An analysis on institutional context formation mechanisms of development agencies in turkey

The purpose of this research is to analyze the Development Agencies that were established in 2006 in 26 regions (level 2 regions) in Turkey within the institutional context of Turkish business system. Development agencies are among the significant examples of governance structures that have recently been popular due to global effects; are supported by supra-national regional unions such as EU and are operating regionally because of their purpose of establishment. For the current study, which provides an example for the debates on the 'reflection of global, local, and regional effects on organizations and institutions' - a current topic in macro institutional theory literature - development agencies were chosen as the example worth to be analyzed thanks to their above-mentioned features. Qualitative research methods were benefitted in order to answer research questions in the current dissertation study, which is an exploratory research. Observations, document analyses and interviews were used as data development techniques. Laws, regulations, decrees and reports that were published on development agencies; data which was obtained by participating in agency activities as observer and interviews conducted with employees in various positions of 18 agencies and Ministry of Development representatives were analyzed in accordance with qualitative research methods. Research findings validated the prior knowledge that state is the dominant actor in forming the institutions in Turkish business system. It was established that state in Turkey forms the institutions through diverse mechanisms that have not been identified in literature before. In Turkish business system, the state attracts the agencies to itself via "creating uncertainty" and "establishing organic relationship". Moreover, it was concluded that a significant change did not occur in the economic organizational type of the government, which was centered on development, despite the transformations and governance practices, which were imported as best practice examples, could not perform their intended activities within the institutional context in Turkey.