The determinants of franchise brand loyalty in B2B markets: An emerging market perspective

Brand loyalty remains a salient measure of brand success in business-to-business (B2B) markets, yet the drivers of B2B brand loyalty vary from one context to another. While global franchising is accepted as a major entry mode into emerging markets, limited research has focused on the drivers of franchise brand loyalty in emerging markets. This study advances a nomological network model of the determinants of franchise brand loyalty in an emerging market. The hypotheses were tested from the franchisees' perspective using survey data from Indian franchises. The respondents were selected using stratified random sampling based on geographic location and industry type. The findings indicated that perceived franchisor competence and the level of information sharing play key roles in influencing franchisees' emotional brand attachment and perceived relationship value, which in turn enhance brand loyalty. Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions are discussed.