Innovation strategies and strategic groups for industries

This thesis investigates the relationship between organizational design, innovation strategies and strategic groups. The effect of the environment on the organizational design has been analyzed and in this context, the basic assumptions of contingency and configuration theories have been utilized. Miles and Snow typology was used to explain the similarities and differences between the organizational designs. Based on the strategic approaches of the types of organizations in the typology and their relationship with innovation term, the innovation strategies that they chose were investigated. It has been claimed that organization types that will differ in the preference of innovation strategies, will create heterogeneous strategic groups and each strategic group will contain core and hybrid organizations. The claims within the scope of the study were evaluated with using of the empirical method. Accordingly, the innovation strategies scale, which includes customer attraction, competitive leadership and portfolio enrichment strategies, has been developed. Content validity, validity and reliability analyzes of the scale have completed. The scale developed for the Miles and Snow typology was first adapted to Turkish, and then reliability analyze was made. In the process of identification and classification of strategic groups, suitable techniques for the empirical method have determined with literature research. The measurement tools have arranged in accordance with statistical analysis and proposals were examined using the collected data. The sample (n=396) of SMEs operating in production sectors in Ankara was the source of the data. In the study, whose analysis level was organization, communication have established with the managers of SMEs. Participated managers in the study answered the questionnaire, which includes information about SMEs, the Miles and Snow typology scale and the innovation strategies scale. According to the results of the analysis, the proposals about innovation strategies choices for prospector and reactor organizations are supported. The choices of defensive and analyzer organizations differed at the level of tactics of strategies. In general, strategic groups formed by core and hybrid organizations that have been identified in innovation strategies. In the competitive leadership strategy, prospectors showed core and analyzer organizations showed hybrid features and proposals were supported. It has been determined that there are different organizations in the strategic groups of customer interest and portfolio enrichment strategies. Keywords: Miles and Snow Typology, Innovation, Innovation Strategies, Strategic Groups, Hybrid Strategic Groups