Experts predict that by the year 2000, an astounding 50 percent of all retail sales will pass through a franchise chain. Yet, for all its growing importance, the franchise phenomenon remains largely undocumented and poorly understood, with very little grounded insight available on the management challenges that chains face. Now, with his landmark book "Franchise Organizations", Jeffrey Bradach fills this void with a penetrating look at the key factors that shape a franchise's success. Using compelling examples from major restaurant chains, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee's, and Jack in the Box, Bradach extracts the ingredients that make for a thriving enterprise. Clear and engaging, this is essential reading for understanding and managing today's franchise business.

Table of Contents

The management challenges facing restaurant chains; building blocks of chain organizations - company and franchise arrangements; unit growth; uniformity; local responsiveness; system-wide adaptation. Appendices: the literature on owning or franchising; the research design; the role of the field visit.

About the Author

Jeffrey L. Bradach is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School.