Olufunmilola (Lola) Dada

Toward a model of franchisee entrepreneurship

This study provides a deeper understanding of the relevance of the entrepreneurship phenomenon to the franchisee context. A number of studies have echoed that the franchisee plays an important role in the generation of new ideas and innovations for the franchise system but we still do not know how franchisees maximize their entrepreneurial behaviors without jeopardizing the desires for standardization and uniformity, which are building blocks of franchising. We address this research question, using evidence from multiple case studies of UK-based franchisees. The study reveals patterns that were used to develop a theoretical model, which demonstrates the utilization of different forms of formal franchisee networks for maximization of entrepreneurial behaviors through acquisition of relational and informational capital, intra-system competition, and franchisee learning. This study extends the literature on franchising and entrepreneurship, and offers important managerial implications for practitioners. Future research directions are discussed.

Entrepreneurial Orientation and the Franchise System : Organisational Antecedents and Performance Outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the franchisors perception of the role of entrepreneurial strategic orientation (EO) – innovative, risk‐taking, and proactive actions – within the special case of franchised firms, given the opposing forces for standardisation/uniformity and system innovation/adaptation.Design/methodology/approach – A cross‐sectional research design, involving a mail questionnaire survey, was employed to collect data from a sample of franchisors operating in the UK. The hypotheses specified in the study were tested using a path model.Findings – The results show that for franchise organisations, EO is positively related to performance. The recent meta‐analysis conducted by Rauch et al. also demonstrated that the correlation of EO with performance is fairly large (r=0.242). This correlation is consistent with the significant value reported in the study of 0.234. In addition, franchise system support structures were found to be important in fostering EO within the organis...

The Effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the Franchise Relationship

This article aims to understand how the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the franchise system may impact franchisor–franchisee relationship quality, given the conflicting forces for standardization/uniformity and franchisee desire for autonomy. A cross-sectional research design, involving a mail questionnaire survey, was employed to collect data from a sample of franchisors operating in the UK. The hypotheses specified in the study were tested using regression (including moderated regression) analyses. The results revealed that EO was significantly and positively related to relationship quality (as perceived by the franchisor). In addition, the recruitment of entrepreneurial franchisees was found to have a positively significant impact on relationship quality. The structural support systems used by franchisors to encourage franchisee entrepreneurial activities were not found to moderate the relationship between EO and relationship quality. The results suggest that systems with EO and entrepreneurial franchisees may enjoy better relations.

Organizational learning, entrepreneurial orientation, and the role of university engagement in SMEs

This article analyses the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on organizational learning (OL) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the role of business/university engagement on the relationship between these two constructs. A cross-sectional research design, drawing upon a postal questionnaire survey, was employed to collect data from a sample of 206 UK SMEs. The results obtained from both the regression and moderated regression analyses revealed that EO positively impacts the level of OL in SMEs. In addition, business/university engagement was found to be a significant moderator in this relationship. These findings provide important academic, practitioner, and policy implications.

Entrepreneurial tendencies in franchising: evidence from the UK

Purpose – In spite of the important contributions of franchising to many economies, it remains unclear whether it truly provides a scope for entrepreneurial tendencies to flourish amongst franchisees. The purpose of this paper is to examine the debate surrounding the franchisee as an entrepreneur from the perspectives of the main contributors within the UK franchising sector, franchisors and franchisees, by analysing their entrepreneurial tendencies and the franchisee selection process. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an empirical study using a focus group and a survey approach. Findings – The findings from this study demonstrate that franchisees have similar levels of entrepreneurial tendencies to franchisors. The results further indicate that franchisors appear to value entrepreneurial personalities within their franchised outlets, as demonstrated by their franchisee selection process. Originality/value – By providing an indication of the extent of the franchisee’s entrepreneurial te...

University-business engagement franchising and geographic distance:a case study of a business leadership programme

Dada O., Jack S. and George M. University–business engagement franchising and geographic distance: a case study of a business leadership programme, Regional Studies. This paper adapts a franchising perspective to generate a better understanding of geographic distance in university–business engagement. The study utilized an in-depth case study of a leadership and management development intervention, a programme specifically designed for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner-managers (or directors) by the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, within a well-respected institution, ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world. Unlike most studies, the research findings indicate that knowledge spillovers from university–business engagement can occur through replication in regions external to the universitys locality.

Entrepreneurial Orientation Rhetoric in Franchise Organizations: The Impact of National Culture:

This study examines the role of national culture on the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) rhetoric contained within franchisee recruitment promotional materials, where EO rhetoric is defined as the strategic use of words in organizational narratives to convey the risk taking, innovativeness, proactiveness, autonomy, and competitive aggressiveness of the firm. The sample comprised 378 franchise organizations, in five different countries (Australia, France, India, South Africa, and the UK). The results indicate that franchise systems operating in high uncertainty avoidance and feminine cultures use less entrepreneurially oriented rhetoric, suggesting that EO rhetoric in franchise organizations varies according to different national cultural contexts.