ABSTRACT

Competition is the driving force of capitalism. For that reason, the economic system of capitalism is designed as a competitive free market economy. Competition in the markets increases the efficiency of economic activities and results in cost reductions. Competition enables the economic system to serve the people. These are the claimed virtues of competition in capitalist systems. Competition is a broad and comprehensive concept. In any competition, the competitors are rivals. Turkish culture does not regard competition to be proper behavior, either among people or firms. Cooperation and collaboration are traditionally accepted as being more virtuous. Different types of economic behavior present a wide spectrum of conduct. The spectrum includes conflict, competition, challenging, helping, sharing and collaboration. Capitalism claims that people compete in their own self-interest. According to the belief system spread by capitalism, competition among people and among companies ends up in serving the society as a whole.