The Effect of Franchising on Store Performance: Evidence from an Ownership Change

成果类型:
Article
署名作者:
Ackermann, Jeff
署名单位:
Michigan State University
刊物名称:
MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
ISSN/ISSBN:
0025-1909
DOI:
10.1287/mnsc.2019.3358
发表日期:
2019
页码:
5188-5196
关键词:
摘要:
Although many franchisors choose to own some stores and franchise others, attempts to estimate the effect of franchising on store performance are hampered by an important selection issue: The franchisor may choose to assign the least desirable locations to franchisees. I overcome this issue by using a 2007 corporate sale that resulted in all franchisor-owned Applebee's stores in Texas being sold to franchisees as a source of exogenous variation. I first find evidence that both observable and unobservable location-level factors were important in Applebee's decision to own or franchise a store prior to the corporate sale. I next estimate the effect of franchising on store performance and find that franchising an Applebee's store increases its alcohol revenues by 15%.