The impact of franchisor support, brand commitment, brand citizenship behavior, and franchisee experience on franchisee-perceived brand image

PurposeThis study examines the impact of franchisor support, brand commitment, brand citizenship behavior, and franchisee experience on franchisee-perceived brand image (FPBI).MethodologyThe hypotheses were tested using survey data from retail franchisees in Australia, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping regression methods.FindingsThe results show that both brand commitment and brand citizenship behavior mediate the effect of franchisor support on FPBI. However, the effect of franchisor support on FPBI via brand commitment is higher for franchisees with less experience compared to their more experienced counterparts.Practical implicationsThe study provides insights to franchise managers and B2B practitioners on factors that enhance FPBI.Originality/valueDespite the recognized importance of franchise brands, limited research examines how leveraging the franchise brand can improve franchisee performance. To address this gap, this study examines the effects of franchisor support on FPBI via brand commitment and brand citizenship behavior moderated by franchisee experience.