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In designing Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) programs in a country, it is vital to know the baseline situation. A necessary step is to reveal the status of current understanding and practices of evaluation. The objective of the paper is to explore the evaluation readiness of organizations in Turkey. Following the literature on organizational culture on evaluative inquiry, the study reports on the development and administration of a structured questionnaire with particular focus on various dimensions of organizational readiness for evaluation such as culture, leadership, resources and existing evaluation practices, if any. The survey sample includes 71 representatives of government agencies and, domestic and international NGOs in Turkey. Although evaluation is regarded and perceived as a tool for organizational learning and improved organizational performance, the culture, leadership and structure of the organizations do not show supporting characteristics on the implementation and use of evaluation in organizations. The results reveal a necessity of positioning evaluation as a major tool for efficient use of resources and organizational learning in Turkish organizations.

This paper examines a model of agricultural development specifically centered on the role of cooperatives in augmenting social capital. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of agricultural cooperatives on social capital formation and improved livelihoods in eight villages in the Aegean Region of Turkey (Bademler, Bagarasi, Borezli, Godence, Karakuzu, Kizikli, Kuyumcu and Tire). We collected data using face-to-face semi-structured surveys. The results from frequency tables and social network analysis (SNA) support the hypothesis that membership in an agricultural development cooperative is a significant factor, which not only affects trust and augments social capital but also improves livelihoods in terms of income perception and eating habits.

Üç ana boyutu (potansiyel ekonomik faaliyetlerin belirlenmesi, girişimci keşif ve yenilikçi ağlar) olan akıllı uzmanlaşma stratejileri (AUS), bölgelerin kendi dinamikleri ile teknoloji ve yeniliklerden faydalanarak büyümesini ve kalkınmasını hedefleyen ve 2013’te Avrupa Birliği tarafından kabul edilen bir politikalar bütünüdür. Türkiye’de akıllı uzmanlaşma stratejileri, uygulayıcı kurumlar için bir rehber olarak benimsenmeye başlamıştır. Mart 2020’den bu yana tüm dünyayı etkisine alan COVID-19 pandemisinden her bölge farklı şekillerde etkilenmiş ve etkilenmeye devam etmektedir. Akıllı uzmanlaşma stratejileri, bölgelerin kendi potansiyellerini kullanarak, COVID-19 pandemisi sebebiyle karşılaştıkları sorunlara çözüm üretebilmelerini sağlayabilir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecinde Türkiye’deki 10 Kalkınma Ajansının AUS kapsamında gerçekleştirdikleri faaliyetleri incelemek ve politika önerilerinde bulunmaktır. Sonuçlar, seçilen Kalkınma Ajanslarının AUS kapsamında Bölgesel Yenilik Stratejisi Planı hazırlamalarına rağmen, pandemi sürecinde gerçekleştirdikleri faaliyetlerin AUS açısından yeterli olmadığını ve artırılması gerektiğini göstermektedir.

This study investigates linking social capital aspect and transnationality of academia through networks via European Framework Programme (FP5, FP6, FP7) ICT projects in which i) Turkey is coordinator and Germany is partner, ii) Germany is coordinator and Turkey is partner, iii) both Turkey and Germany are partners. Social Network Analysis results depict that in European FP ICT projects where Turkey and Germany collaborated, social capital in Turkey increased. Transnational network linkages provided basis and opportunities for knowledge transfer, innovation networks, and formation of social capital. Further research will analyze social capital creation of the institutions in Turkey and Germany individually.

Copyright © FrancoAngeli.Nutrition information is a policy tool that aims to guide consumers towards healthier diets, thus preventing further increases in obesity. This study focuses on the impact of front-of-pack nutrition labels on Turkish consumers' purchase decisions. In particular, the study investigates whether both the presence of the label itself and the content provided on the label (here: the presence [vs. absence] of health ticks) impact on consumer demand for food products. The authors propose two hypotheses that are grounded in cue utilization and consumer behaviour theories and conducted an experiment in a Turkish supermarket to test the hypotheses. They manipulated the product packages of three brands offering wafers (including a variety of flavours) to contain a nutrition label on front of the package with information on calories, fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt (in kcal and g per 100 g, respectively). The nutrition information was complemented with either a health tick (56% of the products were eligible) or a placeholder for products that failed eligibility criteria (44%). Total daily in-store sales of wafers were monitored before, during and after the manipulation. The results of the study showed that the presence of the label itself increased consumer demand for the follower brand (but not for the leader brands). The presence (vs. absence) of a health tick on the nutrition labels did not affect sales of more (vs. less) healthful foods. The findings thus indicate that consumers were partly more responsive to the nutrition label per se as opposed to the presence of a health tick on the label. The authors derive implications for implementation efforts of nutrition labels.

