This paper offers a property rights theoretical interpretation of the ownership redirection hypothesis advanced by Oxenfeldt and Kelly (Oxenfeldt and Kelly 1968). In a nutshell, couched in resource dependence theory, the ownership redirection hypothesis argues that successful franchise systems...

The paper offers an explanation for the structure of ownership rights in franchising networks which emphasize the role of intangible assets. By applying the incomplete contracting theory of the firm we argue that the structure of ownership rights depends on the distribution of intangible assets...