Ethnic Social Structures and Mainstream Capital: The Ethnic Anchoring of "American" Franchise Growth

Abstract

This article argues the significance of ethnic resource mobilization to certain corporate restructuring and growth trends in the U.S. mainstream economy with the expansion of franchising and the importance of branding in giant corporate America. While the field of ethnic economies continues to debate how ethnic social structures function in the mainstream economy, it has overlooked this important part of the economy. “Bounded solidarity” helps explain how particular Asian Indian business communities have been integral to the changing franchisor-franchisee relationship, franchise operation procedures, and consumer marketing strategies, and has worked to counterbalance the industry’s heightening demands. In this way, ethnic social structures are integral to corporate growth strategies and norms of efficiency.