Türk ayakkabı firmalarının rekabet stratejilerinde tasarımın rolü
The role of design in the competitive strategies of the Turkish footwear firms
Yazar: AYŞEM BAŞAR
Danışman: PROF. DR. ÖZLEM ER
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Endüstri Ürünleri Tasarımı Ana Bilim Dalı
Derece: Doktora, 2013
Konu: Endüstri Ürünleri Tasarımı = Industrial Design
Dizin: Ayakkabı sektörü = Shoe sector ; Rekabet stratejileri = Competition strategies ; Tasarım = Design

Özet:
Bu çalışmada Türk ayakkabı sektöründe yer alan firmaların rekabet stratejilerinde
tasarımın rolü incelenmiştir. Firmaların rekabet stratejilerinde tasarımın nasıl bir rol 
oynadığını, İstanbul?da kendi markaları ile üretim gerçekleştiren önde gelen on 
ayakkabı firmasının derinlenmesine incelendiği örnek olay çalışmaları ile 
araştırılmıştır. Rekabet stratejileri konusunda teorik çerçeve işletme ve yönetim 
bilimleri konusunda otorite olarak kabul edilen Michael Porter?ın ?jenerik stratejiler? 
kategorizasyonuna dayanmaktadır. Çalışma sonucunda ayakkabı firmalarının rekabet 
stratejilerinde tasarımı ne amaçla ve nasıl kullandıkları ortaya koyulmuştur. Bu 
çerçevede farklılaşma, odaklanma ve maliyet liderliği olarak ele alınan üç jenerik
rekabet stratejisinde tasarım yaklaşımları ortaya çıkan kavramlarla tanımlanmıştır. 
Bu çalışmayla ayakkabı sektöründe faaliyet gösteren firmaların rekabet stratejileri, 
tasarım yaklaşımları ele alınmış ve örnek olay çalışması gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Çalışma kapsamında nitel araştırma ve veri toplama yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. 
Çalışma içeriği itibariyle bir durumu ortaya koymak, olayı etkileyen ilişkiler, 
bağlantılar ve değişkenlerin ortaya çıkartılması amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda da 
araştırmaya dahil olan bireylerin görüşleri, deneyimleri ve akatarımları önem 
kazanmıştır. Bu nedenle de bir durumun derinlemesine, ayrıntılı bir biçimde 
çalışılmasına elvermesi açısından nitel araştırma yöntemi tercih edilmiştir.
Araştırmanın ilk aşamasında ulusal ve uluslararası alanda sektörle ilgili, ticaret ve 
endüstri ile ilintili kurum ve kuruluşların rapor, çalışmaların incelenmesi ve literatür 
taraması yapılmıştır. İkinci aşamada Türk ayakkabı sektöründe yer alan ve 
İstanbul?da kendi markasıyla üretim yapan firmalardan oluşan bir örneklem 
seçilmiştir. Örnek Olay çalışması şeklinde ele alınan Türkiye Ayakkabı Sanayicileri 
Derneğine üye, İstanbul?da markalı üretim yapan ayakkabı firmalarının rekabet 
stratejileri incelenmiştir. Firmalarda tasarımın farklı stratejilerde nasıl ve ne amaçla 
uygulandığı karşılaştırmalı örnek olay analiziyle ortaya konularak benzerlik ve 
farklılıklar belirlenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda ortaya çıkan bulguların, gelişmekte 
olan Türk ayakkabı sektöründeki firmaların rekabet stratejilerinde tasarımın nasıl bir 
rol oynayabileceği konusunda model oluşturması hedeflenmiştir. Bu çeşit bir 
çalışmayla sektörde varlık gösteren firmaların durumlarını analiz edip, nasıl bir 
yapılanmaya gidilmesi gerektiğini öne çıkartılarak, sektörün ve firmaların gerekli 
çıkarımları yapmalarına fayda sağlamak amaçlanmıştır

Abstract:
The footwear sector comprising mostly labour intensive mid to small size enterprises 
is one of the leading sectors creating employment in Turkey. The footwear market 
reaching USD 300 billion volume worldwide, has a market size of USD 4.5 billion
in Turkey according to the information provided as at October 2012. Worldwide, 
Turkey is ranked within top ten countries in terms of footwear production capacity. 
Turkish footwear producers which were ranked as 30th with respect to worldwide 
footwear export have realised an export of USD 450 million in 2011. According to 
Turkish Footwear Industry Association 2012 February statistical data Turkish 
Footwear sector has an important place in the national economy with its 18,500 
firms and 240,000 employees.
Considering all, footwear sector which has a long history in the Turkish industry 
with its traditional focus on craftman base and experience has a significant growth 
potential with specific areas to develop further. Although possessing several 
advantages, the local footwear sector has not achieved the expected success in the 
global arena. The footwear sector itself presents a major advantage for Turkey 
considering its key location against the emerging countries competing in this arena. 
The leading emerging countries in the footwear sector having the same standing as 
Turkey have differentiated themselves in the competition through ?design? and its 
applications. The Turkish footwear sector has to formulate new competitive 
strategies since its market share has been declining in the global competitive 
environment due to the competition imposed on by the emerging countries with 
cheap labour advantage and focusing on the development of their footwear sector. 
