Drawing on an ethnographic case study, the present paper rectifies the lack of systematic research into the challenges of restructuring in Turkey’s shipbuilding industry for small manufacturers and their managerial responses. Inquiries are essentially predicated on unstructured conversations with the owner/manager of a shipyard investigated, workplace observations and supplementary conversations with employees as well as elite interviews with the portal authorities. To present the findings in a conceptual frame-work, the paper uses the word arabesque restructuring. The term refers to a fairly distinct combination of both detrimental and benign aspects of the restructuring in shipyards: The former is related to, for example, discrimination against small shipyards, patronage and inadequate regulations. Positive aspects include, among others, investment diversification and strategised retention. They also encompass the rebuttal of a reputedly intrinsic link between shorter hours and work-life balance in addition to the magnitude of companies and becoming globalised.
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