Different front-of-pack (FOP) labelling systems have been developed in Europe by industry and organisations concerned with health promotion. A study (n2068) was performed to establish the extent to which inclusion of the most prevalent FOP systems – guideline daily amounts (GDA), traffic lights (TL), GDA+TL hybrid (HYB) and health logos (HL) – impact consumer perceptions of healthiness over and above the provision of a FOP basic label (BL) containing numerical nutritional information alone. The design included within- and between-subjects factors. The within-subjects factors were: food (pizzas, yogurts and biscuits), healthiness of the food (high health, medium health and low health) and the repeated measurements under BL and test FOP label conditions. The between-subjects factors were: the system (GDA, TL, GDA+TL hybrid, HL), portion size (typical portion size and a 50 % reduction of a typical portion) and country (the UK, Germany, Poland and Turkey). Although the FOP systems tested did result in small improvements for objective understanding under some conditions, there was little difference between the provision of an FOP label containing basic numerical nutritional information alone or between the various systems. Thus, any structured and legible presentation of key nutrient and energy information on the FOP label is sufficient to enable consumers to detect a healthier alternative within a food category when provided with foods that have distinctly different levels of healthiness. Future research should focus on developing greater understanding of the psychological and contextual factors that impact motivation and the opportunity to use the various FOP systems in real-world shopping settings.

The aim of this paper is to determine the level and the factors for university students’ satisfaction with the institutions they are attending. Firstly, the concept of satisfaction will be defi ned. Secondly, a conceptual framework to demonstrate the relationship between the factors which lie behind university student satisfaction will be presented. Thirdly, the results and implications of a survey with which the authors tried to test the presupposed relationships within the boundaries of the conceptual framework will be given and discussed. The limitations of the research are also given. The results of the research show that, at least for some Turkish university students, the quality of education, instructors, textbooks and being female and informed ...

Rapid technological and economic development in the world economy and the systematic and complex nature of innovation processes require specific innovation policy activities, such as having access to new knowledge. Through networking, individuals and organizations can become aware of new technologies and information by engaging in boundary-extending activities. Because there are dissimilarities between knowledge bases, each industrial activity is assumed to have specific types of innovation logics, innovative processes and innovation outcomes. In addition, the generation, diffusion, application and exploitation of knowledge are closely related to a region's ability to undertake innovations. The objective and contribution of this paper is to compare the innovativeness of two textile-related industries in two cities (Denizli and AdA +/- yaman) in Turkey with similar knowledge bases but differences in regional innovation systems. Denizli is a networked region, but it also shows properties of lock-in deficiency, whereas AdA +/- yaman is an organizationally thin and peripheral region. The results reveal that there are significant differences in the knowledge generation and exploitation structures of the two regions, although they have similar knowledge bases. Such dissimilarities between the regions are explained by their respective knowledge-generating subsystems. The network maps of the Denizli and AdA +/- yaman textile firms show that firms in Denizli have denser regional network ties than those in AdA +/- yaman. The strong network ties of textile firms in Denizli allow the firms to be superior in innovative performance to AdA +/- yaman firms, albeit with the danger of technological lock-in in the Denizli region. AdA +/- yaman, being an organizationally thin region, lacks the necessary institutional structure for networking. Policy tools that are unique to each region are needed to enhance innovativeness.

Significant ongoing debate exists amongst stakeholders as to the best front-of-pack labelling approach and emerging evidence suggests that the plethora of schemes may cause confusion for the consumer. To gain a better understanding of the relevant psychological phenomena and consumer perspectives surrounding FoP labelling schemes and their optimal development a Multiple Sort Procedure study involving free sorting of a range of nutritional labels presented on cards was performed in four countries (n = 60). The underlying structure of the qualitative data generated was explored using Multiple Scalogram Analysis. Elicitation of categorisations from consumers has the potential to provide a very important perspective in this arena and results demonstrated that the amount of information contained within a nutrition label has high salience for consumers, as does the health utility of the label although a dichotomy exists. in the affective evaluation of the labels containing varying degrees of information aggregation. Classification of exiting front-of-pack labelling systems on a proposed dimension of 'directiveness' leads to a better understanding of why some schemes may be more effective than others in particular situations or for particular consumers. Based on this research an enhanced hypothetical front-of-pack labelling scheme which combines both directive and non-directive elements is proposed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development of Turkey's railway network started in 1856 with the 130 km İzmir-Aydjn line. Turkey's total railway network now measures 11,005 km. The population distribution and the density of towns on railway routes increased as railway construction proliferated, particularly from 1856 to 1940. Public policies that favored transportation by road after the mid-twentieth century, however, marked the end of the railroad's effect on the spread of population.

