Franchising in America : the development of a business method, 1840-1980 /

The rise of franchising, as a means to market a product or as a business format, roughly coincides with the emergence of a modern industrial American economy. The evolution of business practices throughout this period thus provides us with great insight into how particular firms and an economy cope with change. Dicke (history, Southwest Missouri State) uses case studies of McCormick harvesting machines, Singer sewing machines, Ford motor cars, Sun Oil products, and Domino's Pizza to describe how firms react to and are molded by contemporary economic and social conditions in attempts to expand their markets. Despite often substantial institutional inertia and various legal challenges, these firms helped redefine the modern American economy. Dicke concludes that the role of traditional business practices on the structure of large, modern firms, at least with respect to franchising, has been substantial. Franchising continues to serve as an important outlet for small business in the modern economy because it links small business ownership with the resources and efficiencies of large corporations. This is demonstrated by the significantly lower failure rate among franchised outlets relative to independent small businesses. Advanced undergraduate through professional. T. E. Sullivan; Towson State University