AMERICANFRANCHISINGCOMPETITIVENESSINCHINAIlanAlonAssociateProfessorofInternationalBusinessCrummerGraduateSchoolofBusinessRollinsCollege1000HoltAve.-2722WinterPark,FL32789-4499ialon@rollins.eduPhone(407)646-1512Fax(407)646-1550MarkToncarAssociateProfessorofMarketingWilliamsonCollegeofBusinessAdministrationYoungstownStateUniversityYoungstown,OH44555mftoncar@ysu.eduLuLeShanghaiUniversityforScienceandTechnology---本文于网络，仅供参考，勿照抄，如有侵权请联系删除---AmericanFranchisingCompetitivenessinChinaIlanAlon,MarkToncar,andLuLe--ABSTRACTConsumertastesandpreferencesareconvergingaroundtheworldasaresultofadvancesincommunicationsandtransportationtechnologies,theliberalizationofworldtrade,theformationofregionaltradeagreements,andtheincreasedmobilityinlaborandcapital.With1.2billionpeople,Chinaisthelargestconsumermarketintheworldcontainingabout20percentoftheworld’spopulation.ThepurposeofthisistoinvestigatetheenvironmentforforeignrestaurantfranchisingintheShanghaimarket,themaineconomicpoleforMainlandChinawithapopulationofabout15millionpeople.Thisexaminesenvironmentalopportunitiesandthreats,theconsumercharacteristics,andthemarketingstrategiesthatmaybeemployedbyrestaurantfranchisorsconsideringentryintoChina.---本文于网络，仅供参考，勿照抄，如有侵权请联系删除---INTRODUCTIONOverthelasttwodecadesAsiahasbeenthefastestgrowingregionintheworld.WithinAsia,MainlandChinahasbeenthefastestgrowingcountry,withthehighestgrowthrateofGDPbroughtaboutmainlybydomesticmarketdemand.Withthelargestconsumermarketintheworldandanacceleratingeconomy,Chinaishailedasoneofthemostimportantconsumermarketsofthe21stcentury.By2005thecountryisprojectedtohavemorethan230millionmiddle-classconsumersearningmorethana$1,000peryear(Chanetal.,1997).ThispaperinvestigatesthepotentialforrestaurantfranchisinginShanghai,China.TheShanghaimarketisthefocusbecause(1)theaverageincomethereisalmosttwiceashighastherestofChina,(2)Shanghaiisamajoreconomicgrowthpolethatcontainskeyindustries,(3)ChinahastargetedShanghaiasaneweconomiccentertoshiftemphasisawayfromHongKong,and(4)regionalvariationsinChinaaregreatintermsofcustoms,habitsandeatingbehaviorand,thus,aregionalfocusisusefulfromadecisionmaker’spointofvieShanghaiisalikelypointofentryforforeignfranchisorsseekingexpansionintoChinabecauseoftherelativelyauspiciouseconomicandpoliticalenvironmentsthere.WefirstexaminetheenvironmentalconditionsthatinfluencethefeasibilityofinternationalfranchisinginChina,andthennarrowthelensandfocusontheopportunitiesandthreatsforrestaurantfranchisinginShanghai.Followingtheenvironmentalexaminationisadiscussionofstrategicapproachestomarketingconcerningmodesofentry,adaptationandconsumeranalysis.---本文于网络，仅供参考，勿照抄，如有侵权请联系删除---FRANCHISINGENVIRONMENTINCHINAGiventhevastpotentialofChinaasaconsumerandindustrialmarket,itisnosurprisethatlargenumbersofforeignorganizationsareeitheroperatinginChinaorgivingseriousconsiderationtodoingso.OncethedecisionhasbeenmadetocommitresourcestotheChinesemarket,thefundamentalchanneldecisionmustbemaderegardingmarketentrystrategy.Thisdecisionisinfluencedandconstrainedbyavarietyofhostcountryvariables.Theseincludethechannelsthatarelegallyallowedaswellasthenationalprioritiesofthehostcountry,intermsofbothchanneldevelopmentandresourceallocation.Otherimportantconsiderationsinclude...