A Theoretical Framework for Multi-Unit Management Development in the 21st Century

Abstract

The current study proposes a theoretical framework for the development of multi-unit managers. Chain restaurants that use multi-unit managers as a part of the infrastructure of their operations have been a growing segment of the foodservice industry for the past half century (Muller & Woods, 1994). This segment of managers is growing as the 21st century heralds a continued increase in the number of multi-unit restaurant organizations and thus an increase in the need for numbers of skilled multi-unit operators. The study proposes a model for the development of multi-unit managers through a series of phases that will help develop characteristics for success. It then further proposes a framework for training and development of managers in order to fill the increasing need for multi-unit managers. Implications for practitioners are presented along with a call for further research in this understudied area.