INSTITUTIONAL PRESSURES
Amsterdam restricted dark stores in residential areas. If you were Getir's manager, would you challenge the restrictions or change your operating model? Explain which institutional pressure influenced your decision.
Changing the operating model could be more sustainable. Getir could partner with approved local retailers or relocate fulfillment operations. The regulatory pillar restricts locations, while neighborhood expectations also affect legitimacy. Accept another choice if students explain how it addresses the institutional constraints.
After COVID-19 restrictions ended, demand for ultra-fast groceries weakened while Getir's delivery costs remained high. If you were in management, what change would you make first, and how would that demonstrate Dynamic Capabilities?
Getir could identify lower-demand locations and consolidate unprofitable dark stores, or adjust delivery times to reduce costs. This applies sensing to changes in demand and reconfiguring to the operating network. Accept other financially justified changes.
Getir expanded internationally using much of its Turkish operating model. If the company had recognized greater differences between countries, how could it have changed its international strategy to improve its chances of success?
Getir could adopt a more transnational-style approach, retaining shared technology while adapting fulfillment locations, labor arrangements, delivery promises, and local partnerships. This balances cost efficiency with local responsiveness.
Paris classified certain dark stores as warehouses, making Getir's original operating model harder to sustain. Would Getir have been more successful by adapting to local institutions or keeping its original ten-minute delivery strategy? Defend your choice.
Adapting to local institutions is a defensible choice. A partnership with established retailers could reduce dependence on restricted dark-store sites. This addresses regulatory compliance and legitimacy, although it could mean sacrificing delivery speed and control.
Getir acquired Gorillas in 2022 to strengthen its European presence. Was acquiring another delivery company an effective way to adapt to the challenges Getir faced, or did it potentially make the problem worse? Explain using Dynamic Capabilities.
The acquisition demonstrated seizing an opportunity to expand, but it potentially increased exposure to high operating costs. Without consolidating facilities and improving profitability, acquiring another company does not guarantee successful reconfiguration.
Getir is considering returning to either the Netherlands, where dark-store restrictions were severe, or the United States, where regulations were more flexible but competition was intense. Which market would you choose, and what would Getir need to change to succeed?
Either market can be defended. For the Netherlands, Getir might use local retail partnerships to reduce zoning exposure. For the United States, Getir would need a lower-cost model and stronger differentiation against incumbents. The answer must address institutional fit and reconfiguration.
Getir left the United States even though the case study describes its regulations and labor conditions as relatively flexible. Does this weaken the argument that hostile institutions were the main reason for Getir's global retreat? Use evidence to defend your answer.
Yes, it weakens a regulation-only explanation. Getir also struggled with operating costs, competition, and changing demand. Dynamic Capabilities helps evaluate how effectively Getir adjusted its business model. However, broader institutional conditions could still have mattered.
Getir introduced franchising and retail partnerships but still withdrew from its international markets. Does this prove management failed at sensing, seizing, or reconfiguring? Which capability appears weakest, and why?
Reconfiguring appears to have been the weakest. Getir demonstrated some ability to act through acquisitions, franchises, and partnerships. However, these actions did not make its international operations sustainable. The case does not establish when management recognized the problems, so it cannot prove a failure of sensing.
Imagine you are Getir's CEO in 2023. European regulations are tightening, operating costs are increasing, and consumer demand is changing. Would you continue expanding, restructure existing operations, or exit certain markets? Defend your decision using both Institutional Theory and Dynamic Capabilities.
Restructuring and selectively exiting markets is defensible. Getir could concentrate on locations with viable demand, reduce dark-store costs, and work with established retailers. This responds to regulatory and economic pressures while demonstrating reconfiguration. Continued expansion could also be defended if students provide a credible risk-management plan.
Did Getir fail mainly because foreign institutions were hostile, or because it could not reconfigure its business fast enough?
Both contributed, but insufficiently effective reconfiguration is a defensible primary explanation. France and Amsterdam imposed genuine restrictions on dark-store operations. However, Getir also withdrew from the U.S. despite fewer formal regulatory constraints. This suggests its costly operating model, competitive pressures, and limited success in restructuring helped explain the broader retreat.