A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics

Gökşen Akçay; Damla Karaman; Halil Beytullah Yilmaz

doi:10.5281/zenodo.16629070

A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics

Abstract

In order to contribute to the analysis of competitive strategies in the airline transportation sector, this study examines the resource similarity levels of enterprises through their fleet structures. In addition to the direct fleet similarity measures frequently used in the literature, this study also applies a clustered fleet similarity approach based on range and seat capacity criteria. As a result of the analysis based on the fleet data of airlines operating in Turkey between 2022 and 2024, it is observed that there are significant deviations in the source similarity scores when different measurement techniques are used. In addition, a significant asymmetry in resource structures between some carrier pairs was detected. This suggests that strategic competitive positioning in the industry should be evaluated not only on the basis of aircraft type, but also on operational capabilities and fleet flexibility. The study aims to contribute to future empirical research both methodologically and theoretically by drawing attention to the need to analyze the competitive dynamics of airlines with a more holistic approach.

Keywords

References

Bailey, E. E., & Liu, D. (1995). Airline consolidation and consumer welfare. Eastern Economic Journal, 21(4), 463-476.
Belobaba, P., Odoni, A., & Barnhart, C. (2015). The global airline industry (2nd ed.). Wiley.
Chen, M. J. (1996). Competitor analysis and interfirm rivalry: Toward a theoretical integration. Academy of management review, 21(1), 100-134.
Chen, M. J., & Hambrick, D. C. (1995). Speed, stealth, and selective attack: How small firms differ from large firms in competitive behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 38(2), 453-482. https://doi.org/10.5465/256688
Chen, M. J., & Miller, D. (2012). Competitive dynamics: Themes, trends, and a prospective research platform. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 135-210. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2012.660762
Chen, M. J., & Miller, D. (2015). Reconceptualizing competitive dynamics: A multidimensional framework. Strategic management journal, 36(5), 758-775.
Chen, M. J., Lin, B. W., & Michel, J. G. (2020). The performance effects of resource similarity and resource relatedness: An empirical study of business groups. Journal of Business Research, 112, 382-395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.001
Doganis, R. (2009). Flying off course: Airline economics and marketing. Routledge.

