Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

We report the results of a survey of key thought leaders within the entrepreneurship field centered on the relationship between franchising and entrepreneurship. Specifically, we asked members of the Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice editorial board whether they consider franchisors to be entrepreneurs, whether they consider franchisees to be entrepreneurs, whether they consider research on franchising to be entrepreneurship research, and how they view the quality of franchising research compared with the quality of entrepreneurship research in general. Their collective responses offer important implications for franchising research. One implication is that franchising research needs to become more theoretically robust. A second is that the concepts of opportunity recognition, risk, organizational size, stage of organizational development, and organizational autonomy need to be taken into account when studying franchising.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bates

(1995). Analysis of survival rates among franchise and independent small business startups. Journal of Small Business Management, 33(2), 26–36.

Bates

(1998). Survival patterns among newcomers to franchising. Journal of Business Venturing, 11, 113–130.

Bradach

J.L.

(1997). Using the plural form in the management of restaurant chains. Administrative Science Quarterly, 42, 276–303.

Busenitz

L.W.

, West

G.P.

, Sheperd

, Nelson

, Chandler

G.N.

, & Zacharakis

(2003). Entrepreneurship research in emergence: Past trends and future directions. Journal of Management, 29, 285–308.

Combs

J.G.

, Ketchen

D.J.

, Shook

, & Short

J.C.

(2011). Antecedents and consequences of franchising: Past accomplishments and future challenges. Journal of Management, 37, 99–126.

Dant

R.P.

& Gundlach

G.T.

(1999). The challenge of autonomy and dependence in franchised channels of distribution. Journal of Business Venturing, 14, 35–67.

Dean

M.A.

, Shook

C.L.

, & Payne

G.T.

(2007). The past, present, and future of entrepreneurship research: Data analytic trends and training. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 31, 601–618.

Grünhagen

& Mittelstaedt

R.A.

(2005). Entrepreneurs or investors: Do multi–unit franchisees have different philosophical orientations? Journal of Small Business Management, 43(3), 207–225.

Guilloux

, Gauzente

, Kalika

, & Dubost

(2004). How France's potential franchisees reach their decisions: A comparison with franchisers’ perceptions. Journal of Small Business Management, 42(2), 218–224.

10.

Hoy

& Shane

(1998). Franchising as an entrepreneurial venture form. Journal of Business Venturing, 13, 91–94.

11.

Kaufmann

P.J.

(1999). Franchising and the choice of self–employment. Journal of Business Venturing, 14, 345–362.

12.

Kaufmann

P.J.

& Dant

R.P.

(1998). Franchising and the domain of entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business Venturing, 14, 5–16.

13.

Kaufmann

P.J.

& Eroglu

(1998). Standardization and adaptation in business format franchising. Journal of Business Venturing, 14, 69–85.

14.

Ketchen

D.J.

, Short

J.C.

, & Combs

J.G.

(2011). Tales of Garcón: The franchise players. Irvington, NY: Flat World Knowledge.

15.

Lafontaine

& Shaw

K.L.

(1998). Franchising growth and franchisor entry and exit in the U.S. market: Myth and reality. Journal of Business Venturing, 13, 95–112.

16.

Lumpkin

& Dess

(1996). Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of Management Review, 21, 135–172.

17.

Norton

S.W.

(1988). Franchising, brand name capital, and the entrepreneurial capacity problem. Strategic Management Journal, 9, 105–114.

18.

Seawright

K.W.

, Smith

I.H.

, Mitchell

R.K.

, & McClendon

(2011). Exploring entrepreneurial cognition in franchisees: A knowledge–structure approach. To appear in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

19.

Shane

S.A.

(1996). Hybrid organizational arrangements and their implications for firm growth and survival: A study of new franchisors. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 216–234.

20.

Shane

& Venkataraman

(2000). The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review, 25, 217–226.

21.

Smith

(2010, September 15). Franchises play vital role in U.S. economy. Business News Daily. Available at http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/franchise–businesses–play–vital–economic–role–0534/, accessed 4 March 2011.

22.

Yin

& Zajac

E.J.

(2004). The strategy/governance structure fit relationship: Theory and evidence in franchising arrangements. Strategic Management Journal, 25, 365–383.

Is Franchising Entrepreneurship? Yes,No,and Maybe So

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References