Franchise Organizations

By Jeffrey L. Bradach

Book Overview

The franchise phenomenon is largely undocumented and poorly understood. This book presents a look at the key factors that shape a franchise's success. Using examples from restaurant chains, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee's, and Jack in the Box, it aims to extract the ingredients that make for a thriving enterprise.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087584832X
• ISBN13: 9780875848327
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Length: 237 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Useful and insightful.

Bradach looks at organizational issues and challenges as they relate to franchise organizations. He particularly focuses on fast food franchises which have a combination of company-owned and franchise restaurants. He posits the four key challenges of the franchise organization as being: Adding units Uniformity Local responsiveness Systemwide adaptation Most of the book addresses how the dual structure of companies with both company-owned and franchise restaurants assists with meeting these challenges. Bradach pays particular attention to the phenomenon of multi-unit franchisees. Franchise Organizations was exactly what I was looking for in terms of the breadth and depth of knowledge. Bradach writes well, without pretension or overly-academic jargon. The book is bound with three appendices which cover the literature on owning or franchising, the design of Bradach's research, and the role of the field visit. Recommended for other potential readers with an interest in the area.

Quite insightful

It would be prudent of anyone in the franchise business to read this thoroughly researched, clearly written and carefully considered book by Professor Bradach. This is not a how-to manual, like many of the books cluttering the business sections of bookstores. Instead, it's a study of how, why and to what extent organizations choose to franchise themselves. While it may come across as too academic to some readers, the insight is fresh and informative. I found the interviews with franchising industry executives particularly useful, because Professor Bradach elicited such candor from them, especially with regard to the expectations of industry leaders in their relationships with franchisees. Put simply, you'll know where they, the franchisors, are coming from. For a potential fist-time franchisee, reading this book is like accumulating years of first hand knowledge from the inside of the company, something that will better prepare anyone for negotiating and working with a franchisor for the first time. Highlighted, dog-eared and often consulted, this one will stay on my bookshelf for years.

A MUST read if you're interested in franchised businesses

Dr. Bradach has broken new ground in the world of franchising. He has taken the time to thoroughly understand the differences between company-owned and franchised businesses. His book is tightly written, technically sound, and a "fun read" as well. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work in the future.

Definitely 5 star!

Questions organizational theories relating to franchising and addresses major problems franchise companies face today. Good read for scholars and those in franchising business.

AMAZING- A MUST READ BOOK

A very well writen book. It is very exciting and the value of the content is incredible.