Franchising is an important form of entrepreneurship, but literature explaining franchising strategy and performance
is scarce. This study adapts the resource-based view and relationship-marketing theory to explain franchising
strategy and performance differences in chain stores. This study develops and tests a model explaining
franchisees' performance antecedents and their intention to remain in the franchise system. Themodel describes
how franchisees' strategies relate to knowledge sharing, trust, conflict management, brand reputation, and performance
in chain stores. The study uses data from 246 active franchisees from a chain-store franchise systemin
Taiwan. Data analysis uses structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis
(fsQCA). Results show that knowledge sharing, trust, conflictmanagement, and brand reputation are key factors
in reinforcing franchisees' intention to remain and financial performance within the franchise system. The study
ends with a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications