Abstract

Globalization affects the way business is conducted. The worldwide openness of the markets creates both opportunities and threats for local companies. To survive and prosper in the new economic system, companies will need to develop new strategies. Therefore, analyzing the business and technology characteristics of small to medium size firms is critical in order to develop strategies to facilitate their integration to globalization. The paper presents the technology and business characteristics of small and medium sized (SMEs) architectural design firms in Turkey. The findings related to firms’ strengths include that SMEs can adopt new technologies as long as commercial benefits are evident, that they are well aware of the importance of business development skills, and that they have an extensive partnership experience as well as some strategic planning culture. The findings related to firms’ weaknesses indicate that SMEs lack the necessary skills to manage organizational growth, do not use project management software extensively, are not actively involved in new and effective project management technologies, and display low levels of specialization.

Key words: Architectural firms, small and medium sized (SMEs), Turkey, business management, globalization