• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2018

Purpose - In franchise system, how to build the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee through influence strategy is very important, because it affects on the long-term orientation like recontract intentions. Thus, this study examines the effect of mandatory influence strategy on relationship satisfaction, relationship trust, and recontract intentions in the context of food-service franchise industry. This study suggests the guidelines on how franchisor uses their influence strategy on franchisee to maintain and increase the recontract intentions. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examines the structural relationship between mandatory influence strategy, relationship satisfaction, relationship trust, and recontract intentions from the franchisee's perspective. Mandatory influence strategy divide into three sub-dimensions such as request, legalistic plea, threat. In order to test the purposes of this study, research model and hypotheses were developed. Every constructs were measured by multiple items tested and developed in the previous research. Also, the constructs utilized in this research are measured using 7-point scales anchored by "1=strongly disagree" and 7=strongly agree". The data were collected from 496 owner and owner manager franchisees and were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and Smart PLS 3.0. program. Analysis of frequency was conducted to identify the demographics and general characteristics of the survey subjects. In order to measure the reliability and validity of the measurement tools, confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis were conducted and structural model analysis was conducted to verify the proposed research model. Result - The results of this study are as follows. First, this research found that mandatory influence strategy is positively related to relationship satisfaction and relationship trust, but not to recontract intention directly. Second, this research also found that the full mediating role of relationship satisfaction and relationship trust between the mandatory influence strategy and recontract intention. Conclusions - The findings of this research indicate that franchisor should use properly mandatory influence strategy to improve recontract intentions through relationship satisfaction and relationship trust. Due to the nature of food-service franchise industry, which needs high relationship quality, franchisor must manage their franchisee using influence strategy in order to improve satisfaction and trust. If franchisee perceives higher relationship quality, they will show higher intention to recontract. At the end of this paper, limitations and future research directions were suggested.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.119-130
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• 2014

Purpose - Franchise industries are significant both socially and economically. However, with increasing interest, there are manifold problems. It is necessary to seek measures for mature operation constantly despite unprepared franchisors, negative perceptions of the media and society toward franchise, and rapid changes in business start-up trends and propensity to consume that make business start-ups difficult. The paper aims to explain the effects of relational commitment and performance on the franchisor's management characteristics and justice in the food service franchise system. Research design, data, and methodology - This is an exploratory survey examining franchising in Korea. Based on a literature synthesis, we extract five constructs: managerial characteristics, support, fairness, trust, and satisfaction. We hypothesize that these factors influence the trust, satisfaction, and performance of franchisees. To examine these hypotheses empirically, we conducted a survey on the database of the Franchising Council of Korea. The study employs data from May to September 2014. In total, 135 completed questionnaires were received, of which 128 were usable. The data was analyzed with SPSS/PC 22.0. First, to test unidimensionality and nomological validity of the measures of each construct, we employed a scale refinement procedure. The result of a reliability test with Cronbach's α and factor analysis warranted unidimensionality of the measures for each construct. In addition, nomological validity of the measures was warranted from the result of the correlation and regression analysis. By analyzing the data, we can confirm most hypotheses. Results - Frist, franchisor characteristics have a positive effect on trust and satisfaction. Second, franchisor fairness has an effect on trust and satisfaction. Third, franchisor support has an effect on satisfaction. Further, the franchisee trust has an effect on satisfaction. Fourth, the satisfaction of a franchisee with a franchisor affects the performance of a franchisee. Finally, there is a possibility that not only franchisee performance but also increasing the credibility and improving the image of the franchisor through communication between franchisor and franchisee can improve franchisees' performance and satisfaction by motivating the franchisee for sustainable growth. Franchisers should endeavor for franchisees to obtain stable revenue with continuous and practical support. They should recognize that they can expand their business by supporting their franchisees. Franchisors should not only instantly respond to franchisees' troubles with interactive communications but also raise the ability of supervisors for better support. Franchisors should share their visions and goals with their franchisees and provide systematic and continuous support based on trust and clear company management. Franchisees should understand franchisors' position as well as participate in establishing the basic franchise system. Contributions - The paper contributes to understanding franchising in Korea. It offers insights and assistance to franchisors hoping to start franchises. This paper explores measurement issues related to franchisee performance by estimating its determinant factors (managerial characteristics, support, fairness, trust, and satisfaction). This study provides franchisors and practitioners planning to extend their franchising business with some practical knowledge.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.101-125
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• 2008

