No abstract

The question of whether to franchise or to own has received much research interest in recent years. Two popular approaches used to explain the proportion of franchising (PF) in the franchisor's system are resource-scarcity and agency theories. This study combines both theories to explain the proportion of franchised outlets in the U.S. retailing sector between 1990 and 1997. The findings show mixed results with regard to both previous studies and hypothesized relationships. The study shows that the proportion of franchising used by retailers is positively related to size (number of outlets) and geographical scope, and negatively related to the rate of growth and the level of investment. Age and royalty rates are not found to be significant to the proportion of franchising.

From late 2019 to the first half of 2020, the world has witnessed the epic spread and destruction of the novel coronavirus which was discovered in Wuhan, China. The huge number of infections and deaths caused by the virus, the collapse of the healthcare system and the economic consequences have few modern equivalents. While governments of all countries are responding to the pandemic, a heated debate rages about which political system, democracy versus authoritarian, is better positioned to respond to the pandemic. While the worldwide effort to contain the virus continues, we offer a preliminary comparison between democracies and authoritarian regimes in their responses to COVID-19, and policy suggestions for democracies to improve their governance and their ability to respond to crises.

The outbreak of COVID‐19, the disease caused by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, has had significant economic, political, and social consequences worldwide. The franchising sector, consisting mostly of retail and service businesses, is an example of an industry that has been deeply affected. The experiences of franchising stakeholders in Brazil highlight the strengths of the franchising model in such situations. This investigation, based on primary data from webinars with food service, education, retail, and business‐to‐business service companies in Brazil, coupled with reports from commercial and franchising entities, reveals how the COVID‐19 outbreak has affected the franchising sector. It illustrates the measures that were taken, the negotiations that take place between suppliers and landlords, the adaptation of business models, the effects on franchisor‐franchisee relationships, and the impact the pandemic has had on relationships with customers. The strategies adopted by Brazilian franchisors and franchisees suggest lessons for other franchising companies in similar situations, such as those in developing and emerging economies.

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Entrepreneurial activity by women in the People's Republic of China has become more active in recent years with much greater attention being paid within and outside of China. Academic research has sought to describe current conditions and future trends; however, there has been little systematic research done in this area. The aim of this article is to provide a clear picture of the general background and characteristics of Chinese female entrepreneurship based on Eastern cultural features. In addition, an entrepreneurial conceptual model about mainland Chinese women's entrepreneurial activity is presented and a case study is used for illustration.

On the basis of Dunning's Investment Development Path (IDP) hypothesis, this paper tests the macroeconomic determinants of Chinese Offshore Direct Investment (ODI) from a home-country perspective. We review the recent firm-and country-level studies on determinants of Chinese ODI. We propose a model and test seven home-country macroeconomic variables as determinants of Chinese ODI. Our results reveal that the macroeconomic variables such as interest rate, exchange rate, import and foreign reserve are important determinants of Chinese outward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Investigates the effect of five company-specific independent variables on the decision of professional business service franchisors to internationalize their operations. A model using resource-based theories and agency theories for its theoretical foundation is developed and tested. The results indicate that internal characteristics of the franchising system, especially the number of outlets, significantly influence the intention of domestic franchisors to seek franchisees overseas.