A Study on Franchising Intention of Dental Clinics in Taiwan: The Marketing Relationship Perspective

• Main Authors: Yen-Ling Chen, 陳彥伶
• Other Authors: Shihyu Chou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/29yg4n

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 全球經營與策略研究所 === 100 === Since the implementation of the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan in 1995, profit margins of local clinics and hospitals have been largely reduced. And, because of the increasing gross disposal income level due to highly economic development in Taiwan, more and more people care about better quality of medical care. Both factors are driving dental clinics to develop more self-paid service items or engage in a strategic alliance, such as joining a dental franchising system, to be more competitive in the industry. In this study we investigate the dental franchisee’s intention to remain in a franchising system in Taiwan from the relationship marketing perspective. A dental franchising system has the advantages of horizontal and vertical industry integrations, which benefit dental franchisees from having economies of scale, group brand effects, flexible information systems, efficient and effective management mechanisms, and trainings in advanced dental techniques. Dental franchisees hope to obtain long-term stable benefits from the membership and the dental franchisor wishes to maintain and grow up the system. From the franchisor’s angle, the increased relationship quality, such as trust, commitment and satisfaction perceived by a franchisee, is able to raise its intention to remain in the system. In this study, we propose a model which uses relationship quality to mediate shared value and relationship benefits, and franchising intention. We believe that through shared value between franchisees and the franchisor, and relationship benefits, franchisees will perceive higher level of relationship quality which, in turn, results in higher level of intention to remain in the franchising system. A random sample of local dental clinic franchisees was used to test against the proposed model.