The focus of this article is on the emergence and development of multi-unit franchising in the USA from the franchisee's perspective. After a historical summary of the development of franchising from a marketing viewpoint, a typology of different franchisee types is provided, and the multi-unit franchising paradox is presented. The article offers a discussion of reasons why individuals might be enticed to become multi-unit franchisees. Emphasis is placed on entrepreneurship as a possible motive for sequential owners' involvement as multi-unit franchisees. The article concludes by providing encouragement for future research to investigate the issue empirically.
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