Introduction and theme
Franchising has been considered as an appealing means of expanding a business, and certainly offers many benefits to small businesses. Research in franchising and retailing are becoming more advanced in 1990 and 2000 (Rosado-Serrano, Dikova, & Paul, Citation2018). However, there has been limited research by leading journal outlets around relationship marketing in franchising since the special issue by Journal of Retailing in 2011 and by Journal of Business Venturing in 1999.
In fact, relationship marketing involves development of strong relationships between exchange partners that enhance satisfaction, trust, value, and commitment, and ultimately improve profitability (Bolton, Lemon, & Verhoef, Citation2004; Chiu, Hsieh, Li & Lee, 2005; Liang & Wang, Citation2006; Morgan & Hunt, Citation1994; Weaven, Baker, & Dant, Citation2017). It highlights the significance of the continuous interaction between involved parties in developing a long-term relationship (Palmatier, Dant, Grewal, & Evans, Citation2006; Weaven, Grace, Frazer, & Giddings, Citation2014). As the success of a franchise in retailing is dependent on the relationship between the franchisor and franchisees, and between the sellers (franchisors/franchisees) and the customers, it is imperative to advance our knowledge of relationship marketing in franchising in retailing (Beitelspacher, Baker, Rapp, & Grewal, Citation2018).
The aim of the special issue is to gain a better understanding of relationship marketing in franchising and retailing. The special issue is welcoming any research topic relating to business management, marketing management, strategic marketing, and any research that contribute to theories associated with the relationship marketing in franchising and retailing. The topics for the special issue include, but are not limited to:
| (1) | Relationship quality in franchising and retailing; | ||||
| (2) | Online relationship marketing in franchising and retailing; | ||||
| (3) | Communications in managing franchisor-franchisee relationships in retailing; | ||||
| (4) | Organisational culture and internal marketing in franchising and retailing; | ||||
| (5) | The impact of new technologies on relationship marketing in franchising and retailing | ||||
| (6) | Business models in retail franchising | ||||
| (7) | The dark side of relationship marketing in retail franchising | ||||
| (8) | The current and the future of retail franchising | ||||
| (9) | New theoretical implications in franchising and retailing | ||||
Guest editors
Prof. Lorelle Frazer is the Director of Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence and the Head of Business School at the University of Sunshine Coast. Prof. Scott Weaven is the Head of Marketing at Griffith University. Dr. Park Thaichon is the Custer Leader of the Relationship Marketing for Impact research cluster within the Department of Marketing, Griffith Business School.
Dr. Park Thaichon, Griffith University, [email protected]
Prof. Lorelle Frazer, University of Sunshine Coast, [email protected]
Prof. Scott Weaven, Griffith University, [email protected]
References
- Beitelspacher, L. S., Baker, T. L., Rapp, A., & Grewal, D. (2018). Understanding the long-term implications of retailer returns in business-to-business relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 46(2), 252–272.10.1007/s11747-017-0553-6
- Bolton, R. N., Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2004). The theoretical underpinnings of customer asset management: A framework and propositions for future research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 32(3), 271–292.10.1177/0092070304263341
- Dant, R. P., & Kaufmann, P. J. (1999). Introduction: Special issue on franchising. Journal of Business Venturing, 14(4), 321–322.10.1016/S0883-9026(98)00022-6
- Liang, C. J., & Wang, W. H. (2006). The behavioural sequence of the financial services industry in Taiwan: Service quality, relationship quality and behavioural loyalty. The Service Industries Journal, 26(2), 119–145.10.1080/02642060500369131
- Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.10.2307/1252308
- Palmatier, R. W., Dant, R. P., Grewal, D., & Evans, K. R. (2006). Factors influencing the effectiveness of relationship marketing: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing, 70(4), 136–153.10.1509/jmkg.70.4.136
- Rosado-Serrano, A., Dikova, D., & Paul, J. (2018). International franchising: A literature review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 85, 238–257.10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.12.049
- Weaven, S. K., Grace, D., Frazer, L., & Giddings, J. (2014). The effect of pre-entry information on relational outcomes in franchising: Model conceptualisation and gender comparison. European Journal of Marketing, 48(1–2), 193–217.10.1108/EJM-06-2011-0301
- Weaven, S., Baker, B. L., & Dant, R. P. (2017). The Influence of Gratitude on Franchisor-Franchisee Relationships. Journal of Small Business Management, 55(S1), 275–298.10.1111/jsbm.2017.55.issue-S1