical work. In conclusion, the state is an important institutional entrepreneur in the Turkish airline industry field.