Imagine going on a road trip and passing several seemingly identical McDonald’s restaurants. Despite their uniform appearance, their ownership may vary widely: One might be run by a family, another by an individual entrepreneur, and others owned directly by the corporation.
This is possible because McDonald’s, like many other well-known fast-food restaurant chains, operates a under a franchise business model. Franchising allows companies to grow by licensing their brand to independent operators, who then manage day-to-day operations.
Ownership structure can significantly affect performance, profitability and other business outcomes, research shows. As professors who study family businesses, we were curious whether it could also be linked to health and safety outcomes.
