Career path through education: The academic background of becoming a CEO in Türkiye
Öz
This study examines the relationship between the educational attainment of CEOs serving in firms listed in the BIST 500 and the likelihood of their appointment to the chief executive position, with particular emphasis on the universities from which they graduated. Drawing on upper echelons theory, the study is based on the assumption that executives’ individual characteristics, including their educational backgrounds, play an important role in shaping top management selection processes. The dataset was compiled between February 24 and October 20, 2025, using multiple sources, including firms’ official websites, annual reports, disclosures on the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), press releases, interviews, and professional platforms such as Bloomberg and LinkedIn. In the analytical stage, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistical techniques were employed. More specifically, Chi-square tests and Cramer’s V coefficients were used to evaluate the strength and significance of the relationships among the relevant variables. The findings reveal that CEOs’ educational profiles and the universities they attended are significantly associated with their selection as top executives, suggesting that educational credentials continue to function as an important factor in executive appointments within major Turkish firms.
Anahtar Kelimeler
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