Search

Franchising has become a dominant model of retailing in the Western world and is rapidly expanding in emerging countries. This paper is an attempt to explain the significant differences in the development of franchising in three emerging countries: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Explanations can be found in the general institutional environment in these countries, including the political and economic environments; governments' willingness to modernize the distribution structures; and the legal and regulatory environments specific to franchising. Our analytical framework is based on institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983), a framework that provides further insights beyond the approaches based on economic efficiency (agency theory and the resource scarcity perspective). Based on an analysis of the documents in the major public databases in the three countries, supplemented with field research, we propose an analytical framework that helps explain the uneven developments of franchising in the three North African countries based on the specific institutional environment of each country. This study thus provides empirical evidence supporting the institutional theory of franchise expansion. It appears that institutional theory complements agency theory and resource scarcity theory in explaining the development of franchising in emerging markets: while agency theory and resource scarcity theory explain the motivation of firms to expand internationally through franchising, institutional theory helps explain the success or failure of these firms in the emerging markets they expand to.

Franchising has become a dominant model of retailing in the Western world and is rapidly expanding in emerging countries. This paper is an attempt to explain the significant differences in the development of franchising in three emerging countries: Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Explanations can be found in the general institutional environment in these countries, including the political and economic environments; governments' willingness to modernize the distribution structures; and the legal and regulatory environments specific to franchising. Our analytical framework is based on institutional theory (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983), a framework that provides further insights beyond the approaches based on economic efficiency (agency theory and the resource scarcity perspective). Based on an analysis of the documents in the major public databases in the three countries, supplemented with field research, we propose an analytical framework that helps explain the uneven developments of franchising in the three North African countries based on the specific institutional environment of each country. This study thus provides empirical evidence supporting the institutional theory of franchise expansion. It appears that institutional theory complements agency theory and resource scarcity theory in explaining the development of franchising in emerging markets: while agency theory and resource scarcity theory explain the motivation of firms to expand internationally through franchising, institutional theory helps explain the success or failure of these firms in the emerging markets they expand to.

Alors que la crise économique est une forte incitation à la réactivité, cette dernière a rarement été analysée au niveau interorganisationnel. Certes, la réactivité est un concept ancien en management stratégique mais son périmètre est resté cantonné à l’intérieur de l’entreprise. En s’appuyant sur les réseaux de franchise, l’article propose de situer l’analyse au niveau des réseaux d’affaires. En revisitant ainsi la réactivité, est apparue l’idée que les organisations n’étaient jamais aussi réactives ensemble et en temps de crise que lorsqu’elles avaient construit au quotidien des relations fondées sur la communication et la confiance et créé les conditions d’un apprentissage interorganisationnel., Facing economical crises through network organizations An economical crisis usually triggers a reaction by individual firms. However, albeit the concept of “reactivity” has been well studied in the strategic management field, it has rarely been examined from an inter-organisational point of view. This article precisely addresses the issue of business networks reactivity, using franchises as a focal point. Should an economical crisis takes place, it appears that network organisations are more proactive when they have already developed strong relationships based on trust and communication, as well as created a solid foundation for inter-organisational learning.