Kualiti Perhubungan Francais (FRQ) Dalam Sistem Perniagaan Francais di Malaysia

Of late, franchising has been widely accepted as an effective way to conduct and expand businesses. The franchise system, however, is not a guarantee for success in business, as it nonetheless depends on a cordial relationship between both parties namely, the franchisor and the franchisee. Franchise relationships which are symbiotic and mutual are unique and differ from the conventional business operations. Devoid of good understanding between franchisor and franchisee, this relationship will end up in disputes that can possibly lead to legal impediments. The success and failure of any franchise businesses are closely related to how far both, the franchisor and franchisee, fulfil their responsibilities in maintaining a high level of franchise relationship quality (FRQ). Literature review has revealed the lack of research in identifying the factors that determine this FRQ, even though empirical researchers view that FRQ is considered as among the main indicators for the success of a franchising system. Thus, this qualitative research was conducted to identify the factors that attributed to the FRQ between franchisor and franchisee. This process involved the integration between existing literature reviews and industrial practices, emphasising on the gaps to elucidate the problem statement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in this research to answer the four (4) main issues. Ten (10) dimensions of FRQ, fourteen (14) exogenous factors and eleven (11) endogenous factors that influenced the FRQ were identified. In conclusion, this comprehensive research will benefit all the stake holders to (i) adhere to the FRQ dimension in Malaysia, (ii) identify the exogenous factors that influence the FRQ, (iii) identify the endogenous factors that influence the FRQ, (iv) introduce the crucial elements to be given attention to in any franchise development programme and (v) initiate an exploratory model for further research to affirm the literature reviews.