Brand equity and vertical integration are focal, strategic elements of a franchise system that can profoundly influence franchise performance. Despite the recognized importance of these two strategic levers and the longstanding research interest in the topic, our understanding of the interplay...

The relationship between brand equity and channel governance is recognized in practice and is of particular interest to senior managers. However, research in marketing on this topic is limited and practitioners and scholars seem divided on the nature of this relationship. To guide practice and...

Entrepreneurial business firms such as franchisors can enhance their network performance by attracting high-quality partners and preventing low-quality partners from joining the network. We draw on agency and transaction cost theories and the substantive literature on voluntary information...

This paper examines antecedents of ex-ante voluntary information disclosures for standardized contracts in entrepreneurial networks. Entrepreneurs (e.g., franchisors) may make such disclosures to prospective business partners in order to signal profitability of partnering, attract financial and...

Mechanisms and rationales for revenue sharing have been the subject of many theoretical and empirical studies on contracting. Franchisors typically derive economic profits (for the rights they grant to franchisees) through revenue sharing contracts. Franchising is a popular form of retailing in...

The emergence of new technologies, shifting consumer needs and growth in competition have made the expansion of distribution a business imperative for many firms. In this chapter, we review the empirical marketing literature on the performance consequences of distribution expansion and offer an...