• Journal of Distribution Research
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.95-115
• /
• 2011

Food service is the major part of franchise business in Korea, accounting for 69.9% of the brands in the market. As the food service industry becomes mature, many franchisees have struggled to survive in the market. In general, consumers have higher levels of expectation toward service quality of franchised outlets compared that of (non-franchised) independent ones. They also tend to believe that franchisees deliver standardized service at the uniform food price, regardless of their locations. Such beliefs seem to be important reasons that consumers prefer franchised outlets to independent ones. Nevertheless, few studies examined the impact of qualify features of franchisees on customer satisfaction so far. To this end, this study examined the characteristics of various quality features of franchisees in the food service industry, regarding their relationship with customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The quality perception of heavy-users was also compared with that of light-users in order to find insights for developing differentiated marketing strategy for the two segments. Customer satisfaction has been understood as a one-dimensional construct while there are recent studies that insist two-dimensional nature of the construct. In this regard, Kano et al. (1984) suggested to categorize quality features of a product or service into five types, based on their relation to customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction: Must-be quality, Attractive quality, One-dimensional quality, Indifferent quality, and Reverse quality. According to the Kano model, customers are more dissatisfied when Must-be quality(M) are not fulfilled, but their satisfaction does not arise above neutral no matter how fully the quality fulfilled. In comparison, customers are more satisfied with a full provision of Attactive quality(A) but manage to accept its dysfunction. One-dimensional quality(O) results in satisfaction when fulfilled and dissatisfaction when not fulfilled. For Indifferent quality(I), its presence or absence influences neither customer satisfaction nor dissatisfaction. Lastly, Reverse quality(R) refers to the features whose high degree of achievement results in customer dissatisfaction rather than satisfaction. Meanwhile, the basic guidelines of the Kano model have a limitation in that the quality type of each feature is simply determined by calculating the mode statistics. In order to overcome such limitation, the relative importance of each feature on customer satisfaction (Better value; b) and dissatisfaction (Worse value; w) were calculated following the formulas below (Timko, 1993). The Better value indicates how much customer satisfaction is increased by providing the quality feature in question. In contrast, the Worse value indicates how much customer dissatisfaction is decreased by providing the quality feature. Better = (A + O)/(A+O+M+I) Worse = (O+M)/(A+O+M+I)(-1) An on-line survey was performed in order to understand the nature of quality features of franchisees in the food service industry by applying the Kano Model. A total of twenty quality features (refer to the Table 2) were identified as the result of literature review in franchise business and a pre-test with fifty college students in Seoul. The potential respondents of our main survey was limited to the customers who have visited more than two restaurants/stores of the same franchise brand. Survey invitation e-mails were sent out to the panels of a market research company and a total of 257 responses were used for analysis. Following the guidelines of Kano model, each of the twenty quality features was classified into one of the five types based on customers' responses to a set of questions: "(1) how do you feel if the following quality feature is fulfilled in the franchise restaurant that you visit," and "(2) how do you feel if the following quality feature is not fulfilled in the franchise restaurant that you visit." The analyses revealed that customers' dissatisfaction with franchisees is commonly associated with the poor level of cleanliness of the store (w=-0.872), kindness of the staffs(w=-0.890), conveniences such as parking lot and restroom(w=-0.669), and expertise of the staffs(w=-0.492). Such quality features were categorized as Must-be quality in this study. While standardization or uniformity across franchisees has been emphasized in franchise business, this study found that consumers are interested only in uniformity of price across franchisees(w=-0.608), but not interested in standardizations of menu items, interior designs, customer service procedures, and food tastes. Customers appeared to be more satisfied when the franchise brand has promotional events such as giveaways(b=0.767), good accessibility(b=0.699), customer loyalty programs(b=0.659), award winning history(b=0.641), and outlets in the overseas market(b=0.506). The results are summarized in a matrix form in Table 1. Better(b) and Worse(w) index indicate relative importance of each quality feature on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, respectively. Meanwhile, there were differences in perceiving the quality features between light users and heavy users of any specific franchise brand in the food service industry. Expertise of the staffs was labeled as Must-be quality for heavy users but Indifferent quality for light users. Light users seemed indifferent to overseas expansion of the brand and offering new menu items on a regular basis, while heavy users appeared to perceive them as Attractive quality. Such difference may come from their different levels of involvement when they eat out. The results are shown in Table 2. The findings of this study help practitioners understand the quality features they need to focus on to strengthen the competitive power in the food service market. Above all, removing the factors that cause customer dissatisfaction seems to be the most critical for franchisees. To retain loyal customers of the franchise brand, it is also recommended for franchisor to invest resources in the development of new menu items as well as training programs for the staffs. Lastly, if resources allow, promotional events, loyalty programs, overseas expansion, award-winning history can be considered as tools for attracting more customers to the business.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.39-49
• /
• 2019

