The Inward-Outward Connection of Internationalisation : A Case Study of a Turkish Firm

Abstract: In this thesis we wanted to investigate whether there is a connection between the inward and outward internationalisation of a firm. To do this we have conducted a case study on the Turkish telecom company Turkcell. To examine if Turkcell’s inward internationalisation has affected its outward internationalisation we have studied the relationship between Turkcell and Swedish Ericsson. To collect the primary data for our study we performed interviews in Istanbul Turkey with the procurement manager at Turkcell and the strategic manager at Ericsson. Since there is limited research on the inward-outward connection we have chosen to see this connection from Håkansson and Snehota’s relationship perspective. Further, to analyse the results of Turkcell’s outward internationalisation we compared the findings to the Uppsala Internationalisation Process Model to see if it Turkcell’s establishments abroad was affected by the inward internationalisation by Ericsson. We found that Turkcell and Ericsson have a very close relationship which has given Turkcell many resources such as know-how, opportunities and knowledge. Whether these resources have helped Turkcell in their establishments abroad or not is difficult to determine. However we found that Turkcell had ventured abroad relatively fast which indicates that they have gained the relevant knowledge from external sources. As our results show that Ericsson has transferred many resources to Turkcell it is reasonable to conclude that Turkcell’s success abroad is at least partly due to their relationship with Ericsson.