Title: Opportunities for franchising development and employment generation: sustainable franchising as a form of entrepreneurship in Slovenia

Authors: Igor Pavlin

Addresses: Gea College, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Dunajska 156, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract: This article attempts to integrate the scientific and the development view from the perspective of various interrelated disciplines, offering an anchor for practical entrepreneurship development and employment generation endeavours, amidst the economic crisis. An emphasis on the business ethics of contractually related parties is considered as a condition sine qua non for the existence of any franchise business. The environment where it was conceived is the small transitional economy of Slovenia. Identification of current and emerging development and training needs for different target groups in franchising was a specific focus in proposing steps in franchising development as an SME development. The analytical method used in this article is a longitudinal observation and drawing findings from the past research and development projects of the franchise sector in Slovenia. The author has, for a decade and a half, managed the work of the Slovenian Franchise Association.

Keywords: business format franchising; sustainable franchising; franchisors; franchisees; business ethics; Slovenia; financing; franchise businesses; franchise development; employment generation; entrepreneurship development; economic crises; contractually related parties; contracts; small economies; transitional economies; development needs; training needs; target groups; longitudinal observations; Slovenian Franchise Association; R&D; research and development; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; entrepreneurs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2013.052516

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2013 Vol.18 No.3, pp.262 - 281

Published online: 30 Sep 2013 *

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