Local economic development in disadvantaged regions: A comparative survey in regions with different levels of development

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of local economic development in disadvantaged regions. In this direction, in order to make a comparative analysis, a survey was carried out on 630 beekeeper enterprises operating in the beekeeping industry in Adana and Bingöl provinces with different development levels. The data set was analyzed by using Single Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-Square Independence tests. Analysis results indicated that mean ranks for two groups differ significantly from each other in 115 variables among 125 variables according to the provinces in which they operate. Additionally, significant relations were detected between 61 variables among 74 and the province in which the beekeeper enterprises operate. It was determined that there are differences between the beekeeper enterprises operating in Adana and Bingöl in terms of the characteristics, actors and strategies of local economic development, and these differences support the local economic development literature.