past few decades.

International franchising also is growing at a rapid pace, in part, because of market opportunities that include new trade agreements. The debate over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) increased the focus on North American franchising. In spite of this attention, there are few, if any, comparative studies of franchising in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. At the same time that international franchising growth is extolled, there is an argument over the extent to which franchising