Empowering future entrepreneurs: The impact of franchise courses on undergraduate and MBA students

The franchise business model is a well-established form of enterprise in the U.S., crosses numerous sectors, and is expanding rapidly in developing countries. The economic impact franchises have on the economy provides an opportunity for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to help cultivate franchising as a viable business model or career pathway. Some HEIs are beginning to show interest in franchising as an entrepreneurial endeavor worthy of standalone courses. This study examined whether standalone courses on franchising, taught at a Midwestern University in the U.S., would increase students' knowledge regarding the franchise business model, improve students’ attitudes towards franchising, improve entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and increase intention/desire to work in a franchise. T-test results from pre-post surveys show that knowledge about the franchise business model, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and desirability for a career in franchising all increased among undergraduate and MBA students enrolled in the franchising courses. Additionally, when these variables were examined for underrepresented minorities and women, groups historically marginalized in the entrepreneurship domain, results were significant.