Abstract

Purpose: The franchise system started by Singer Sewing Machine in the US is acting as a national economic growth engine in terms of job creation and economic growth. In China, the franchise system was introduced in the mid-1980s. And since joining the WTO, it has grown by 5-6% every year. However, compared to the growth rate of franchises, studies on shared growth between the chain headquarters and franchisees were insufficient. Accordingly, recent studies related to shared growth between the chain headquarters and franchisees have been active in China. The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge transfer system between the knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, and the use of knowledge by franchise chain headquarters in China. In addition, the relationship between franchise satisfaction and performance is identified. Research design, data, and methodology: The data were collected from franchise stores in Sichuan, China, and were conducted with the help of ○○ Incubation, a Sichuan Province-certified incubator. From November 2020 to January 2021, 350 copies of the questionnaire were distributed in China, and 264 copies were returned. Of these, 44 copies with insincere answers and response errors were excluded, and 222 copies were used for analysis. The data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0 statistical packages. Result: The results of this study are as follows. First, knowledge creation has been shown to have a statistically significant impact on knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization. In particular, the effectiveness of knowledge creation was higher in knowledge sharing than in knowledge utilization. And we can see that knowledge sharing also has a statistically significant e ffect on knowledge utilization. Second, knowledge sharing was not significant for transaction satisfaction and business performance, and knowledge utilization was significant for transaction satisfaction and business performance. These results can be said to mean less interdependence of the Chinese franchise system. Finally, transaction satisfaction was statistically significant to business performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of knowledge management to secure long-term competitive advantage for Chinese franchises. This study shows that knowledge sharing is important for long-term franchise growth. And we can see that there is a lack of knowledge sharing methods in the case of franchises in China. I n addition, it was found that the growth of Chinese franchises requires systematization of communication, information sharing measures and timing, help from chain headquarters, and mutual responsibility awareness.