International hotel development: A study of potential franchisees in China

Qu Xiao, John W. O'Neill, Huiyang Wang

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

69 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Franchising is a strategic partnership formed by the franchisor and the franchisee, and consequently partner selection between the franchisor and the franchisee is critical to the long-term success of a franchise. However, the literature has primarily taken the viewpoint of franchisors, but failed to explore the perspective of the potential franchisees. As China represents a significant growth opportunity for international hotel franchisors, this study examines the perspective of China's domestic hotel operators regarding franchising and analyzes a mix of factors that may affect such perspective. The study of 182 Chinese hotel general managers shows that China's hotel practitioners have considerable interest in franchising and are knowledgeable about the concept as it pertains to hotels. The findings indicate that the length of work experience and educational background of Chinese hotel operators may influence their franchising preferences. Hotel chains that have strong brand awareness, supportive centralized reservation systems, and offer relatively high returns on investment at relatively low franchise fees, are most attractive to potential Chinese franchisees.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)325-336
Number of pages12
JournalInternational Journal of Hospitality Management
Volume27
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2008

Keywords

  • China hotel market
  • Franchising
  • International franchisee
  • International hotel chains

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
  • Strategy and Management

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