Hope and patience as coping mechanisms of food managers in the face of challenges: The Turkish case

Abstract

This research aims to examine how managers in the food sector coped with the challenges that the Gezi Park protests caused in Istanbul, Turkey in 2013. Recent Gezi Park protests in Istanbul triggered a multi-layered crisis. These protests lasted more than two months, having long-term effects on Turkey's social, cultural and economic life. This study considers the Gezi Park protests as a crisis for food sector businesses in the neighbourhood around the park. By drawing on interviews with 40 managers in the food sector, this paper examines how managers in the food sector coped with the challenges. Based on thematic analysis of qualitative data, two coping mechanisms emerged including being hopeful about the future, being patient against multiple challenges. Copyright © 2018 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.