Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary

Gökmen Durmuş

doi:10.52642/susbed.1854030

TR EN

Tarihi Türk İşletmelerinde Örgütsel İz Bırakma ve Anlatı Belleği: Asırlık Lezzetçiler Belgeseli Üzerine Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Bu çalışma, asırlık aile işletmelerinin örgütsel damgaları (izleri) geriye dönük anlatılar aracılığıyla nasıl oluşturduklarını ve yeniden ürettiklerini, bir örgütsel bellek biçimi olarak dijital belgesel kaynakları aracılığıyla incelemektedir. Bu bağlamda, asırlık aile işletmelerinin kuruluş geçmişlerini nasıl anlattıklarına ve bu anlatıları güncel örgütsel kimlikleriyle nasıl kaynaştırdıklarına odaklanmaktadır. Araştırma, TRT’nin Asırlık Lezzetçiler belgesel dizisinin 26 bölümünün tematik analizine dayanmaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında Türkiye genelinde faaliyet gösteren köklü işletmeleri konu alan, kamuya açık bu görsel-işitsel dijital materyal analize tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular, örgütsel damgaların; mesleğe adanmışlık, mesleğe sadakat ve mesleki mükemmeliyet vurgusu gibi yinelenen anlatı temaları aracılığıyla ifade edildiğini göstermektedir. Bu anlatılar, işletmelerin kurucu değerleri ile güncel uygulamaları arasında sembolik bağlar kurmasını sağlamaktadır. Ayrıca anlatılar; gelenek, kalite ve sürekliliğin bir zorunluluktan ziyade nasıl yorumlandığını şekillendiren anlam pencereleri sunmaktadır. Örgütsel iz bırakmayı belirleyici bir mekanizma yerine anlatısal bir bellek biçimi olarak kavramsallaştıran bu çalışma, örgütsel damgalanma yazınına yorumlayıcı ve geriye dönük boyutları olan bir vurguyla katkı sunmaktadır. Yöntemsel açıdan ise makale, dijital belgesel kaynaklarının işletme tarihi ve örgüt kuramı çalışmaları alanlarındaki nitel araştırmalar için kamusal tarihi bir veri potansiyeli taşıdığını ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Örgütsel İz Bırakma, Örgütsel Damgalama, Aile İşletmeleri, Anlatısal Bellek, Örgütsel Kimlik, Belgesel Analizi, Örgüt Kuramı

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma, Türkiye Radyo Televizyon Kurumu (TRT) tarafından kamuya açık şekilde yayımlanan Asırlık Lezzetçiler belgesel programı üzerinden gerçekleştirilen ikincil veri analizine dayanmaktadır. Araştırmada insan katılımcılar üzerinde herhangi bir müdahale, etkileşim veya birincil veri toplama süreci bulunmamaktadır. Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) tarafından belirlenen bilimsel araştırma ve yayın etiği yönergeleri uyarınca, kamuya açık arşivsel ve belgesel kaynakların analizine dayanan çalışmalar için etik kurul onayı gerekmemektedir. Bu nedenle çalışma için etik kurul izni alınmamıştır.

Thanks

Bu çalışmanın ilk versiyonu, Anadolu Üniversitesi-Eskişehir’de gerçekleştirilen VII. İşletme Tarihi Kongresi’nde özet bildiri olarak sunulmuştur. Katkıları için hakemlere ve katılımcılara teşekkür ederim.

Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary

Abstract

This study examines how century-old family businesses construct and reproduce organizational imprints through retrospective narratives, using digital documentary sources as a form of organizational memory. In this context, the study focuses on how century-old family businesses narrate their founding past and embed these narratives into contemporary organizational identities. The study drew on a qualitative thematic analysis of 26 episodes from TRT’s Asırlık Lezzetçiler (Century-Old Gourmets) documentary series. The research analyzes these publicly available audiovisual materials featuring long-established businesses across Türkiye. The results reveal that organizational imprints are narratively reproduced through recurring themes of passion for profession, loyalty to profession, and professional excellence in century-old businesses. These narratives function as symbolic anchors through which organizations link founding values to present-day practices, shaping how tradition, quality, and continuity are interpreted rather than causally enforced. By conceptualizing imprinting as a form of narrative memory rather than a deterministic mechanism, this study contributes to organizational imprinting research by highlighting its interpretive and retrospective dimensions. Methodologically, the article demonstrates the potential of digital documentary sources as public historical data for qualitative research in business history and organization studies.

Keywords

Organizational Imprinting, Family Businesses, Narrative Memory, Organizational Identity, Documentary Analysis, Organization Theory

Ethical Statement

This research is based entirely on the analysis of publicly available documentary content produced and broadcast by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). The study does not involve human subjects, direct interaction with individuals, or the collection of primary data. In accordance with the regulations of the Higher Education Council of Türkiye (YÖK) and international research ethics principles, studies relying solely on publicly accessible archival or media sources do not require ethics committee approval. Accordingly, ethical approval was not sought for this study.

Thanks

An earlier version of this study was presented at the VII Business History Conference, held at Anadolu University in Eskişehir, Türkiye. I would like to thank the reviewers and conference participants for their valuable feedback.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Business and Labour History, Small Business Organisation and Management, Organisation and Management Theory, Organizational Culture

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Gökmen Durmuş ^*
0000-0001-5809-8459
Türkiye

Publication Date

April 30, 2026

Submission Date

January 2, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 24, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 59

DOI

https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.1854030

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA57DX39HF

APA

Durmuş, G. (2026). Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 59, 245-263. https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.1854030

AMA

1.Durmuş G. Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary. SUSBED. 2026;(59):245-263. doi:10.52642/susbed.1854030

Chicago

Durmuş, Gökmen. 2026. “Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, nos. 59: 245-63. https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.1854030.

EndNote

Durmuş G (April 1, 2026) Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 59 245–263.

IEEE

[1]G. Durmuş, “Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary”, SUSBED, no. 59, pp. 245–263, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.52642/susbed.1854030.

ISNAD

Durmuş, Gökmen. “Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 59 (April 1, 2026): 245-263. https://doi.org/10.52642/susbed.1854030.

JAMA

1.Durmuş G. Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary. SUSBED. 2026;:245–263.

MLA

Durmuş, Gökmen. “Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 59, Apr. 2026, pp. 245-63, doi:10.52642/susbed.1854030.

Vancouver

1.Gökmen Durmuş. Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary. SUSBED. 2026 Apr. 1;(59):245-63. doi:10.52642/susbed.1854030

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Tarihi Türk İşletmelerinde Örgütsel İz Bırakma ve Anlatı Belleği: Asırlık Lezzetçiler Belgeseli Üzerine Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Thanks

Organizational Imprinting and Narrative Memory in Historical Turkish Businesses: Insights from Asırlık Lezzetçiler Documentary

Abstract

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Thanks

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

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