| Course | BUSI 423 Franchising (BUSI423) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 5 |
| Assignment | Discussion Board Forum 3 Thread |
| Paper type | Discussion thread (APA document) |
| Length | about 501 words (thread and replies). Course guide: a thread of at least 500 words, not counting references, written in Microsoft Word in current APA format and attached to the forum |
| Format | APA 7 citations and reference list |
| Points | 45 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 5 in Liberty's published BUSI 423 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 423 Week 5
Discussion Board Forum 3 Thread: Protecting the Brand Across a System
BUSI 423 Franchising, Discussion Board Forum 3 Thread
Thread by [Student Name]
The forum prompt and the examples are composites; the Franchise Bible and the research cited are real, and the structure follows Liberty's public course guide for BUSI 423.
A traveler stops at a franchised restaurant on a highway, finds a dirty restroom and cold food, and decides not to eat at that brand again, anywhere. The owner of that unit saved a few hours of cleaning labor. Every other owner in the system lost a customer. That is the problem of free riding, and it explains why franchise systems enforce standards so strictly, even on matters that seem small.
Grossman and Katz (2017) describe the brand as the core of what a franchisee buys: customers come because they expect the same experience at every unit. That expectation makes the brand a shared asset. When one franchisee lowers quality, the savings go to that franchisee alone, while the cost, a weaker reputation, is spread across every unit. The incentive to cut corners is therefore built into the structure of franchising.
Research confirms that the problem is real. Kidwell et al. (2007) studied the relationship between franchisors and franchisees and found that franchisee free riding was associated with lower franchisor satisfaction with the relationship, and that the way the relationship was governed affected how much free riding occurred. The problem is sharpest where customers do not return. Brickley and Dark (1987) found that franchisors tend to keep units serving transient customers, such as those near highways, under company ownership, since an owner there gains little from repeat business and has more reason to cut quality. Where a customer will never come back, the franchisee's own interest stops protecting the brand, so the system has to.
Consider a pizza franchisee facing rising cheese costs. Switching to a cheaper cheese would save several thousand dollars a year, and few customers might notice at first. But if many franchisees made the same choice, the brand's reputation for quality would erode, and every unit, including the one that saved money, would lose sales. Systems prevent this with several tools: approved suppliers and specifications, regular inspections and mystery shoppers, training that builds habits, and, finally, the right to terminate franchisees who repeatedly fail standards. Many franchisees also police one another through franchisee associations, since they share the cost of any one owner's lapse.
The tools work best in combination. Inspections catch problems after they happen, while training and supplier rules prevent them, and a franchisee association that shares inspection scores among owners adds a form of peer accountability no contract can create. A system that relies only on termination threats tends to produce compliance on inspection day and shortcuts in between, while one that explains why each standard exists earns more consistent effort.
Strict standards can feel like interference to a franchisee who knows the local market. A fair system leaves room for local judgment where it does not affect the brand, such as community sponsorships or staffing schedules, and enforces standards consistently where it does. Seen this way, standards protect franchisees more than franchisors. The franchisor can open new units elsewhere; the franchisee's investment is tied to the reputation of the brand in one place.
References
Brickley, J. A., & Dark, F. H. (1987). The choice of organizational form: The case of franchising. Journal of Financial Economics, 18(2), 401-420. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(87)90046-8
Grossman, R., & Katz, M. J. (2017). Franchise bible: How to buy a franchise or franchise your own business (8th ed.). Entrepreneur Press.
Kidwell, R. E., Nygaard, A., & Silkoset, R. (2007). Antecedents and effects of free riding in the franchisor-franchisee relationship. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(4), 522-544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.06.002
What the BUSI 423 Week 5 instructions ask
Week 5 assigns chapters 8 and 9 of the Franchise Bible and grades a single item, the third forum thread, worth 45 points. Nothing about the format changes; the Word document still needs 500 words before its references and APA styling, and the pair of 250-word replies follows in Week 6 next to Essay 3. By this point the course has covered both evaluating a franchise and the franchise relationship, so a thread that connects operating standards to the interests of both parties draws on the whole first half. Research beyond the textbook continues to strengthen threads and supplies sources for the franchise project in Week 7.
How this BUSI 423 Week 5 example is built
The thread defines free riding with a vivid example and then explains it with research. It describes the brand as a shared asset whose value every unit's quality affects, cites research showing that franchisee free riding harms the franchisor relationship, and connects the problem to Brickley and Dark's finding about units with transient customers. A composite pizza franchisee weighing cheaper ingredients makes the temptation concrete, and the thread walks through the tools systems use to deter it: inspections, mystery shoppers, required suppliers, training and termination rights. The conclusion argues that franchisees benefit most from strict standards, because they are the ones whose investment depends on the brand. The document closes with APA references.
BUSI 423 Week 5 grading rubric: where the points go
Forum 3 follows the earlier threads' rubric. Graders ask whether the post reflects the chapters and the question, whether its analysis is thoughtful, whether the prose reads at university level and whether the attached file clears the length floor in proper APA form. On a question about standards and quality, instructors look for an accurate explanation of why franchisors control operations and of the tools they use, and for recognition of the franchisee's perspective. A thread that explains the economics of the shared brand, supported by research, demonstrates more understanding than one that simply praises consistency. A concrete example, such as one ingredient or one cleaning routine, helps classmates respond in their Week 6 replies.
BUSI 423 Week 5 help: mistakes that cost points
Pick one operating issue, such as quality, cleanliness or required suppliers, and explain why the franchisor controls it. Use the idea of free riding to show whose interests are at stake. Search the Journal of Business Venturing or the Journal of Retailing for research on franchisee behavior and system standards. Include the franchisee's view, including when standards feel excessive, and explain how a fair system balances control with local judgment. Give the Word file APA formatting and a reference list that includes the Franchise Bible. Count 500 words without references. Save this research for Essay 3 and the franchise project, which will ask you to evaluate a franchise system's support and controls.
Related BUSI 423 sample papers
Other BUSI 423 weeks
- BUSI 423 Week 1: Forum 1 Thread
- BUSI 423 Week 2: Essay 1: Evaluating a Franchise
- BUSI 423 Week 3: Forum 2 Thread
- BUSI 423 Week 4: Essay 2: Territory and Trust
- BUSI 423 Week 6: Essay 3: Ready to Franchise?
- BUSI 423 Week 7: Franchise Project Case Study
- BUSI 423 Week 8: Franchise Project Replies
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BUSI 423 Week 5 questions, answered
What is the BUSI 423 Forum 3 thread?
Week 5's 45-point post in BUSI 423, uploaded as an APA-styled Word file of 500 or more words not counting references, on operating standards and quality.
Where can I find a free BUSI 423 Week 5 sample paper?
This page offers a complete BUSI 423 Week 5 thread on free riding and brand standards in franchise systems, with research and a pizza franchise example.
What is free riding in franchising?
A franchisee's lowering of quality or service to save costs while still benefiting from the brand's reputation, which other units and the franchisor built and which the cutback slowly damages.
Why do franchisors require approved suppliers?
To protect consistent quality across the system, since customers judge every unit by the brand, and sometimes to gain purchasing discounts; buyers should check whether the franchisor earns income from those suppliers.
What else is due in BUSI 423 Module/Week 5?
The thread is the week's single graded item, written while reading the Franchise Bible's eighth and ninth chapters, ahead of Week 6's replies and Essay 3.
Use it as a model, or ask for your own
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