Psychological Climate in Franchising System Channels and Franchisor-Franchisee Solidarity
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文摘
The ability of franchisors to preserve long-term, mutually committed relationships with their franchisees likely exercises a crucial influence on the success of franchised retailing systems. Solidarity is the general contracting norm that binds channel relationships. The degree to which the psychological climates of franchising channel systems influences the level of solidarity that exists between franchisors and franchisees is investigated in this study. Low-solidarity and high-solidarity franchisees were distinguished by their significantly differing perceptions of the recognition, fairness, cohesion, innovation,and autonomy associated with their franchising system's psychological climate. The psychological climate perceptions held by franchisees that frame their exchange relations with their franchisors likely affect the level of commitment (above and beyond contractually-obligated commitment) that franchisees are willing to invest in this relationship, and thus, toward the franchisors themselves. Consequently, recommendations regarding how franchisors might act to foster solidarity-facilitating psychological climates are offered.