Purpose - Customer loyalty and citizenship behavior are key success factors of franchise system. They make the management of franchisee more effective and efficient. Prior studies, however, mainly dealt with only acquisition utility of customer, such as perceived product/service quality and brand reputation to explain customer loyalty and citizenship behavior, which explains only on one side. We tried to investigate the effect of exchange utility of customer, such as relationship strength and psychological obligation together with the acquisition utility. In addition, we tried to investigate the relationship between customer loyalty and citizenship behavior in franchise context. Research design, data, and methodology - This study used data collected from the dining franchisee managers of 342 franchisors in South Korea. The franchisors consist of more than ten franchisees, the majority of which participated directly in the transaction with franchisor and have worked for more than six months. To test the hypotheses, the study used structural equation model analysis. Results - H1-1, 1-2, 1-3 predicted that acquisition utility would increase customer loyalty to franchisee. In support of H1-1, 1-2, 1-3, the results indicated that acquisition utilities such as perceived product value, perceived service value, and franchise brand reputation had positive effects on customer loyalty. H2-1, 2-2 predicted that exchange utility would increase customer loyalty to franchisee. In support of H2-2, the result indicated that psychological obligation had positive effects on customer loyalty like other acquisition utilities. However, H2-1 was not supported. Relationship strength had no significant effect on customer loyalty. H3 predicted that customer loyalty would increase customer citizenship behavior. In support of H3, the results indicated that customer loyalty had positive effect on customer citizenship behavior. Overall, the evidences generally supported the hypotheses. Conclusion - The results of the study show that not only acquisition utility but also exchange utility increases customer loyalty to franchisee and also show that customer loyalty increases customer citizenship behavior. Interestingly, however, relationship strength has no significant effect on customer loyalty. These results have two implications. The one is that increasing exchange utility can improve customer loyalty as acquisition utility can. The other one is that both of customer utilities can improve customer citizenship via customer loyalty.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.79-102
• /
• 2012

The last year, the government restricted a new store open and businness hours of a large-scale stores, discount store and super super market(ssm). So, this research was examined the effect that the retailer was affected and its correspondence strategy First this research examined how the government restricted a large-scale stores in 2009 earlier and then this research analyzed how the Japan and France restricted it. Second this research examined that a new establishment and business hours change of a large-scale stores. Bacause of a small trader resistance in 2009 latter. Finally it analyzed the effect that a retail industry was affected in the future. bacause law was enforced. On the basis these things, a victim remedy was presented by retailers view. Bacause of international law and an excess regulation. Also, this research suggest that large retailer should expand a overse market and increase retailers private brand component ratio and develop overse brand. Finally this research also suggest that trader and retailer should continue to coperate and turn business direction into franchise system.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.333-358
• /
• 2016

This study investigates the relative effect of symmetric and asymmetric relationship between franchiser and franchisee on the relational outcome of franchise alliance in education industry. To verify the research model, 240 samples, which is related with eduction service, were collected, among which 200 were used for the analysis. The outcome suggests that the asymmetric relationship in an alliance negatively influenced the relational quality, among which asymmetric alliance-specific investments had the most significant effect. On the other hand, the relational quality was positively influenced when the alliance relationship was symmetric, especially when the interactional fairness was high. Furthermore, compared to foreign franchise, local franchise presented higher level of role and responsibility imbalance, along with higher likihood of franchisees' opportunistic behaviors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.11 no.6
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2013

Purpose - Nowadays, more than ever before, fierce competition, deep market segmentation, short product life cycles, and intensifying customer needs are putting increasing pressure on franchise's organizations to satisfy their customers by creating market-oriented relationships with and enhancing their market knowledge of them. One way that this might be achieved is by establishing deep ties (i.e., job commitment and job satisfaction) with their employees. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how two important constructs of franchises' strategic efforts, LO (learning orientation) and RMO (relationship marketing orientation), affect job satisfaction, given the mediating role of job commitment. A franchise system comprises a set of contractual arrangements by which mutual obligations are performed. An organizational learning goal motivates employees to improve their abilities and master the tasks they perform. Relationship marketing, in addition, is to identify, establish, maintain, and enhance relationships with customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of all parties are met and this is done through the mutual exchange of promises. In a relationship marketing orientation, then, a firm creates, maintains, and enhances a strong relationship with its customers by sustaining long-term ties. This study was designed to examine the evolution of various theoretical approaches to franchise systems in order to determine whether theories about firms have significantly affected the franchise system. To this end, the authors developed a structural model consisting of several constructs. Previous studies have suggested that franchises' learning and relationship marketing orientations are important occupational immersion dimensions driving job satisfaction. Research design, data, methodology - We empirically tested a process of how the learning orientation and the relationship marketing orientation influence job commitment and job satisfaction using survey data drawn from 150 responding franchisees who were interviewed about their individual tendencies. Results - The results of this study provide empirical evidence that learning orientation, relationship marketing orientation, and job commitment all influence franchisees' job satisfaction. The results of this study indicate that, first, learning orientation had a significant effect on job satisfaction; second, relationship marketing orientation was positively related to job commitment; third, job commitment had a significant effect on job satisfaction. We also found that relationship marketing orientation and job satisfaction were mediated by job commitment. Conclusions - The findings of this study confirm the importance of learning orientation and relationship marketing orientation in maintaining a positive marketing relationship between franchiser and franchisee from to the perspective of the market. This indicates that franchiser support such as educational programs provided by the franchiser will help franchisees attain higher business management achievement and satisfaction. Moreover, a positive relationship between franchisees and consumers can be maintained through tie effects. Our findings also suggest that learning orientation plays a critical role in job satisfaction within the franchise system.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.177-191
• /
• 2020

