ABSTRACT

This chapter offers a description of microfranchising and a discussion of the factors that characterise successful programmes through two case studies. It illustrates how the enabling characteristics of microfranchising are applicable more broadly to firms, governments and even education in developing and developed markets. Microfranchising represents one emerging management paradigm specifically designed to perform within such environments. The microfranchises are organic, modular and microscalable. Microfranchising models must be organic in that they must be executable at a grass-roots franchisee level with minimal involvement from the core franchiser organisation, while still maintaining a level of quality and consistency. In order to achieve quality and consistency with minimal involvement from the core organisation, microfranchising programmes are typically modular in that they consist of discrete, interconnected components that can be added or subtracted to enhance or simplify functionality or capabilities as the franchisees' businesses grow. And a microfranchise must be microscalable: achievable and repeatable with severely limited financial and professional resources.