How France's Potential Franchisees Reach Their Decisions : A Comparison with Franchisers' Perceptions

This research was conducted in the search for a better understanding of the ways in which potential franchisees make decisions, comparing this process with the perceptions of the franchisers. Using gap theory, the authors show how differences in expectations between the service provider (the franchiser) and the customer (the potential franchisee) could influence the perceived quality of the franchise package. Data on 315 potential franchisees and 88 franchisers were gathered at the annual franchise show in France, the Salon the la Franchise, in 1999. Findings show that potential franchisees follow an order of precedence in choosing a franchiser: first sector, then trade name, then legal format. The results also show that the ranking of the importance of criteria used in selecting franchisers has evolved over time and that new criteria are emerging. Recommendations are made for extending the study in several directions; further research should be devoted to understanding the use of decision criteria--i.e., how many criteria are used in the decision process, what the weight of each criterion is, whether it differs from one individual to another and on what basis.(CBS)