Desıgn Management – PhD Thesıs
KÜRESEL DEĞER ZİNCİRLERİNDE YÜKSELME STRATEJİLERİ VE TASARIM YÖNETİMİ KABİLİYETLERİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİLERİN TÜRK ELEKTRİK-ELEKTRONİK SEKTÖRÜNDE FAALİYET GÖSTEREN FİRMALAR ÜZERİNDEN İNCELENMESİ
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN UPGRADING STRATEGIES IN GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS AND DESIGN MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES: AN INVESTIGATION ON FIRMS OPERATING IN TURKISH ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS SECTOR
Istanbul Techincal University, Graduate School of Science Engineering and Technology, Department of Industrial Product Design, Supervisor Prof. Dr. Özlem Er
In the last twenty years, competition between firms and countries has been increasing, compelling both to produce better-qualified services and value-added products to ensure sustainable growth. In this context, design is emerging as one of the most important, non-price competition factors and a powerful tool used to meet the needs and expectations of users by creating high-value products, services, or interfaces for firms in developed countries and emerging markets alike.
The efficient use of design is related to its integration with other functions in the firm as well as effective management. Firms that are able to effectively manage design to deeply understanding key changes in social life, culture, and technology create competitive products, services, and interfaces, and integrate design management into business strategy at a strategic level. However, in practice, businesses integrate and use design management in their organizational processes at different levels.
It is also important to note that developing capabilities such as production, R&D, design management, and sales-marketing for firms operating in emerging economies relates to how these businesses engage in the global economy. In the past two decades, the global economy has become increasingly structured around global value chains (GVCs), and governments have started to pursue GVC-oriented industrialization to develop key sectors.
These latecomer firms (LCFs) from emerging economies are taking advantage of their late entrance into the global market to catch up to transnational companies, following fast-track strategies to enter GVCs rather than learning entire technological development processes from the beginning. It appears that LCFs have used an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)strategy, through which they access outsourced knowledge, develop firm capability, and catch up to developed-country firms by manufacturing final assembled products for transnational companies. While expanding production capabilities and acquiring new technologies to aid in the development of designs demanded by buyers is the main focus in the OEM strategy, learning dynamic capabilities and value-added activities for LCFs are necessary to upgrade in GVCs.
Upgrading in GVCs, known as Asian innovation, is described as upgrading from OEM to original design manufacturer (ODM)and from ODM to original brand manufacturer (OBM) standing at the top of the value chain. Each strategy followed by LCFs to position themselves in GVCs requires different DM capabilities. However, GVC-oriented industrialization of LCFs, particularly with respect to functional upgrading, is neglected in DM literature. In the thesis, based on a review of existing DM assessment frameworks, a new framework is proposed, which leverages both GVC and DM theories to address the specific development patterns of LCFs.
In the Design Management Capability Framework in GVCs, OEM, ODM, and OBM strategies in GVCs are linked with operational-functional-strategicDM capability-levels in the DM literature. While operational DM capability is sufficient for an OEM company, functional DM capability is necessary to move from an OEM to ODM strategy, and strategic DM capability is crucial to shift the organization from an ODM to an OBM strategy. Different from current models of DM, this theoretical framework highlights the importance of developing DM capability, particularly for the economic and social upgrading of developing countries as well as the dynamic movement of LCFs in GVCs.
The proposed Design Management Capability Framework in GVCs was used on investigating case studies of the three large firms Arçelik, Vestel, and Termikel, which are producers of a significant share of the manufactured goods exported from Turkey every year. It was concluded that these case studies validated the underlying theoretical framework and provided new inputs for developing the model.
The framework and the case studies in this thesis provide valuable insight into how firms develop their DM capabilities through processes of internationalization and use the appropriate level of DM capability in certain GVC strategies. This thesis also contributes to the extent of government incentive programs intended to support global brands.
Desıgn Management – Master Thesıs
ORGANİZASYONEL KÜLTÜRÜN, FİRMALARIN YENİ ÜRÜN TASARIMI ANLAYIŞLARINA VE YAPILANMALARINA ETKİSİNİN, TASARIM DENETİM ARAÇLARI KULLANILARAK ARAŞTIRILMASI
Istanbul Techincal University, Graduate School of Science Engineering and Technology, Department of Industrial Product Design, Supervisor Prof. Dr. Özlem Er
The master thesis, “Investigating the Effects of Organizational Culture on the New Product Design Understanding and Structuring of Companies, By Using ‘Design Audit Tools’” has focused on evaluating the organizational culture that performs a major framework for all activities within the company by directing and effecting all behaviours, attitudes, relationships, and working styles. According to the subjects of organizational culture, design audits are investigated in order to identify gaps between current and desired performance and provide information for the necessity of developing action plans to increase the performance in many activity areas of companies or businesses. As a result of the comprehensive research, I became one of the writers of a design management report as “Competitive Strategy Series 13” published by TÜSİAD and I published a paper in the 4. National Design Conference “Tasarım ve ya Kriz” held by İTÜ in 2009.