Ethnic networks in the internationalization of Turkish food producers

The Uppsala Internationalization Process Model falls short in its ability to explain how emerging market firms internationalize. In this respect, the model needs to be enhanced through theoretical and empirical contributions. In this study, we aimed to increase the relationality of the model by employing the ethnic networks approach. As a case study for emerging market companies, we focused on the internationalization processes of Turkish food companies, which have been relatively little studied until now. Based on data from qualitative interviews, we found that ethnic networks in Germany play an important role in the initial stages of export activities, in location selection, in gaining market information, and in reaching the mainstream retailers and consumers for Turkish food companies. Adopting the ethnic networks approach enables us to see the roles of previously ignored relationships. Our findings show that, in future research, the role of ethnic networks should not be overlooked in the process of applying the Uppsala Internationalization Process Model on emerging market firms.