This research study examined the acceptance of the intranet in restaurant franchise systems. The widely accepted Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by Davis (1986, 1989) was the basis for this study. TAM is an excellent model to predict information technology (IT) usage and is based on the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Therefore, TAM was adopted in this study of intranet acceptance. Furthermore, this study attempted to see if the earlier results of TAM are still valid. The original model was modified to include one external variable, franchise support. Data were collected from franchise restaurant systems throughout the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Of 3,500 questionnaires distributed to individual users of intranet, 161 contained usable responses. The results of regression analysis confirm that TAM is valid for additional applications such as evaluating the intranet in restaurant franchise systems. / Ph. D.

The lack of successful knowledge management (KM) practices significantly hinders competitive advantage in small businesses. This case study was designed to explore what effective KM strategies convenience foods franchise industry business owners or managers use to increase competitive advantage. The study population consisted of 7 fast food franchise owners or managers in or near the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina. The cognitive model of KM was the conceptual framework that grounded the study. Face-to-face interviews were used for the data collection process. Data were organized into nodes and coded for thematic analysis. The 3 major themes that emerged from the data were training as a KM strategy for competitive advantage, people-focused KM strategy for competitive advantage, and a collaborative team environment for KM implementation. The implications for positive social change include assisting in extending the life and dominance of U.S. based franchised businesses through improved competitive advantage strategies. The sustainment of local franchise businesses could also benefit local communities in the form of job opportunities and economic stimuli.

Available as part of the thesis.

No description available.

No description available.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the strategies used by a Swedish franchise company when they established in the international market. Theoretical perspective: The theoretical frame consists of previous research on internationalization, market entry mode and franchising as a concept. Method: The study follows a qualitative method and has a deductive research approach, with case study as research design. Result: The empirical content is collected from semistructured interviews with three respondents from O’Learys. Conclusion: O’Learys has established on the international market through networking. Through franchise, the company has gradually established restaurants in the Nordic region, the rest of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. During the internationalization process, O’Learys has encountered cultural barriers, which the company handled by being adaptive inits business model, without detracting from the core of the business. O’Learys has had the strategy of working with Multi Unit operators and also being accurate with the analysis work to find potential markets. In addition, the company wants to create safe and profitable franchisees by being a good support office. / Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka strategier som ett svenskt franchiseföretag använt sig av vid etablering på den internationella marknaden. Teoretiskt perspetkiv: Den teoretiska referensramen består av tidigare forskning kring internationalisering, market entry mode och franchising som koncept. Metod: Studien följer en kvalitativ metod och har en deduktiv forskningsansats, med fallstudie som forskningsdesign. Empiri: Det empiriska innehållet är insamlat från semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre respondenter från O'Learys. Slutsats: O'Learys har med hjälp av nätverksrelationer etablerat sig på deninternationella marknaden. Genom franchise har företaget stegvis etablerat restauranger i Norden, övriga Europa, Asien och Mellanöstern. Under internationaliseringsprocessen har O'Learys stött på kulturella hinder, som företaget bemött genom att vara adaptiva i sin affärsmodell, utan att frångå kärnan i verksamheten. O'Learys har haft som strategi att arbeta med Multi Unit-operators och att vara noggranna med analysarbetet för att hitta potentiella marknader. Utöver detta vill företaget skapa trygga och lönsamma franchisetagare genom att vara ett bra supportkontor.

