Research Proposal Example: Franchising and Its Impact on Career Development

The establishment of businesses, how they attain profitability and resilience to market challenges depend on the nature of networks that they develop with the already well developed merchandizes. Through such networks, the new businesses and their employees attain professional expertise in their fields of specialization. In the current world, businesses and institutions contend with increasing competition and various changes in their operational environment which places professional development and strategic operations at the center of corporate progress (Alon, 2012 p.123; Alon, 2016 p.87). The fact that firms may have access to virtually similar means of production such as sources of raw materials, technology, and capital implies that attention should shift towards attaining some sense of uniqueness by embracing the critical role of human resource development and partnerships (Alon, 2004 p.138). Franchising performs an important role in facilitating the career development of new entrepreneurs thus preparing them to take an active role in transforming business operations as well as building individual capacity (Alon, 2004 p.159). Franchising creates various entry-level job opportunities through which a franchisee interacts with real-time market forces and develop appropriate response mechanisms to remain competitive.

From a macroeconomic perspective, franchising not only provides a means for career development but also boosts consumption and support economic progress (Beere, 2017 p.76). Through franchising, the franchiser gets an opportunity to develop networks with local suppliers, provide skill development programs to them so that they develop the required expertise to cope with the dynamic business environment as well as becoming strong business partners (Beere, 2017p.154). As firms struggle to recruit the personnel with the correct skills that match their corporate requirements, it is important to note that with an already established structure, franchising businesses allow individuals an entry into the competitive business environment thus creating a pool of experienced professionals to venture into various entrepreneurial fields either as individual proprietors or carry out joint businesses. Based on this analogy, it is understandable that franchising performs multiple roles in an economy including nurturing skills, expanding business operations and supporting partnerships among proprietors which is significant in eliminating practices such as unfair competition.

The research will be confined to the topic of franchising and its impact on career development. Franchising offers the best avenue for growth and development in the corporate sector. Through the sharing of commercial activities under a common title, different groups of people are able to collective chase common goals (Rosenbloom, 2013 p.148). In totality, franchising allows the parent company to enjoy an extended position in the market. Franchising helps to prevent the issues of slow growth, outside capital, and employee underperformance in a firm or organization. Through such advances, USFilters Company is able to enjoy an extended performance in Jordan and Middle East (Water and Waste Water International, 2004). By extension, the Middle East and Jordan are characterized by the presence of strong investors with a substantial level of financial stability. Such situations are directly employed through the developed groups where the commercial activities are distributed.

Purpose of the Study

This study focuses on determining the transformational role that franchising plays in the career development of professionals. It is based on the premise that franchising involves entities with already well-established business systems and brands into which the franchisee gets involved. With the emerging trends in business operations including globalization, liberalization of trade and increased mobility of human capital, it is imperative that this dissertation assesses the unique opportunities which franchising creates in the development of new dealers in the industry. The fact that the franchiser already has business networks and a brand that it assigns to independent people (franchisee) means that the arrangement provides a chance for enhancing the chance of the later to develop in various segments of the industry.

The study also analyzes how factors such as availability of training, resources, goal setting, competitive recruitment, and maintaining a strong franchise network lead to the progress of the franchiser. This study limits its scope to the U.S Filter Corporation which is a typical franchising enterprise. Using this company as a case, the dissertation will assess how its innovative products and equipment helps in developing a team of franchisees that are able to provide similar advanced water treatment services throughout the world. It evaluates the imperatives of the continued relationship between the franchisor and franchisee such as how the licensed privilege by the former and help in developing training help in transforming the business environment. This study will provide a milestone in conceptualizing the roles that franchising plays in the development of business structures and operations, professional development of franchisee and sustaining economic progress.

The research will be confined to the topic of franchising and its impact on career development. Franchising offers the best avenue for growth and development in the corporate sector. Through the sharing of commercial activities under a common title, different groups of people are able to collective chase common goals. In totality, franchising allows the parent company to enjoy an extended position in the market. Franchising helps to prevent the issues of slow growth, outside capital, and employee underperformance in a firm or organization. Through such advances, USFilters Company is able to enjoy an extended performance in Jordan and Middle East (Water and Waste Water International 2004). By extension, the Middle East and Jordan are characterized by the presence of strong investors with a substantial level of financial stability. Such situations are directly employed through the developed groups where the commercial activities are distributed.

The focus of the research is on the appropriation of the labor market in the mentioned regions. The choice is established upon the realization that career development is one of the most satisfying factors in any given social setting. Research data indicates an increasing curve of workers performance when they are subjected to local settings (Benlamri et al. 2016, p.16, 17; Cavusgil et al. 2015, p.32). The USFilters Company is a Jordan based established with a culture and policy setting in favor of the Jordan economy. Efforts to accommodate cross-cultural settings have inspired the franchises. The assortment of policies and the diversity of programs through franchising in the USFilters Company have helped shaped new dimensions in the careers of their employees.

Significance of the Study

Businesses struggle to cope with a variety of changes in their operations, setting of strategic plans and the increasing role that human capital plays in improving profitability as well as competitiveness. Throughout the world, there are new entrants into businesses who desire to participate into competitive merchandise but without the required expertise or systems. The newcomers require being nurtured by already well-established businesses through forming important networks. The relationship between a franchiser and franchisee thus provides an opportunity through which the latter gets access to the brands and systems provided by the franchiser.