This study examines the effect of the self-overviewing attributes derived from agency problem on the cost behavior in franchise industry. To solve the research problem, we developed the proxies for self-overviewing attributes of domestic franchise CEO and used Anderson et al. (2003)'s cost behavior model to test hypothesis. Moreover, we grouped the self-overviewing variables for additional test. We find that operating costs are more sticky for firms which present higher CEO's self-overviewing attributes in franchise industry. Second, we find that the greater the self-overviewing tendency, more strengthened cost stickiness when sales decrease. This study is meaningful in that we developed proxies for self-overviewing propensity, such as the hypodermic behaviors of franchise CEO, which have not been performed in previous studies, to enhance future studies of franchise CEO. Futhermore, we empirically provide the effects of CEO's self-overviewing attributes on the operating costs behaviors, suggesting useful information to franchise stakeholders such as prospective start-ups, franchisee and investors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.14 no.7
• /
• pp.91-100
• /
• 2016

Purpose - Recently actively growing franchise systems distribution channel system in which franchise headquarter compared with franchise occupies an important place in distribution channel. Due to this, franchise and franchise headquarter are interdependent on task and in this situation the goal they go after, motivation and objective are probably inconsistent. If so, possibility to participate goal setting process or operating activity of opposite side is becoming bigger and in the end conflict may generate. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of the supervisor's attitude and expertise as moderating factors in the relationship between goal-incongruity/coercive power/role-incongruity and the conflict perceived by franchisee. Research design, data and methodology - This study was intended to verify how the supervisor's attitude and expertise as moderating factors in the relationship between goal-incongruity/coercive power/role-incongruity and the conflict perceived by franchisee. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, some study models and hypotheses have been established through theoretical examinations. Then, using these scales, the researcher completed the questionnaire survey. To test our hypotheses, the survey was conducted from March 9, 2016 for 20 days by random sampling, The study was implemented through a descriptive survey method using a self-administered questionnaire. A survey of 124 restaurant franchisee across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province was performed. A total of 124 completed responses were analyzed. In this study, I used SPSS 22.0 to analyze data and did frequency analysis to see demographic, and general features of the respondents; also did exploratory factor analysis to examine the validity of the items of measurement. Factor analysis was first calculated at a minimum, the number of factors, principal component analysis used when variables are committed to maximising the information with (principle component analysis) and the rotation of factors were angry about the great variable factors than 1.0 by applying Varimax rotation. In addition, I used the value of Cronbach's (Alpha) to examine the reliance of questionnaire items, final analysis the reliability factor can be found both high reliability hayeoteumeuro exceeds over 0.6 and did Multiple regression analysis to test hypothesis and also did hierarchical regression analysis to examine moderating effect. Results - To analyze the proposed model, according to the analysis result, it was found that the influence of goal-incongruity, coercive power, and role-incongruity on the perceived conflict of franchisee is moderated by the supervisor's attitude and expertise. That is, the more the supervisor's attitude and expertise were positive, the more the conflicts of the goal-incongruity, coercive power, and role-incongruity were decreased. It also confirmed previous research's finding that goal-incongruity, coercive power, and role-incongruity positively influence on the conflict. Conclusions - According to the results of this research which reduces the conflict of franchise from the in consistent goal; coercive power, and inconsistent role of superiors, it provides very important implications for franchise headquarter which has franchise system and also give them some suggestion about how to recruit superiors and what kind of training may be fit for the superiors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2013

