Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to make the first attempt to examine franchisee personality within the context of alternative franchisee ownership structures (single unit versus multiple unit ownership) and service type (standardised versus customised). Design/methodology/approach - A self-report mail survey was used in the paper to collect data from a random sample of 363 franchisees drawn from 83 franchise groups. Personality was represented by the Big-Five personality traits (IPIP-B5 scales), two dimensions of Empathy (IRI scales of empathic perspective taking and empathic concern) and Emotional Intelligence (EIS). Two separate between-subjects MANOVAs were conducted for each of the independent variables. Findings - Significant differences were found between franchisee ownership groups on four personality measures (conscientiousness, emotional stability, empathic perspective taking and emotional intelligence) and service type groups on two measures (extraversion and empathic perspective taking). Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. Research limitation/implications - Future research should investigate the personality of franchisors and different types of franchisees within the context of organisational outcomes such as franchisee performance, commitment, organisational learning and intention to remain and grow within the network (within different international settings). Originality/value - This paper supplements the channels literature by using standard personality measures to differentiate franchisees that are likely to engage in different behaviours within franchise systems.