Not much is known about the primary drivers of performance in franchising systems. With some notable exceptions, much of the franchising literature on performance related issues has focused on either contrasting failure rates of independent small businesses and entrepreneurs with those of...

Inspired by open systems theories like the structural contingency theory (Lawrence and Lorsch 1967), population ecology theory (Hannan and Freeman 1977), and resource dependence theory (Pfeffer and Salancik 1978), several marketing scholars have investigated how channels adapt and organize...

Franchising has long been seen as an avenue into small business. For some, it offers opportunities to build up franchise systems, as franchisors, by cloning small business success in exchange for a royalty. For many others, as franchisees, it offers opportunities for self‐employment, combining...

Examines the effects of financial resource availability and system size on ownership redirection patterns – the argument that successful franchisors will acquire less successful franchisee units, resulting in corporate ownership – in 12 franchising business sectors. Discusses the theory of...

Purpose This paper aims to examine how external marketing messages, which are generally used to convey company and product information to external target audiences, influence job attitudes and behaviors of salespeople. Design/methodology/approach The study is conducted based on survey data on...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how pre-entry franchising information (i.e. franchisor-provided) influences the confirmation (or not) of franchisees' pre-entry expectations and their subsequent assessment of trust in their franchisor. Relationships with outcome variables,...

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate differences in customer perceptions of quality between credence and experience industries. The paper expands on the implications of national versus local firms and does so within a franchise context. Design/methodology/approach – Based...