Gimeno, J., & Woo, C. Y. (1996). Hypercompetition in a multimarket environment: The role of strategic similarity and multimarket contact in competitive de-escalation. Organization science, 7(3), 322-341.
Granstrand, O., Patel, P., & Pavitt, K. (1997). Multi-technology corporations: Why they have "distributed" rather than "distinctive core" competencies. California management review, 39(4), 8-25.
Gündüz, E. (2013). The competitive tension as a moderator for strategic innovation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 99, 553-561.
Gündüz, E., & Semerciöz, F. (2012). The relation between competitive tension and strategic innovation. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, 29-39.
Hanson, D., Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2017). Strategic management: Competitiveness & globalization (6th Asia-Pacific ed.). Cengage Learning.
Kiraci, K., & Bakır, M. (2018). Application of commercial aircraft selection in aviation industry through multi-criteria decision making methods. Manisa Celal Bayar University Journal of Social Sciences, 16(4), 307-332.
Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., & Lampel, J. (1998). Strategy safari: A guided tour through the wilds of strategic management. Free Press.
Ongan, B. (2007). Evaluation criteria for the purchase of commercial passenger aircraft and an application on wide-body aircraft (Master's thesis, Anadolu University (Turkey)).
Ozdemir, Y., Basligil, H., & Karaca, M. (2011, July). Aircraft selection using analytic network process: a case for Turkish airlines. In Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering (Vol. 2, pp. 1155-1159). WCE London.
Pegasus Hava Taşımacılığı A. Ş. (2023). Vision, mission, and strategic targets [Web page]. Pegasus Investor Relations. https://www.pegasusyatirimciiliskileri.com/tr/hakkimizda/stratejik-hedefler
Peteraf, M. A., & Bergen, M. E. (2003). Scanning dynamic competitive landscapes: a market-based and resource-based framework. Strategic management journal, 24(10), 1027-1041.
Pinchemel, A., Caetano, M., Rossi, R. M., & Silva, M. A. (2022). Airline's business performance indicators and their impact on operational efficiency. BBR. Brazilian Business Review, 19, 642-665.
Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. Free Press.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. Free Press.
Prince, J. (2019). Resource similarity, market commonality, and high performance work systems: A competitive dynamics perspective. Journal of Strategy and Management, 12(4), 513-529. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-01-2019-0012
Sarvan, F., Arıcı, E. D., Özen, J., Özdemir, B., & İçigen, E. T. (2003). Ten schools of strategic management: The integrative framework of the formalization school. Akdeniz İİBF Journal, 6, 73-122.
Semercioglu, H., & Özkoç, H. (2021). How Has the Covid-19 Pandemic Affected and Will Affect Airline Fleet Utilization?. Journal of Aviation, 5(2), 192-209. https://doi.org/10.30518/jav.994820Smith
Smith, K. G., Ferrier, W. J., & Ndofor, H. A. (2001). Competitive dynamics research: Critique and future directions. In M. A. Hitt, R. E. Freeman, & J. S. Harrison (Eds.), The Blackwell handbook of strategic management (pp. 315-361). Blackwell Publishing.
Sönmez, R., & Eroğlu, U. (2021). Havayolu sektöründe rekabetçi hamlelerin belirlenmesi: Sektöre özgü bir tipoloji önerisi. Ege Stratejik Araştırmalar Dergisi, 12(1), 52-69.
Sun, X., Gollnick, V., & Stumpf, E. (2011). Robustness consideration in multi-criteria decision making to an aircraft selection problem. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, 18(1-2), 55-64.
SunExpress (n.d.). Company Profile [Web page]. sunexpress.com. Available at: https://www.sunexpress.com/trtr/sirket/sunexpress-duenyasi/sirket-profili/
Turkish Airlines (2023, April 13). Strategy and targets of our Incorporation for the period 2023-2033 [Press release]. Public Disclosure Platform. https://investor.turkishairlines.com/tr/aciklamalar/borsa-aciklamalari/13042023-ortakligimizin-2023-2033-donemi-stratejisi-ve-hedefleri
Yasar, M. (2017). Analysis of the competition between transportation modes from the perspective of competitive dynamics: A study on Ankara-Istanbul transportation line. The International Journal of Transport & Logistics, 17(42), 9-19.
Yasar, M., & Gerede, E. (2020). Identification of factors affecting competitive tension in the domestic air transport market in Turkey. International Journal of Management and Economics, 56(2), 118-139.
Yaşar, M., & Gerede, E. (2023). Periodic Analysis Of the Competitive Dynamics of Turkish Civil Aviation in the 100th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic. Akademik Hassasiyetler, 10(23), 496-522.
Yasar, M., & Gerede, E. (2025). Competitive dynamics in the international airline market: Exploring antecedents of competitive actions. Transport Economics and Management, 3, 117-134.
Yazgan, A. E., & Yiğit, S. (2013). Analysis of the International Competitiveness Level of the Turkish Civil Aviation Sector. Journal of Social Economic Research, 13(25), 421-445.
Young, G., Smith, K. G., Grimm, C. M., & Simon, D. (2000). Multimarket contact and resource dissimilarity: A competitive dynamics perspective. Journal of Management, 26(6), 1217-1236.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Air Transportation and Freight Services

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Gökşen Akçay ^*
Türkiye

Damla Karaman This is me
Türkiye

Halil Beytullah Yilmaz
Türkiye

Publication Date

July 31, 2025

Submission Date

May 29, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 5 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16629070

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA32GK75YL

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Akçay, G., Karaman, D., & Yilmaz, H. B. (2025). A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics. Research in Aviation Management (RAM), 5(1), 13-30. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16629070

AMA

1.Akçay G, Karaman D, Yilmaz HB. A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2025;5(1):13-30. doi:10.5281/zenodo.16629070

Chicago

Akçay, Gökşen, Damla Karaman, and Halil Beytullah Yilmaz. 2025. “A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 5 (1): 13-30. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16629070.

EndNote

Akçay G, Karaman D, Yilmaz HB (July 1, 2025) A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 5 1 13–30.

IEEE

[1]G. Akçay, D. Karaman, and H. B. Yilmaz, “A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics”, Research in Aviation Management (RAM), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 13–30, July 2025, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.16629070.

ISNAD

Akçay, Gökşen - Karaman, Damla - Yilmaz, Halil Beytullah. “A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM) 5/1 (July 1, 2025): 13-30. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16629070.

JAMA

1.Akçay G, Karaman D, Yilmaz HB. A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2025;5:13–30.

MLA

Akçay, Gökşen, et al. “A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics”. Research in Aviation Management (RAM), vol. 5, no. 1, July 2025, pp. 13-30, doi:10.5281/zenodo.16629070.

Vancouver

1.Gökşen Akçay, Damla Karaman, Halil Beytullah Yilmaz. A Different Perspective on Competitor Analysis: Examining Resource Similarities in the Framework of Airline Competitive Dynamics. Research in Aviation Management (RAM). 2025 Jul. 1;5(1):13-30. doi:10.5281/zenodo.16629070