The importance of personal characteristics in franchisee selection

Despite franchising's ubiquity, little is known about how franchisors and franchisees choose one another. In this study, we focused on six evaluation criteria used by franchisors to evaluate prospective franchisees. Using secondary data from a survey of 1043 franchisors, each of six criteria was measured and ranked in terms of their importance to the franchisee selection process. The analysis revealed that becoming a franchisee involves more than being financially or professionally qualified, and that franchisors assigned the highest level of importance to a prospective franchisee's personal characteristics. Recommendations for future research are offered. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.