<p>Utbildning och erfarenhetsutbyte inom franchise är ett lagstadgat krav och nyckelfaktorer för en fungerande och framgångsrik franchiseverksamhet. Franchisegivare försöker därför ständigt förbättra utbildningen och erfarenhetsutbytet och frågan är om e-learning kan vara ett lämpligt verktyg för detta. Denna uppsats syfte är att undersöka möjligheten att komplettera utbildningen av franchisetagare och erfarenhetsutbytet mellan franchisegivare och franchisetagare med e-learning. Vidare att presentera en rekommendation för den mest lämpliga e-learningplattformen. För att uppfylla syftet valde vi att kartlägga hur utbildningen och erfarenhetsutbytet går till idag och vilken kunskap som förmedlas, intresset för att komplettera dessa aktiviteter med e-learning samt vilken e-learningplattform som är lämplig för detta. Genom att intervjua sex franchisegivare i detaljhandelsbranschen på ett kvalitativt sätt avser vi besvara dessa frågor. I analysen av intervjuerna har vi använt oss av addiemodellen som är en beprövad modell för att kartlägga typer av kunskap och vilken e-learningplattform som är lämplig.</p><p>Utifrån intervjuerna kom det fram att samtliga franchisegivare var intresserade av att komplettera nuvarande utbildning av nya franchisetagare med hjälp av e-learning. Det framkom även att franchisegivarnas utbildningsförfarande liknande varandra. Vidare visade det sig att en Web based training (WBT) lösning med fokus på att förmedla cognitive skills som är memoriserbar kunskap vore lämpligast för att komplettera nuvarande förfarande. Det framkom även att e-learning endast kan vara ett komplement eftersom praktiska och fysiska moment i utbildningen är nödvändiga för att lära ut övriga kunskapstyper i utbildningsförfarandet. Utifrån intervjuerna framkom det att samtliga franchisegivare var intresserade av att komplettera erfarenhetsutbytet mellan franchise-givaren och franchisetagarna med hjälp av e-learning och förfarandet för detta var väldigt liknande varandra och förmedlade kunskap som är möjlig att förmedla med hjälp av e-learning. Vidare visade det sig att en Web asynchronous classroom (WAC) lösning med fokus på att stödja förmedling av cognitive skills som är analyserande och utvärderande kunskap vore lämpligast för att komplettera nuvarande förfarande. Franchisegivarna nämnde även önskemål om en forum funktion vilket WAC kan tillgodose. Det framkom även att e-learning endast kan vara ett komplement eftersom det endast var en av kunskapstyperna som var aktuell att förmedla med hjälp av e-learning, franchisegivarna påpekade även att det var viktigt att mötas fysiskt och socialisera.</p><p>Vår rekommendation till franchisegivare är att införa en WBT lösning med kompletterande WAC funktioner i form av ett chattrum eller ett forum. Det finns ett behov och ett intresse bland franchisegivare att använda e-learning.</p> / <p>Education and exchange of experience within franchise is a key factor for a successful business and are also legally regulated. Therefore franchisors try to improve their educa-tion and exchange of experience. The question is if education and the exchange if information can be improved by the use of e-learning. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the possibility to complement education and exchange of experience with e-learning. Further to present an recommendation of the most suitable e-learningplatform. To fulfil the purpose we have chosen to investigate and describe how education and exchange of experience occur today and what type of knowledge that is transferred and if there is any interest of implementing e-learning to complement these activities. By conducting qualitative interviews with six franchisors within the retail trade business we will answer those questions. To analyze the interviews we have used the Addiemodell which is a proved model to investigate which type of knowledge that are teached and which e-learning platform that are most suitable.</p><p>Based on the interviews all franchisors have an interest in complementing their education of new franchisees by e-learning. The education do not differ that much from company to company, their way of conducting education are quite similar. The most suitable solution is Web Based Training (WBT) with a focus on cognitive skills that are memorisable. It is very evident that e-learning just can be a complement since it is very important to meet and to interact directly and it is for that reason some knowledge can not be transferred electronically.</p><p>All franchisors are interested in complementing their exchange of experience by using e-learning. The ways experience is exchanged are quite the same if you compare the compa-nies and all franchisors communicate knowledge that is suitable for e-learning purposes. The most suitable solution is Web Asynchronous Classroom (WAC) that focuses on com-municating cognitive skills which is evaluating and analyzing activities. A WAC solution supports a chat room or forum which is suitable for exchange of experience. All franchi-sors mentioned the importance of meeting face to face when exchanging knowledge and experience, but they also mentioned that e-learning will improve these activities as a complement.</p><p>Our recommendation is to implement a WBT solution combined with WAC functions such as chat rooms and forum. There is a need and interest among franchisors to use e-learning.</p>

This diploma thesis focuses on the methodology introduction of master franchise. In a particular market Czech Republic and market with car services specifies the steps in the implementation of new licenses on the market. It also contains specific business plan drawn up directly to the network service stations operating under one brand.