Regional innovation system (RIS) requires that two subsystems co-exist in a region: The first subsystem is the knowledge exploitation structure of the industrial base (symbolic, synthetic and analytic knowledge bases) [Moodysson, J., Coenen, L. & Asheim, B. (2008) Explaining spatial patterns of innovation: Analytical and synthetic modes of knowledge creation in the Medicon Valley life science cluster, Environment and Planning A, 40(5), pp. 1040-1056]. The second subsystem is the regional supportive infrastructure or knowledge-generating subsystem which consists of firms, educational institutions, knowledge organizations and other similar infrastructural bases in the region. The objective of the paper is to compare two textile-related clusters in Turkey with respect to the strengths and weaknesses of the RIS. The first region is Istanbul with a textile and fashion design cluster, the second region is Denizli which is an example of a traditional export-oriented centre for bathrobe and home textiles. Results of the empirical findings prove that the two regions having different knowledge bases and RISs have different deficiencies in innovative performance even if they are the subsectors of the same sector (textiles).

Evidence in developing countries, especially in the Mediterranean basin, shows that the tourism sector has an important role in regional industrialization and economic growth [Tosun, C., Timothy, D. Ozturk, Y. (2003) Tourism growth, national development, regional inequality in Turkey, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 11(2-3), pp. 133-161]. Turkey has been successful in developing resort areas and attracting large number of tourists. The tourism sector is a highpoint industry and a crucial public policy area for the Mediterranean and Aegean Regions. The article has two aims: (1) to determine the significance of the tourism industry in the Aegean Region in Turkey by looking at specialization patterns in economic activities across the country and to identify the provinces of the region within which tourism is a highpoint industry and (2) to explore whether public investment in tourism in the Aegean Region has an impact on the value added created by the tourism industry. A comparison of regional structures of the regions reveals that 30% of tourism licensed accommodation establishments are located in the Aegean Region. The results from the location quotient estimates for 1995 and 2001 reveal that the Aegean Region is highly specialized in the tourism industry, particularly when the spatial distribution of the hotels is observed. Value added created by hotels of the Aegean Region is higher than the country average as well. In addition, the econometric model shows that the regional value added created by the tourism sector between 1995 and 2001 is significantly enhanced by public policies that focus on the sector.

The relationship between Foreigtı Direct Investment (FDI) and employment has become an important subject for macroeconomic policies and explicitly pronounced as the policy objective at all levels. The aim of this paper is to investigate the quantitative relationship between FDI and the number of jobs created on the sectoral basis in Turkey for the 1980-2002 period. In order to do this first, the job elasticities of the sectors are estimated. Then, the relative performance of the FDI receiving sectors are calculated by forming Relative Average Project Index and Relative Average Job Index. Judging by the estimated elasticity, the potential for job creation seems to be the highest in Services sector (44%), but on the other hand, in terms of RAPI and RAJI, the manufacturing sector has been the most successful. Interestingly, Services sector is relatively more successful in creating jobs than attracting projects for the same period in Turkey.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the returns to individually acquired education in Turkey. In contrast to the traditional neo-classical growth theory models, technological progress is embedded within the new endogenous growth models emphasising the endogenous determination of growth process. Thus, human capital stock is incorporated as an endogenous determinant of growth rate into the model that is highly associating the human capital accumulation with the innovative capacity and productivity. With the development of human capital theory, the educational level of the population as one of the key determinants in economic growth, is considered to be affected by the returns to education. The key relationship for the estimation of returns to education was derived by Mincer (Mincer, 1974). Since then, the topic has become centre of focus, and a large number of studies have estimated returns to education. One of the most comprehensive surveys by Psacharopoulos covers the cross – country returns to education estimations for 60 countries, reveals that the developing countries possessed the highest return to an additional year of schooling (1994). Recent country specific studies, on the other hand, while providing evidence on the decreasing returns to education in Norway (Haegeland et. al. 1999), and Austria ( ), empirical findings for China (Heckman & Li, 2003), and Italy (Brunello et. al., 2000) suggest increasing returns to education. Furthermore, returns to education estimations reveal heterogenous results varying accordingly with the degree programmes and gender in Britain (Sloane & O’Leary, 2004), and West Germany (Lauer & Steiner, 2000). Despite the huge literature on the estimation of returns to education in terms of both cross – country and country specific analysis, studies concerning Turkish case remain limited (Tansel, 1994, 1999). This paper aims to make an update contribution to the literature in Turkey. Role of the educational level (primary, secondary, and higher education) in explaining earnings dispersion is analysed by estimating standard Mincerian equation, and using a national level household budget survey data. Estimating earnings equations for 1994 and 2003, preliminary findings demonstrate that returns to education have been instable and changing across the different sectors of the economy. Even though the education has been an important determinant of wage dispersion in Turkey, the findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in returns to different educational levels.