KÜRESEL ZİHNİYET VE AR-GE YOĞUN KOBİ’LERİN ULUSLARARASILAŞMASI: TÜRKİYE BİYOTEKNOLOJİ SEKTÖRÜ ÖRNEĞİ

GLOBAL MINDSETS AND INTERNATIONALIZATON OF R&D INTENSIVE SMEs: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY FROM TURKEY

Özet

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı Ar-Ge yoğun KOBİ’lerinin uluslararasılaşması üzerine küresel zihniyetin nasıl bir rolü olduğunu keşfetmektir. Bu doğrultuda Ar-Ge yoğun KOBİ’lerin küresel zihniyete sahip olup olmadıkları, küresel zihniyete sahip olanların daha çok hangi özellikleri taşıdıkları, hangi unsurların Ar-Ge yoğun Türk KOBİ’lerinde küresel zihniyeti etkilediği ve son olarak küresel zihniyete sahip Ar-Ge yoğun KOBİ’lerin uluslararasılaşma mekanizmalarının neler olduğu araştırılmıştır. Yöntem: Nitel ve keşifler olarak tasarlanan çalışmada oluşturulan araştırma sorularına cevap bulmak adına 19 biyoteknoloji firması ile mülakat yapılmıştır.Bulgular: Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular Ar-Ge yoğun KOBİ’lerin küresel zihniyete sahip oldukları ve küresel zihniyete sahip KOBİ’lerde uluslararasılaşmanın prestij sağlayacağı, ülke ekonomisine bu yolla daha fazla katkı yapılacağı, rekabetçiliğin daha iyi öğrenileceği ve pazarlarının bu yolla daha çok genişletileceği düşüncesinin daha baskın olduğu görülmektedir. Bulgular ayrıca küresel zihniyetin oluşumunda kurum yöneticilerinin bilişsel özelliklerinin ve pazar koşullarının daha belirleyici olduğunu göstermektedir. Küresel zihniyete sahip Ar-Ge yoğun KOBİ’lerin hem düzey olarak hem de hız olarak düşük bir uluslararasılaşma performansı sergiledikleri ve özellikle Ar-Ge faaliyetlerinin uluslararasılaşmalarında etkili olduğu görülmektedir. Sonuç: Ar-Ge yoğun Türk KOBİ’lerini referans alarak yapılan bu çalışma Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan bir ülkede küresel zihniyetin oluşumunda hangi unsurların daha çok etkili olduğunu, küresel zihniyete sahip firmaların hangi özellikleri taşıdığını ve hangi mekanizmalarla uluslararasılaştığını göstermesi bakımından kuramsal alana katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore the role of the Global Mindset on the internationalization of Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although the studies on the relationship between global mindset and internationalization have predominantly focused on large enterprises as the primary unit of analysis (eg Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989; Adler and Bartholomew, 1992; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; Begley and Boyd, 2003; Beechler et al. 2004, Bouquet, 2005; Levy et al. 2007; Javidan and Bowen, 2013), in recent years, there has been a growing interest on the relationship between global mindset of SMEs and their internationalization behavior (eg Nummela et al. 2004; Weerawardena et al. 2007; Lazaris and Freeman, 2018; Kyvik, 2006; Mughan and Kyvik, 2010; Kyvik, 2011; Felicio et al., 2012; Felicio et al. 2013; Kyvik et al. 2013; Felicio et al. 2015; Felicio et al. 2016). In particular, two complementary streams of research in global mindset of SMEs have evolved: Individual role and institutional role on the formation of global mindset and SME internationalization. The first stream of research has mostly dealt with the mindset-forming role of top management on the formation of a global mindset and their firms’ internationalization behavior. This stream of research often associates the antecedents of global mindset with the decision makers’ work experience, education background, language skills and personal characteristics such as cognitive flexibility, teamwork and interpersonal skills argues. The second stream emphasize the effect of institutional and industrial contexts on the formation of a global mindset of SMEs. The starting point of this research is that studies which combine both of these streams of research is rare. Institutional environment of developed and emergent countries differs and matters on formation of global mindset. Since institutions enable the market mechanism to function effectively in the market economy (Peng et al, 2008) firm strategies and decision makers’ behaviors are affected accordingly (Meyer et al., 2009). Additionally, culture and individual cognitions are significantly interrelated (Goktan and Gunay, 2011), Looking at both individual and institutional and market conditions that shape the formation of a global mindset are especially necessary in countries with different levels of institutional development, market conditions and cultural structure. In this regard, it is important to explore the role of global mindsets on internationalization process of SMEs in a country such as Turkey, where the institutional, economic and cultural backgrounds of SMEs are disparate. In order to increase our understanding of the role of global mindsets in this process, this research aims to answer a set of interrelated research questions as follows: (a) Do Turkish R&D intensive SMEs have global mindsets, and if so, what are the main ideas that shape the thinking of those who have global mindsets. (b) How do institutional environment, domestic market conditions, managers’ cognitive features influence on global mindsets, and (c) what are the main mechanisms of internationalization of R&D intensive SMEs?In this paper, a qualitative and exploratory research approach has been adopted to explain the role of the global mindset on the internationalization process of SMEs. A multiple case study was considered to be an appropriate method for this study as it allows us to best understand the process in a holistic manner. Issues revolving around the formation of global mindset in R&D intensive SMEs, the characteristics of the global mindset and their role on internationalization can be far more effectively discussed using a comparative approach.The research focuses on SMEs from the biotechnology sector with intensive R&D. Within the scope of the research, 19 biotechnology companies in total were studied. The biotechnology industry was considered the most desirable industry-setting for a number of reasons. Firstly, the biotechnology industry has been widely acknowledged in literature as a knowledge-intensive industry (Grinstein & Goldman 2006), which makes the firms in this industry theoretically desirable for this research as they may follow different internationalization patterns. Secondly, since the internationalization process of R&D intensive sectors has a high potential to follow a different pattern from the traditionally-accepted gradual and sequential internationalization, the companies in this sector can gain the status of an international firm with international R&D joint venture even before they produce products or services. There are two main reasons why this research focuses on R&D intensive SMEs. Firstly, the antecedents and outcomes of the formation of Global Mindset in SMEs are an emerging topic and have received more attention from the scholars recently. However, most of these studies are generalized without considering R&D intensive SMEs. Given the different patterns of internationalization and their potential for a rapid internationalization, R&D intensive SMEs are included in this study. Secondly, and more importantly, R&D intensive SMEs in an emerging country such as Turkey, whose share of advanced technology and R&D intensive sectors in exports is quite low, are uniquely positioned to contribute the innovation ecosystem of the country. Therefore, investigation of the main ideas that shape the thinking of managers of SMEs who have global mindsets, factors that shape the formation of global mindsets, and main mechanisms of internationalization of R&D intensive SMEs is quite important for a country characterized by weak institutional environment and low level of economic development.This study had several key findings with the most important being that the primary motivation of R&D intensive SMEs with a global mindset in internationalization is the desire of achieving prestige. This is particularly important in terms of the activities of the company in its c