How franchiser and franchisee relationships affect franchisees' satisfaction? The importance of fairness, communication and trust as ethical bases of relationship marketing

Few empirical studies cover the theme of franchisees' satisfaction. This paper investigates the impact of the nature of relationship between franchisers and franchisees on franchisees' satisfaction. Research data have been collected by surveying 400 French franchisees. Surprisingly, this analysis shows that intangible factors in a franchise system are as important as the franchiser's support or even more important than the support. The article discusses implications of the study's results for future research and for managers. The results suggest how to create a positive environment (fairness, communication, trust) which is related to ethical marketing.