This research suggests an ideal role between franchisee and franchisee for survival and development of the Korean franchise business by identifying causal relationships between entrepreneurship of franchisees and their business performance. Besides, when considering multi-dimensional features of a franchise system, this study aims to show that the market orientation of the franchisee and the relationship commitment between franchisee and franchisee will play an important mediating role to achieve a better business performance. Thus specific causal relationships among sub-dimensional constructs of entrepreneurship and market orientations were investigated. They are innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, pro-activeness, information creation, intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination, response design, response implementation. The results demonstrate that pro-activeness of franchisee plays a crucial role for franchisee's business performance. It was noted that franchisor's market orientation and innovativeness is also important for high market orientation of franchisor. The higher the market orientation of franchisor was, the higher relationship commitment of franchisee was formed. By identifying the mediation effect of relationship commitment and market orientation of franchisor, this paper showed that relationship commitment positively affect the improvement of franchisee's business performance. Above all, it should be noted that this research empirically identified the relationship between franchisee's entrepreneurship and business performance that most of the previous researchers have ignored. Furthermore, the analysis was conducted at sub-dimensional construct level. It is expected that empirical results from this study will be able to provide a meaningful framework and theoretical basis for future research on franchise, entrepreneurship and market orientation.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.174-187
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of franchisor's training on franchisee's trust and relationship satisfaction. In addition, it investigated the difference in the perception of franchisor's training system by the duration of the franchise contract and the frequency of franchisor's visiting. In order to carry out the empirical study, a questionnaire was distributed to franchisees from July 26 to September 1, 2009, and a total of 255 copies were returned and used for analysis. In analyzing the data, three factors of the franchisor's training were obtained: pre-training, franchisor training, and supervisor training. These three factors had a significant effect on franchisee's trust and satisfaction with the relationship. Also, There was significant differences among franchisor's training by duration of the franchise contract. The findings of the study suggested useful implications in the related industries.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 2010

This study attempted to investigate the impact of relational characteristics just like level of perceived communication, support, conflict and justice between optical franchisor and franchisees on relational performance. Data collected from A Optical Franchisees supported two hypotheses such as communication and relational satisfaction, relational satisfaction and long-term commitment that were proposed. Another result between justice and relational satisfaction in this study shows that the other research and interpretation for this phenomenon was attempted. In accordance with the results, the following conclusion was made: it is very important to communicate with franchisor, and the core mean for that would be the enhancement of the long-term commitment of franchisees through the perceived relational satisfaction of franchisee's in optical franchise system. To accomplish this, to understand characteristics of franchisor and franchisees and fit of their characteristics should be preceded.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.33-43
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• 2018

