Influential factors of pro‐environmental behaviors among franchisees in the fast‐food sector

Abstract

In spite of the increasing attention on environmental sustainability, there is a dearth of knowledge about franchisees' pro‐environmental behaviors. This study aims to understand the factors that influence the extent to which franchisees engage in pro‐environmental behaviors in the fast‐food sector. The research is based on in‐depth interviews with franchisees operating restaurants in the fast‐food sector in France. The empirical evidence in this qualitative study shows how franchisees' pro‐environmental behaviors can be explained as a result of organizational and personal factors, thereby extending the theory of planned behavior, norm‐activation‐model and organizational support theory within the franchising context. This study offers avenues for more research on green practices in franchising, as well as in the hospitality sector and other sectors such as retailing. It provides important implications for franchise practitioners in the fast‐food sector on how to create a more environmentally sustainable business model. The findings offer the first known model of pro‐environmental behaviors of franchisees.