Forskning visar på betydande fördelar för företag som involverar sina kunder i de värdeskapande processerna, och som tar tillvara på sina anställdas kreativitet och kunskap. Tyvärr så misslyckas många företag med detta. Franchiseformatet har ökat i popularitet, och formatets styrkor bygger på den ömsesidiga delningen av kunskap som sker mellan franchisor och franchisetagare. Relationen till franchisetagaren är mångsidig. Franchisetagaren är en kund i värdekedjan, men kan även betraktas som en medarbetare i det hänseende att man representerar varumärket utåt och har närmast kontakt med slutkonsumenten. Litteraturen argumenterar för att franchisetagare bör betraktas som samskapare av värde, snarare än passiva operanda resurser. På det svenska franchiseföretaget ICA fanns en önskan om att ta reda på mer om hur kommunikationen i företaget ser ut mellan centralorganisationen och butiksägarna, de så kallade handlarna i frågor som rör innovations- eller produktutvecklingsprocessen. De önskade också en rekommendation på hur kommunikationen kan utvecklas för framtiden. Därför genomfördes en empirisk studie på de två avdelningarna med öppna och semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Kartläggningen av de befintliga kanalerna visar på att kommunikationen idag saknar en ordentlig struktur och att ICA saknar ett utvecklat digitalt system för att kunna föra en öppen dialog och dela kunskap mellan ICA centralt och franchisetagarna. Studien visar också på fördelar som en större inkludering skulle innebära. För framtida kommunikation önskade de anställda kanaler för både allmän kommunikation men också möjligheter för en mer exklusiv dialog med utvalda franchisetagare. Studien rekommenderar ICA ett nytt synsätt på frågor om involvering, transparens och dialog med franchisetagare. Studien föreslår även ett antal konkreta verktyg som tar hänsyn till de önskemål, krav och förutsättningar som identifierats  hos de anställda. / Research suggests several benefits for companies that choose to include their customers in the product development process. It also reveals that making use of the employees’ creativity and knowledge is essential to become successful in the market. Unfortunately, many companies fail to do so. The format of franchising has increased in popularity. The strengths of the format are built on the sharing of knowledge between the franchisor and the franchisees.  The franchisees can be seen as customers who purchase the products, but also as an employee since they represent the company and have direct access to information about the end consumer’s situation and needs. Therefore, the franchisors should start to view their franchisees as co-creators of value and integrators of resources. The Swedish franchise network ICA wish to find out more about what the communication between the franchisor and franchisee looks like today, concerning questions relating to the innovation or product development process. They also wish for a recommendation on how this can be improved in the future. An empirical study was therefore conducted at the two departments, with open and semi structured interviews. The mapping of the existing communication channels showed that the communication lacked a proper structure and that ICA lacks a developed digital system in order to maintain an open dialogue and share knowledge between ICA centrally and the franchisees. It also showed that a greater inclusion would result in several benefits. For future communication, the employees wanted channels for both general communication with the network as a whole, as well as opportunities for a more exclusive dialogue with selected franchisees. The study recommends a new approach to integration, transparency and dialogue with franchisees for ICA. The study also proposes a number of concrete tools that takes into account the wishes, requirements and conditions identified by the employees.

Background: These days in uncertain circumstances and economic downturn, innovation is very important for organizations. This applies also on Dutch franchise retail organizations (DFRO’s) and its suppliers, which are in focus in this thesis. The authors argue that shop employees working in the physical shops are a valuable source of innovation and can function as a pass-through of consumer information to the management of a DFRO and its suppliers.The main question is, if and how DFRO’s and its supplier use shop employees as a source of innovation? Purpose: To describe and explore the involvement of shop employees in the innovation process of Dutch franchise retail organizations and its suppliers; and to find out possible advantages and disadvantages of shop employees’ involvement in the innovation processes, and directions of innovation in which shop employees are involved. Method: This thesis is written from a social constructivism perspective with the use of a deductive approach. A holistic multiple case-study of eight Dutch franchise retail organizations was applied by using qualitative method. To collect the empirical data 23 semi-structured interviews with shop employees were conducted in combination with several observations. The collected empirical data was analyzed by using cross-case synthesis method. The research quality is based upon trustworthiness and authenticity. Results and conclusions: The highest degree of involvement of the shop employees in the innovation process by both management and suppliers takes place in the last three stages of the innovation process, which are validation, commercialization and evaluation, in offer- and support-related directions of innovations. In other words, the shop employees are more involved in the innovation process in their own working environment rather than in the decision-making level. The results of the study show that shop employees are willing to be more involved in the innovation process and see more advantages than disadvantages for management, suppliers and themselves. Suggestions for future research: Since this thesis gives interesting results, the future research could be done to strengthen and expand those. The authors suggest to increase the amount of researched DFRO’s; to research multiple shop locations of the same DFRO; to take the position, responsibilities and working period of the shop employees more into consideration. Also the authors see a necessity of future research to confirm the mentioned possible disadvantages and advantages of shop employees’ involvement out of a different perspective.