Purpose - In hotel industry, quality of leader-member exchange(LMX) relationship is very critical, because it impacts on the employee's work attitude and behaviors. Thus, this research examines the effect of LMX on employee loyalty in the context of hotel business and identifies mediating roles of work stressors, work role performance in the relationship between LMX and employee loyalty. This research suggests the guidelines for how hotel leaders should manage their employees and build employee loyalty that improve management and business performance. Research design, data, and methodology - This study tests the structural relationship between LMX, work stressors, work role performance, and employee loyalty. Work role performance divide into three sub-dimensions such as individual task proficiency, individual task adaptivity, and individual task proactivity. In order to examine the purposes of this research, research model and hypotheses were developed. All constructs were measured with multiple items developed and tested in the previous studies. The data were collected from 113 franchise hotel employees and were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3 program. Result - The findings of this research are as follows. First, leader-member exchange(LMX) have significant positive impacts on work stressors, work role performance, and employee loyalty. Second, work stressors have significant negative impacts on work role performance and employee loyalty. Third, work role performance has significant positive impact on employee loyalty. Conclusions - The outcomes of this research indicate that hotel leaders should focus on the dyadic relationship with their employees how to improve employee productivity through LMX relationship. In turn, the quality of this relationship influences employees's work attitudes and behaviors. As a result of increasing job demands in hotel business which relies heavily on human resources, the hotel leader must find ways to prevent or reduce stressors and associated strains. If hotel employees perceive the high quality of LMX relationship, they improve their work role performance which influences loyalty. Therefore, the hotel leaders should develop monetary or non-monetary reward system for the employees and, make an efforts to have unique social exchange relationships with employees.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.101-114
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• 2016

Purpose - The aim of this study is to investigate the benefit-sharing activities. They affect contract renewal intention between franchisers and franchisees that are linked through a contract with the intention of building their relationship from the level based on dynamic trust. This study will show a new approach on qualitative growth and consolidation of competitive power and may well be able to suggest practical ways to strengthen directions in the field of franchise industries. Research design, data, and methodology - In this study, based on literature review, we separated logistical-supporting activities and non-logistical-supporting activities from benefit-sharing activities. We modeled how benefit-sharing activities influence contract renewal intention of franchisees by dynamic trust. In particular, considering the possibility of trading concepts and characteristics of trust between providers opportunistic behaviors was defined as variables, depending on the situation and dynamic characters reveal their relationship trust concept. That is, dynamic trust having the possibility of changing depending on opportunistic risks and interdependencies by Lewis & Weigert(1985, 2012) was classified into transitional-based trust, calculated based trust, relational-based trust and balance-based on trust. The total of 104 samples from domestic franchisees being with franchisees were collected by using a structural composed questionnaire. Results - The results are as following. Benefit-sharing activities in logistical supporting activities appeared to affect the multidimensional concept of transitional trust, calculated based on trust, relationship-based trust and balance based on trust dynamic trust with all-defined impact. Non-logistical supporting activities appeared to affect significantly the positive (+) to the dynamic trust concept except transitional trust. Lewis & Weigert(1985; 2012) have proposed a dynamic confidence calculated from relations within-based trust relationship based on trust appears to affect the significant positive (+) to the balance-based confidence transactions confidence mechanism of the system side in the verified relationship. Finally, a relationship based on trust and confidence in the balance based on the Influence of dynamic renewed confidence showed significantly affect the positive(+). In particular, the balance based trust showed the acts as a mediating factors between relational trust and confidence and renew calculated. Conclusion - From the above these results, the significance from this study is as following. First, the proposed activity is to share and validate the approach by identifying the potential in the relationship from the contract with building dynamic trust, and one of the ways from the franchise headquarters and affiliated merchants mutual growth through win-win cooperation in sharing activities. Next, the dynamic segmentation confidence to suggest the possibility can be broken down over the validity and reliability test for each concept. In addition, by identifying the relationship between the dynamic level of confidence granular multi-dimensional concept, to determine the level of trust with a dynamic relationship between risk and interdependencies can be possible in franchise industries. In order to maintain and develop their mutual relationship, franchise industries should propose confidence-building steps to promote their quality improvement.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.688-696
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• 2021

