Skip to main content
Log in

Franchising vs. company ownership as a decision variable of the firm

  • Published:
Review of Industrial Organization Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper investigates the mix of franchised and company-owned outlets among franchise chains. Hypotheses are formulated about the proportion of franchised outlets and are tested using firm-level data from a national survey of franchisors. Empirical results support the hypothesis that company-owned outlets serve as a way for the franchisor to give itself an incentive to maintain system quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bond, Robert E. (1988, 1989, 1993)The Source Book of Franchising Opportunities, Homewood, Illinois: Dow Jones-Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickley, James A. and Dark, Frederick H. (1987) ‘The Choice of Organizational Form: The Case of Franchising’,Journal of Financial Economics,18(7), 401–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickley, James A., Frederick H. Dark, and Michael S. Weisbach (1991a) ‘An Agency Perspective on Franchising’,Financial Management,20, Spring, 27–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brickley, James A., Frederick H. Dark, and Michael S. Weisbach (1991b) ‘The Economic Effects of Franchise Termination Laws’,Journal of Law and Economics,34(4), 101–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caves, Richard E. and William F. Murphy (1976) ‘Franchising: Firms, Markets, and Intangible Assets’,Southern Economic Journal,42(4), 572–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallini, Nancy T. and Nancy A. Lutz (1992) ‘Dual Distribution and Royalty Fees in Franchising’,The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization,8, 471–501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardee's Food Systems, Inc. (1991)Franchise Offering Circular.

  • Hunt, Shelby D. (1973) ‘The Trend Toward Company-Operated Units in Franchise Chains’,Journal of Retailing,49, Summer, 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, Barbara G. and Joel Owen (1992) ‘On the Existence of Franchise Contracts and Some of their Implications’,International Journal of Industrial Organization,10(12), 567–593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, Benjamin (1980) ‘Transaction Cost Determinants of “Unfair” Contractual Arrangements’,American Economic Review,70(5), 356–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, Benjamin and Lester F. Saft (1985) ‘The Law and Economics of Franchise Tying Contracts’,Journal of Law and Economics,28(5), 345–361.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroc, Ray (1977)Grinding It Out, Chicago: Henry Regnery Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, Alan B. (1991) ‘Ownership, Agency, and Wages: An Examination of Franchising in the Fast Food Industry’,Quarterly Journal of Economics,106, 75–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lafontaine, Francine (1992) ‘Agency Theory and Franchising: Some Empirical Results’,RAND Journal of Economics,23, Summer, 263–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal, Rajiv (1990) ‘Improving Channel Coordination Through Franchising’,Marketing Science,9, Fall, 299–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luxenberg, Stan (1985)Roadside Empires, New York: Viking Penguin Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, Robert E. (1988) ‘Franchising and Risk Management’,American Economic Review,78(12), 954–968.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathewson, G. Frank and Ralph A. Winter (1985) ‘The Economics of Franchise Contracts’,The Journal of Law and Economics,28(10), 503–526.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minkler, Alanson P. (1990) ‘An Empirical Analysis of a Firm's Decision to Franchise’,Economics Letters,34, 77–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minkler, Alanson P. (1992) ‘Why Firms Franchise: A Search Cost Theory’,Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics,148, 240–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, Seth W. (1988) ‘An Empirical Look at Franchising as an Organizational Form’,Journal of Business,61(4), 197–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Paul H. (1978) ‘The Theory of the Firm and the Structure of the Franchise Contract’,The Journal of Law and Economics,21(4), 223–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, Charles L. (1979)Franchising, Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, Oliver E. (1981) ‘The Modern Corporation: Origins, Evolution, Attributes’,Journal of Economic Literature, 19, 1537–1568.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wimmer, Bradley S. (1992)An Analysis of Franchising Compensation Arrangements, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Scott, F.A. Franchising vs. company ownership as a decision variable of the firm. Rev Ind Organ 10, 69–81 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024260

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01024260

Key words

Navigation