Development of business groups and entrepreneurship the Koc Group in global perspective

Abstract

This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the development of the largest business group in twentieth-century Turkey. The study underlines the significance of the entrepreneurial process in the growth of the group, which goes beyond the rudimentary contact capabilities and personal relationships emphasized in much management literature. The study also points to a continuing role for entrepreneurship in the resilience of the business group organization well after the initial formation stages. The evolution of twentieth-century Turkish business groups is placed within the wider context of emerging economies as a whole. The chapter draws on the Koç corporate archives, interviews with the Koç family and retired and current managers, and published autobiographies of Vehbi Koç, other family members, and executives.