The moderating role of servant leadership in the relationship between organizational structure and performance in fashion retailing

[EN] Purpose – This study aims to reveal how the organizational structure (vertical integration vs. franchising) of 308 stores in a Spanish fashion retail franchise chain affects their performance measured through two key performance indicators commonly used in this industry, namely, labor productiv...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández Muiños, María, Sánchez Gómez, Roberto, Vázquez Suárez, Luis
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/159119
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/159119
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Fashion retailing
Franchising
Performance
Servant leadership
Service quality
Vertical integration
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Purpose – This study aims to reveal how the organizational structure (vertical integration vs. franchising) of 308 stores in a Spanish fashion retail franchise chain affects their performance measured through two key performance indicators commonly used in this industry, namely, labor productivity and service quality ratings. We also appraise the moderating role played by the servant leadership of franchisees and managers of company-owned outlets to explore its influence on the relationship between organizational structure and store performance. Design/methodology/approach – We have used multivariate analyses to study the research questions, with a panel dataset of quarterly store-level data for the period January–December 2022. Findings – Vertically-integrated stores record lower labor productivity than franchised ones. This impact is lower in stores run by individuals high in servant leadership than in those run by individuals low in it. Franchised outlets also record lower ratings in service quality than vertically-integrated stores, and this negative impact is weaker in stores run by individuals high in servant leadership. Originality/value – Nothing has thus far been published on the moderating effect of servant leadership in the relationship between the organizational structure of different stores and their outcomes in franchise systems.