An Empirical Examination of the Major Relationship Factors Affecting Franchisee's Overall Satisfaction and Intention to Stay

The Nigerian franchise sector witnessed a rapid growth at the turn of the century, from 2001 to 2010, and thereafter started declining. Disputes, relational conflicts, and high rate of outlets closure have characterized the industry over the years. Meanwhile, studies show that to a large extent, success of franchisees depends on the quality of relationship they have with their franchisors. No prior empirical study has investigated the cause of the increasing relationship disputes in the Nigerian franchise industry. This investigation aims to explore the key relationship factors that influence franchisees’ overall satisfaction and intention to stay. Personal interview involving 26 franchisees was used to collect data from different franchise brands across Nigeria. Four factors emerged strongly as the antecedents of the relationship problem in the franchise system. Answering the calls of many scholars for studies in different cultures and settings on franchisor-franchisees relationship, this study provides the first-ever empirical insights into the relationship dynamics between franchisors and franchisees in Nigeria, thereby helping to strengthen the theory in the subject. The study offers some recommendations that will potentially help in reviving the industry for the benefit of the stakeholders and the economy at large.