Purpose - This study examines the adverse press coverage that has increased in proportion to the remarkable growth of various kinds of franchise businesses in the food service industry. Today, the trust of franchisees in relation to their franchisor, and the maintenance of good relations between the two, has become a significant social issue. This study investigates relationship satisfaction and the long-term commitment between the franchisor and franchisee. Research design, data, methodology - We used a path analysis to investigate the relationship between justice and trust, trust and relationship satisfaction, justice and relationship satisfaction, trust and long-term commitment, and relationship satisfaction and long-term commitment. Structural Equation Modeling and a Sobel test were used to investigate the mediating effects of trust and relationship satisfaction. Data were collected from 237 Food Franchisees in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in order to test the theoretical model and its hypotheses. Two research methodologies are generally used in the distribution management field. For this study, an empirical method was used. Results - A causal analysis was carried out to test if the research model has a sufficient fit index (for instance, χ² = 46.694, df = 10, p = .000, GFI = 0.946, AGFI = 0.850, RMR = 0.034, NFI = 0.966, CFI = 0.973), and the results showed that the model was sufficient, thus demonstrating the suitability of the research model. Each hypothesis had a positive influence, both on long-term commitment and relationship satisfaction. Justice with the franchisor had a positive influence on trust. Relation satisfaction cognized by franchisees was found to positively influence long-term commitment. The franchisee perception of justice in relation to the franchisor had no significant influence on long-term commitment. The study investigated the hypothesis that trust could mediate justice and long-term commitment, and that relationship satisfaction could also mediate long-term commitment Both trust and relationship satisfaction were found to be important for long-term commitment. Specifically, trust sub-factors and justice sub-factors influenced long-term commitment. Identification-based and knowledge-based trust were more important than calculus-based trust. Distributive justice was deemed more important than procedural justice; distributive justice should thus be strengthened. Conclusions - Both franchisor and franchisee were independent businesses. Evidently however, the franchisor could not ensure profit without long-term commitment from the franchisee. As for the success of the franchise business, the franchisor should carry out appropriate strategies leading to a satisfactory relationship. For example, transparency makes it possible to maintain and enhance trust and to improve relationship satisfaction. Just relations between franchisor and franchisee should make it possible to maintain and enhance the franchisee's trust. The franchisor should provide a variety of information with respect to the franchisee's business success. Finally, in order to improve the franchisee's long-term commitment, the franchisor should ensure a just approach with trust and relationship satisfaction among their strategies.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.55-71
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of satisfaction or dissatisfaction of a franchise organization training program on its achievements. For the training program variables, it takes a motivation, a role perception, and a customer directivity as independent variables, and satisfaction or dissatistaction as a parameter. Also, it regards operation capability improvements, satisfaction of the job, and a will for a long-time employment as a dependent variable, then it presents the results by using SPSS/PC+ statistics methods. The results shows that satisfaction of training programs affect the long-time employment a lot. Therefore, for a long-run growth of the franchise organization, it is important to carry out proper training programs. The introduction(part I) contains the subject proposal and the purpose of the study, and theological background(part II) shows the definition and quality of a franchise organization, and some expectations from training programs such as motivations, role perceptions, and customer directivity. Also, part III presents the study model, hypothesis, and analyzing methods. For the last, part IV shows the verification of statistic results, then part V presents the conclusion.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.31-44
• /
• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of CEO's self-determination on entrepreneurship, business performance (operational and financial performance). Also, this research provide some strategic insights for improving business performance. In the proposed model, self-determination consists of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and entrepreneurship consists of innovation, initiative and risk sensitivity, and proactiveness. More specifically, this study proposes a framework that entrepreneurship and operational performance will play mediating roles between self-determination and financial performance. Research design, data, methodology: In this study, an online survey was conducted on SME CEOs for analysis, and a total of 122 samples were used. In the analysis process for hypothesis verification and evaluation, frequency analysis was first performed to identify the demographic characteristics of the respondents, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model. In addition, a structural model analysis was conducted to examine the structural relationships between CEO's self-determination, entrepreneurship, and business performance (operational and financial performance) using SmartPLS 3.0. Results: The findings and summary are as follows. First, the autonomy of self-determination has a positive effect on entrepreneurship. Second, the competence of self-determination affects entrepreneurship and operational performance. Third, it affects the innovation, initiative and risk sensitivity of the CEO's entrepreneurship, and ultimately, its operational performance. The results show that the business performance of Start-up also increases when self-determination can be a factor in increasing entrepreneurship in three sub-dimensionalities. Conclusions: The conclusion of this study is that in order for SMEs to develop into a sustainable company by securing competitiveness after start-up, external motivation such as external help and support from the state (local government) is important, but competence and relationship, which are components of self-determination. The intrinsic motivation of the CEO may be more important. To this end, CEO's should prioritize learning for competency development, and the government should pay attention to providing various educational programs through establishment of education policies and education systems to enhance the competency of start-up CEO's.