The role of the design in the competition and its impact on the Turkish footwear 
sector presents an important issue for further study. How the design factor which is 
predominantly utilized in the competition by the leading countries in the footwear 
sector, is used by the Turkish footware producers? The aim of this research is to 
analyze the competitive strategies used by the local Turkish firms and thereby 
deduce conclusions on how and for which purposes the design factor is used. The 
theoretical framework used in this research has been based on Michael Porter?s 
`generic strategies? categorization, worldwide known authority on the competitive 
strategies in the management and business disciplines. In this research the purposes 
are; (i) to identify the competition strategies and its applications which are used by 
the Turkish footware producers, (ii) to analyze within which context of their 
strategies the local Turkish footware producers use the design factor, (iii) to 
determine how the competitive strategies of the Turkish footware producers are 
reflected on the design process, (iv) to undertake a case study through identifying the 
applications of the design factor in the Turkish footwear sector.xxii
The research aims to provide conclusions on how and for which purposes the 
footwear firms use the design factor in their competitive strategies. Within this 
framework, the design approaches used in the three generic competitive strategies, 
differentiation, focus and cost leadership have been defined through several concepts 
arisen from this analysis. Through this research, the competitive strategies and the 
design approaches of the firms have been analyzed and a sample case study has been 
undertaken. 
The role of the design in the development of firms? competitive strategies has been 
researched through detailed sample case studies of ten leading footwear firms 
operating in Istanbul with their own brands. Within the sampling, the competitive 
strategies of the footware producers which are members to Turkish Footwear 
Industry Association and manufacturing their own brand in Istanbul have been 
analyzed. The similarities and differences among the companies with respect to how 
the design factor is implemented in their strategies are determined. The findings 
based on this research are aimed to provide the developing Turkish footware 
producers with a model on how to implement the design factor in their competitive 
strategies. 
For the purpose of the research, qualitative research and data gathering methods have 
been used. In accordance with the content of the research it is aimed to identify an 
outcome and other related factors and contributing issues. Accordingly, the opinions, 
the experiences and other assistances of the parties included in the case studies have 
been of great importance. Therefore, qualitative research method which enables the 
analysis of such cases has been selected. In the first stage of the research, reports, 
papers, researches published by local and global business and industry related 
institutions and enterprises have been analysed and a literature search has been 
undertaken. In the second stage, a sampling has been selected among the Turkish 
footwear producers which manufacture in İstanbul with their own brand. Since the 
research subject is design and how it is used in the Turkish footwear firms, a 
restriction was needed to narrow the broad area of research. In order to narrow the 
research area some criterias are selected; (i) to be a member of Turkish Footwear 
Industry Association, (ii) to manufacture in Istanbul with their own brand. Ten 
footwear firms are selected on the basis of these criterias and multiple case study 
design method is used. Interviews were conducted with the designers and the 
authorities of the firms selected and open-ended questions derived from the case 
study protocol were raised. Within the content of the research footwear exhibitions 
held in İstanbul were visited and some meetings were arranged with the participants. 
The datas and observations gathered from the exhibitions gave insights about the 
Turkish footwear sector. In addition two trips to footwear factories were carried out 
and the production area, research, development and design processes were observed 
through these visits. The analysis of different production techniques and technologies 
made contribution to the research.
The introduction part of the research consists of the scope, the purpose, the research 
methods used and the significance of the study. The second chapter covers the 
literature research undertaken on the footwear sector; mainly world footwear sector 
and the leading countries. In this chapter the status analysis is made about the 
footwear sector in general. The third chapter covers the literature research about 
footwear concept, the history of footwear and footwear design. In this part, xxiii
contemporary footwear design and production techniques are analyzed through the 
observations beyond the literature research. The fourth chapter covers the literature 
research about competitiveness, strategy and the linkage of design with these terms. 
The value chain terminology which is widely known in the globalisation of 
competition and footwear sector is further discussed in this chapter. In addition, 
Michael Porter?s generic competitive strategies which provide the basis for this 
research are analysed in this section. In the fifth chapter, the research method, the 
selection of the cases, the sampling methods and the methods used in the collection 
and analysis of the data are discussed. In the sixth chapter the ten case studies are 
covered. Each case study consists of eight main topics that are; the historical 
development of the firms, the mission-vision and core competencies of the firms, the 
target market, the branding strategies, the design and product development processes, 
the production, the sales and marketing and the competitive strategies of the firms. 
In the seventh chapter the cross-case analysis of the case studies is carried out. 
Through the main topics of the case studies, the cross-case analysis is performed and 
tables showing the outcomes, the similarities and the differences are determined. In 
the final chapter the datas from the cross-case studies are evualated and associated 
with the literature research and put forward the role of design in the competitive 
strategies of the Turkish footwear firms.
As for the conclusion the design approaches of the firms that use three generic 
competitive strategies are put forward through the tables. The role of design is 
categorized according to the terms of value, image, production and process. The 
datas indicate that the firms categorized under the differentiation strategy define the 
role of design by value and image through added value, quality, customer 
satisfaction, communication, uniqueness, firm/product image, brand, corporate 
identity, interaction, style, aesthetic and form. The firms categorized under the 
focus strategy define the role of design by image, value and process through 
firm/product image, brand, corporate identity, interaction, style, aesthetic, form, 
added value, quality, customer satisfaction, communication, uniqueness, technology, 
innovation, product development and timing. The firms categorized under the cost 
leadership strategy define the role of design by process and production through 
technology, innovation, product development, timing, cost, standardization, 
materials, productivity, simplicity, adaptation and production-oriented. The role of 
design shows differences with respect to the competitive strategies of the firms as 
seen in the different fields of industry. To achieve competitive advantage the 
regarded thing is to betray the core competencies of the firms and head towards that 
field. Furthermore, the footwear firms should analyse their core compentencies in 
their value chain and focus on that expertise. As observed in the successful reference 
countries in the footwear production, in order to perform well in this competitive 
sector, Turkish footwear firms have to undertake their own analysis and discover 
their value added operations and keep them in-house and outsource the operations 
that need more expertise.