Anna Watson
anna watson

Dr Anna Watson

Professor

  A.Watson@napier.ac.uk

  

Biography

Anna Watson is an experienced researcher, teacher, and academic administrator. She is one of the United Kingdom’s leading academics in franchising, and has published widely in the area. She is a member of the Board of the International Society of Franchising, and has undertaken research programs on behalf of the British Franchise Association, as well as participating in /leading research programs funded by the French National Research Agency and the British Academy/Leverhulme. Anna is a member of the Editorial Board of International Small Business Journal, and a Top 100 reviewer for the Journal of Small Business Management. At the University of Hertfordshire (2013-2021) she headed the Enterprise and Value Research Group. Whilst at the London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (2008-2013) she was Program Director for the MA Business and Management courses, and at the University of Surrey (2000-2008) she had responsibility for the BSc Retail Management programme. Anna is a Visiting Professor at the University of Rennes 1 and joined Edinburgh Napier University as Professor of Marketing in January 2021.

School

Research Areas

Events

Esteem

Editorial Activity

  • Member of the Editorial Board of the International Small Business Journal
  • Top 100 Reviewer Journal of Small Business Management
  • Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Fashion Practice: Design, Creative Process and the Fashion Industry

 

External Examining/Validations

  • External Examiner
  • External Examiner BA Retail Management, Bournemouth University
  • External Examiner

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Economics and Management (CREM)
  • Best Paper Award, International Society of Franchising Conference, Quito, Ecuador.

 

Visiting Positions

  • Visiting Professor University of Rennes 1, France

 

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26 results

The moderating influence of HR operational autonomy on the entrepreneurial orientation–performance link in franchise systems

Journal Article
Grünhagen, M., Wollan, M., Dada, O., & Watson, A. (2014)
The moderating influence of HR operational autonomy on the entrepreneurial orientation–performance link in franchise systems. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 10, 827-844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-013-0270-7
This study investigates the concept of HR Operational Autonomy, i.e., the freedom a franchisor offers to franchisees throughout the system with regards to their creation of HR...

The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the franchise relationship

Journal Article
Dada, O., & Watson, A. (2013)
The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the franchise relationship. International Small Business Journal, 31(8), 955-977. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242612446035
This article aims to understand how the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the franchise system may impact franchisor–franchisee relationship quality, given the conflicting f...

Toward a model of franchisee entrepreneurship

Journal Article
Dada, O., Watson, A., & Kirby, D. (2012)
Toward a model of franchisee entrepreneurship. International Small Business Journal, 30(5), 559-583. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242610376078
This study provides a deeper understanding of the relevance of the entrepreneurship phenomenon to the franchisee context. A number of studies have echoed that the franchisee p...

Managing the franchisor-franchisee relationship: A relationship marketing perspective

Journal Article
Watson, A., & Johnson, R. (2010)
Managing the franchisor-franchisee relationship: A relationship marketing perspective. Journal of Marketing Channels, 17(1), 51-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/10466690903436305
Since the emergence of the relationship marketing paradigm, researchers have increasingly considered why some efforts at relationship marketing are more successful than others...

Small business growth through franchising: A qualitative investigation

Journal Article
Watson, A. (2008)
Small business growth through franchising: A qualitative investigation. Journal of Marketing Channels, 15(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10466690802081350
Although franchising has long been recognised as an attractive means of growing a business, the impact of franchising for small businesses is an area that is relatively less r...

Exploring the dilemma of local sourcing versus international development - The case of the flower industry

Journal Article
Holt, D., & Watson, A. (2008)
Exploring the dilemma of local sourcing versus international development - The case of the flower industry. Business Strategy and the Environment, 17(5), 318-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.623
This paper examines the debate surrounding local versus international sourcing of retail products, particularly food and flowers, in light of the emerging carbon imperative. I...

Implementing e-value strategies in UK retailing

Journal Article
Nicholls, A., & Watson, A. (2005)
Implementing e-value strategies in UK retailing. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 33(6), 426-443. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590550510600852
Purpose This paper aims to examine the current strategic landscape of UK “bricks and clicks” retailers. The main focus of this work is to consider how e‐commerce may provide c...

Franchising as a small business growth strategy: A resource-based view of organizational development

Journal Article
Stanworth, J., Stanworth, C., Watson, A., Purdy, D., & Healeas, S. (2004)
Franchising as a small business growth strategy: A resource-based view of organizational development. International Small Business Journal, 22(6), 539-559. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242604047409
Not only are most franchisees themselves small businesses, but so are many franchisors, particularly in the formative years of their franchise businesses. High turbulence and ...

Retail franchising: An intellectual capital perspective

Journal Article
Watson, A., Stanworth, J., Healeas, S., Purdy, D., & Stanworth, C. (2005)
Retail franchising: An intellectual capital perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 12(1), 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2004.02.001
Retailers appear to have found franchising to be a valuable means by which to develop their businesses, both domestically and abroad. In the UK franchising accounts for approx...

Public perceptions of franchising in Britain: Releasing the potential

Journal Article
Watson, A., & Kirby, D. (2004)
Public perceptions of franchising in Britain: Releasing the potential. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11(1), 75-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000410519119
In the two decades prior to 2000, the UK franchise industry showed substantial growth. Subsequently, however, this growth appears to have reached a plateau, with growth of les...

Pre-Napier Funded Projects

  • BA Leverhulme Small Research Grant

Current Post Grad projects