The fact that franchisors already have their working networks implies that they present unique business structures within which the franchisees should operate. It identifies how training and resources provided by the franchisors can be harnessed to not only provide professional development but also sustain business operations (Castrogiovanni, Combs, and Justis, 2006 p.35). Therefore, the outcome of this study will significantly determine how franchising entities consolidate their potential and resources in ways that enable franchisees to entrench their operations while advancing their brand loyalty, expanding their networks and helping in hiring the right employees who can cope with the challenges in the merchandise (Castrogiovanni, Combs, and Justis, 2006 p.30).

Jordan and Middle East areas economies marked with economic growth and development. The corporate scene is changing constantly as more inclusive policies are employed to solve the economic and social issues affecting the people. Franchising offers the best avenues to handle the labor market in terms of career development (Pride 2017, p.32; Martin 2016, p.17; Alon 2016, p.15; Reader 2016, p.45). It all begins with the advancement in education and other related technical institutions that develop the right skills set for professionalism. The Middle East and Jordan are economies established in the middle of technological advancement and industrialization. Research and innovation coupled with economic growth explain the existence and franchising advances of the USFilters Company in the region (Reader 2016, p.55). The principal objective of the research is to establish the roles of the franchising ventures on career development with respects to the USFilters Company in Jordan and Middle East regions.

Research questions

The study seeks to answer the following questions;

What role does business franchising play in recruiting, developing, retaining and promoting the new dealers in Jordan and Middle East?

What role can franchising within USfilters play in enhancing its strategic goals?

What do reputable franchisors do that facilitate the effectiveness of franchising?

Research Hypothesis

Franchising provides unique opportunities for franchisees to develop strong operational networks

Joining a franchise makes business owners capitalize on the industry knowledge, training, sales, and marketing expertise

Franchisors have well-established business structures that are beneficial to franchisees.

Assumptions and Limitations

This study makes the following assumptions;

USfilters is a franchise business that gives opportunities for ambitious talents and business people

USfilters provides administrative, technical support and expertise for franchisees to develop their work

The limitations of this study include;

This study based on the premise that franchising operates on the economies of scale with the benefits derived from small-scale, local operations

The scope of the study is limited to USFilter Company

CHAPTER 2.0: LITERATURE REVIEW

Franchising is an important business strategy through which a franchisor such as USFilter can get and maintains customers. In the operations of a fast growing enterprise such as USFilter, one of its strategic activities is to establish a team of strong,strong and diverse employees who are able to cope with the dynamic work environment. As a franchising form, USFilter a company must understand the unique operational challenges and opportunities of its smaller partners in the Middle Eastregion of operation so as to use its resources in building their capacities. With a strong workforce, the merchandise is able to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty through training workers who promote the particular brand. Franchising is a marketing system through which businesses create a favorable image in the minds of potential and active customers about the various products and services that they offer (Alon, 2016 p.163; Barkoff, Fittante, Gardner, & Selden, 2016). Through franchisees, franchisers attain the best networks for distributing products and services that meet the specific needs of the customers. The practicality of franchising is attained when the franchisor and franchisees cooperate and mutually commit to create a customer-oriented brand, create and maintain satisfied loyal, and develop a pool of promoter customers which result in increased market share for the brand (Barkoff, et al.Fittante, Gardner, & Selden, 2016).

The nature of the relationship that USFilter asa franchisor develops with its franchisees is important in determining how the later align its human resource personnel to comply with the current market situations (Barkoff, et al.Fittante, Gardner, & Selden, 2016). For instance, the franchisor provides an authority that the franchisee uses to advance a shared brand, marketing systems, and supply chains. During this process, the employees within the franchisee have to attain high levels of brand awareness so that they maintain competitiveness and profitability in free market operations (Alon, 2016 p.163; Barkoff, et al.Fittante, Gardner, & Selden, 2016). The franchiser through the field manager uses its resources and expertise to support, coach, direct and lead the franchisee (Teegen, 2000, p.512). It implies that franchising has the potential of imparting skills, knowledge, and expertise on the workers within USfilter Companya company, which enables them to understand how the market operates and the entire franchising ecosystem thus become able to attain specialization (Barkoff, et al.Fittante, Gardner, and Selden, 2016).

In order to maintain their operations and attain some sense of competitive advantage, Tthe franchisors often ensure that their field managers are not only exemplary but also adequately flexible to accommodate the business coaching needs of the franchisee to maintain their operations and attain some sense of competitive advantage (Dant, 2008, p.97). In the long term, an engagement with the franchisors field manager results in a team of employees with exceptional business skills and a clear understanding of their career environment and developing a strong business acumen which is essential in running the business to greater achievements (Blair & Lafontaine, 2005, p.127). Furthermore, mutual respect and understanding between the franchiser and franchisee is the main factor that sustains the franchising system (Watson, Stanworth, Healeas, Purdy, and & Stanworth, 2005, p.27). This fact means that through the relationship, the franchisee through its human capital acquires knowledge of how to maintain beneficial and cordial business relationships with partners. Despite the fact that the relationship does not often...