This study compared the current status, opening costs, and service of skin beauty franchises in Korea and the U.S. with the aim of providing data for skin beauty franchises. The main items in both countries include facial and body care, with 54 mean value in Korea, which is smaller than 361 mean value in the U.S. The U.S. franchise fee is about 1.5 times higher than that in Korea, and franchisees pay royalties of 20-60(ten thousand KRW) per month in Korea and 5-6 percent of annual sales in the U.S., as well as submit a net worth requirement and cash requirement. There are many spa services in the U.S. which creates differences in cost from Korea. and for the education, the cost was set in Korea while the time in the U.S. Every franchise offered facial and body care services. In addition, most Korean franchises run bridal care services, while in the U.S., waxing, men's treatment, hot stone, and spa services are offered. These differences are the result of differences in climate and race between the two countries, as well as differences in perception regarding the socio-cultural atmosphere, skin beauty, and openness.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.37-52
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• 2017

Purpose - This study explores the influence of franchisors' supports on franchisees financial performance, overall satisfaction and intention to remain. Research design, data, and methodology - Given the exploratory design of the investigation, purposive sampling technique was used to select twenty-six (26) franchisees as key informants for this study. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted leading to generation of rich qualitative data on the phenomenon of support services in the Nigeria franchise system. Results - Results indicate that at both the initial and growing stages, training and management service supports have marked influence on franchisees business outcomes. However, findings revealed that at the initial stage, the impact of training is greatest but this impact subsequently declines as franchisees master the nuances of the business. Management services on the other hand maintains a constant relevance through all stages of franchisees business. Conclusions - Three key conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study. First, the quality of initial and ongoing supports have consequences for the long-term health of franchisees and franchisors' businesses. Second, poor management of franchisees' expectations and perception of supports could damage franchise partnerships. Third, franchisees form their expectation of supports largely from the nature of initial supports provided by the franchisors.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.15-24
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• 2011

Modern enterprises should concentrate their efforts on continuous improvements in focusing their development in the core areas of business and to reduce their expenses and to enhance the quality of service for customers. The enterprises should focus on their core business while outsourcing the non-core areas of business to external specialists for the purpose of reducing cost. In South Korea, the enterprises are becoming increasingly interested in outsourcing their logistics function, especially in using IT technologies to the 3PL. The underlying reason for this trend is because the logistics costs of Korean businesses are much higher than that of other advanced countries. This higher logistic costs weakens the price competitiveness of Korean companies in the overseas export markets and even dampening the balance of international trade. Domestically, the higher logistics costs have the effect of raising prices in the local markets and thus affecting the local economy. Therefore a solution is urgently needed to save the logistics costs for the Korean companies in the interest of increasing national competitiveness. Outsourcing to the 3PL is becoming an attraction solution to this problem. Thanks to the increasing supply of professional logistics companies, many of the enterprises are switching to the Third Party Logistics. Nevertheless the enterprises do not yet utilize the integrated third-party logistics services on a full scale. This study analyzes present conditions and problems of the domestic third-party logistics market and suggests directions for future development. To solve the problems in the domestic third-party logistics market, four actions are recommended. First there should be new supporting policies in the laws and regulations and a system for small and medium sized companies to grow. Solutions to structural problems such as abnormal multilevel merchandising, illegal operation of private cars, and freight dumping should be implemented concurrently. Furthermore, standards for new companies entry into the market should be enhanced to allow only the competitive distribution companies to enter the market. Second, development of variety of educational programs is needed through establishing human-resource development system and specialized formal educational institution focused on this market. Third, the third party distribution companies, which seek long-term relationships with the owners of goods, should endeavor to strengthen their communications capability. Fourth, adoption of high-tech distribution system and the advent of U-Logistics, making use of RFID is urgent. This study has the limitation of objectivity because it does not include various comparative case studies about companies relating to the Third Party Logistics and domestic franchise companies. However, this study is significant to the extent that it analyzes the general present conditions and the problems of domestic Third Party Logistics and suggests recommendations for revitalization of Third Party Logistics. For future studies, analyzing the successful cases of international third party logistics companies' empirical data and studying the application into domestic franchise companies would improve the objectivity of the results. This would assist the domestic third party logistics companies not only to perform excellent domestic logistics function but also to enter into the global market for international logistics.