This book presents a range of chapters dealing with current issues of interest to franchising researchers and practitioners. From authors who have been especially active in the area of franchising research, the chapters represent contributions from the Society of Franchising, the only international special interest research group totally devoted to franchise research. The chapters reflect a balance of structural and behavioral issues relevant to franchising. They span the spectrum from technical, methodological subjects to highly applied, practitioner-oriented chapters, giving a sense of breadth to the subject matter. Franchising researchers and practitioners and marketing academicians can begin to incorporate this volume’s information on: problem of quality data on franchising-related matters territorial encroachment and the potential for cannibalization and conflict master franchising and system growth multi-unit franchising and system performance advertising fees issues linkages between franchisor-franchisee relationship quality and service quality franchising as a unique form of organizational governance setting measurement of franchise relationship quality and exchange norms franchisees’role expectations as entrepreneurs and managers competition issues concerning franchisees, company units, and independent businesses All involved in the franchising industry would do well to peruse this timely collection which explores all facets of the current state of franchising growth and distribution.

This data-driven book offers insight into the fallacy of widespread opportunity, the fate of the middle class, and the mechanisms that perpetuate income disparity.