Internationalization of franchise networks

This chapter provides an overview and critical evaluation of the international franchise literature. It distinguishes four main research streams, which are analysed according to theoretical and methodological framing, data collection, operationalization and measurement issues, as well as empirical and conceptual findings. These core research themes refer to the home country as well as host country factors that induce internationalization of franchise firms, the choice of governance structure of international franchise firms and the relational aspects of international franchise networks. Finally, the chapter discusses limitations of the existing research and concludes with some recommendations for future research.