2. International Context

In order to address the theoretical perspectives on franchising it is useful to begin with an overview of the success and growth of franchising and looking at empirical data on franchising. This chapter looks at franchising in the USA, giving figures on the growth of the sector and also industry-specific information. The Irish and UK contexts of franchising are addressed by analysing the data on franchising in the UK and Ireland with figures on the growth of the sector and also industry-specific information. The Asian market and other emerging markets are also looked at; some of these markets are in introductory or growth phases of franchising when compared to the USA, which would be seen as a mature market in which franchising has been a successful and established organisational form for decades. Issues surrounding the growth of franchising in the emerging markets are explored; the very essence of this book which looks at the emergence and impact of franchising is particularly important, as these regions might benefit from the lessons learned in the more mature markets.