Commentary for Unjani clinics: meeting the need for scale through social franchising

This commentary reflects on the social franchising model of Unjani. It discusses the intricate interwoven elements of the model which allows it to flourish. Here, I take a stewardship and social capital view to elaborate on these mechanisms. In the second part of the commentary, I highlight the limitations of the model specifically as it pertains to its potential growth.

Scaling social franchises: lessons learned from Farm Shop

Background The challenge of enhancing food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers has been a significant concern in the agricultural development field. To increase farm productivity and enable smallholder farmers to rise out of poverty, several organizations have initiated social franchising business models to create sustainable social enterprises. Social franchising has recently gathered increased interest in lower-income countries for its potential to address social and ecological issues, support local entrepreneurs, and reach financial sustainability to allow for scaling through market forces. Social franchising combines the principles of business franchising (standardized systems and other supports that reduce risk for the entrepreneur) with a social mission. To gain deeper insights into the opportunities and challenges for scaling social franchises, we gathered quantitative and qualitative longitudinal data on Farm Shop, a social franchise with a network of 74 agricultural input shops seeking to reduce food security through improving productivity, incomes and food security of smallholder Kenyan farmers. Results We derived five critical lessons from our findings. First, social franchising can create jobs and profitability for farmers and strengthens the rural entrepreneurial ecosystem. Second, economics of scale is critical for profitability and sustainability of the social franchisor. Third, building trust with farmers is crucial for a successful social franchising model. Fourth, social franchisors should be aware of the variety of options to ensure the sustainability of the social franchising program. Fifth, to develop a scalable business model, cost-effectively gathering the right data to validate key assumptions is essential. Conclusions Farm Shop is one of a cohort of pioneering social franchises that have applied the principles of franchising to address particular social needs. In this case, the needs were food security, livelihoods, and prosperity for smallholder farmers. Farm Shop uncovered important lessons relevant for all social franchises at similar stages in the business model development process. With these lessons in mind, Farm Shop and other social franchises can be better equipped to live up to social franchising’s promise of achieving social objectives in a more resource-efficient and sustainable way.

Social relationships and communication as key characteristics of social franchising in Africa

PurposeThis paper, using a case study on Jibu, a water distribution chain that distributes bottled water in Africa, aims to underline the importance of social relationships and communication within franchise chains operating in the social sector in developing countries and their contribution to the clarification of the concept of social franchising.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a case study of Jibu, a water distribution chain composed of 122 franchised units and 2,100 independent retailers. The primary data were gathered through an analysis of in-depth interviews with 67 people (Jibu co-founder, headquarters staff, franchisees, micro-franchisees and customers) in Uganda and Rwanda.FindingsThe findings showed that the extent and richness of social relationships and communication existing within the Jibu chain are not limited to top-down and build a feeling of belonging to a family. These social relationships and communication are key characteristics of social franchising.Practical implicationsThis research can assist franchise experts, franchisors and franchisees to better assess the importance of social relationships and communication in social franchise chains in developing countries and help national and local governments better understand how franchising works in the social sector.Social implicationsFranchising is not limited to hotels, restaurants and retail businesses. Franchising can be applied to businesses that have social goals, in addition to profit goals. For example, the Jibu franchise is a relevant and efficient solution to providing the African people with access to drinking water at an affordable resale price. This paper, thus, contributes to increasing the awareness of this franchising phenomenon in social sectors in developing countries and in Africa, in particular.Originality/valueAccess to drinking water is an important issue in many developing countries, above all in African countries. Franchised water services are an innovation in terms of a business model in developing countries with micro-treatment plants run by franchisees and small units run by micro-franchisees or retailers, both franchisees and micro-franchisees being local entrepreneurs.

The problems of regulation of social franchising in the Russian legislation

The subject of this research is the legal regime of social franchising in the Russian Federation. The object of this research is the social emerging between the actors of social franchising. The article outlines the essential characteristics of social franchising on the basis of existing research and effective legislation of the foreign countries. Attention is given to the role of the phenomenon under review within the franchising system and its related to the concession agreement. The article explores the existing legal regulation of social franchising in the Russian Federation and formulates the conclusion on purposefulness of its improvement. The scientific novelty consists in comprehensive examination of social franchising from the legal perspective, determination of its role within the system of the types of franchising, and recommendations for the improvement of the corresponding legal regime. The conclusion is made that social franchising represents the system of relations that are based on the contract on the exercise of exclusive rights. Similar to commercial franchising, the central place is held by the intellectual-legal and obligatory aspect of relations, but the fundamental difference lies is the vector towards fulfillment of the socially useful functions, alleviation of social problems, and rendering aid to vulnerable population. The development of this institution requires elaboration of the special legislation, since the norms of the Chapter 54 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation do not correspond with the established practice of social franchising.

Enhancing Foster Care Home NGO Sustainability via Social Franchising

Research Question: This paper investigates how the social franchising approach may enhance the sustainability and capability of Foster Home NGOs in the Global South. Motivation: While many programmes exist to address issues such as poverty and lack of education for children in nations of the Global South, many operate in isolation, and are grassroots and/or stand-alone operations. Little research has been undertaken to understand how various approaches to organizational sustainability may be enacted for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking to provide care for children in foster care homes. Our goal was to apply franchising and social franchising concepts as a framework for NGOs and non-profit organizations to use as a way of enhancing both the capability of achieving their mission as well as a method of organizational sustainability. Idea: Much of the literature on social franchising has been in the area of providing health care and services – however, this model may be useful to enhance the sustainability for NGOs and non-profit organizations that provide other critical services as well, such as foster care homes in the Global South. Findings: The social franchising model offers a concrete and actionable business model to foster home organizations with multiple homes to standardize care delivery as well as develop a strong core organization. Contribution: This paper explores how applying the social franchising model could enhance sustainability of NGOs with foster care home programmes, as well as some of the opportunities and challenges in applying this model to such NGOs and non-profit organizations.