An investigation of the olive oil manufacture business community in Muğla province in terms of factors affecting competition

The main purpose of this thesis study was to examine the factors affecting the competitiveness of olive oil production enterprises within the framework of the five forces model developed by Michael E. Porter. In this context, a survey was conducted on 82 businesses operating in Muğla Province. During the research process, it was determined that there were two categories of businesses with two different business models that produce olive oil. The businesses with these two different business models were named as rendering plants and boutique businesses, and the five forces model was evaluated in terms of these two different business categories in a comparative way. The research findings have revealed the main characteristics of the businesses in these two categories and the main differences in terms of their characteristics, but also showed that the factors in the five forces model may differently affect the competitiveness of the businesses operating in the same business line by adopting different business models. The thesis study is also a pioneering study that examines the competitiveness of olive oil production enterprises in Turkey on the basis of five forces model.