Shifting Imperatives: An Integrative View of Resource Scarcity and Agency Reasons for Franchising
研究整合资源稀缺与代理理论，发现年轻特许商更受资源稀缺驱动，年长后代理问题主导，导致特许比例随年龄呈三次曲线变化。
Alternative explanations of franchising offer contrasting predictions as to how the proportion of franchised outlets changes as franchisors age. We propose that two dominant views—resource–scarcity and agency theory—can be integrated by delineating when each is most relevant. Data from 102 franchisors over a 21–year period suggest that resource–scarcity considerations take precedence when franchisors are young, but that agency considerations prevail as franchisors age. Thus, the proportion franchised exhibits a cubic pattern as franchisors age—increasing rapidly at first, decreasing, and then increasing again. Future researchers and practitioners alike can benefit from understanding how the relative influences of resource and agency considerations shift over time.