Explaining the distribution of franchised and company-owned outlets in franchise systems
研究认为特许人特征对加盟店比例的影响并非线性，而是曲线关系，并用1991-1994年美国特许人数据验证了地理分散度、特许权使用费率等变量的曲线效应。
Agency theory research on franchising, to date, has posited linear effects of franchisor characteristics on the distribution of company-owned and franchised outlets in franchise systems. This study argues that many of these characteristics actually have curvilinear effects. Using pooled cross-sectional time series regression analysis on U.S. franchisors over the 1991-1994 period, this study tests the curvilinear effects of geographic dispersion, royalty rates, system growth rate, system size, franchise fee and initial investment on the proportion of outlets franchised.