What is McDonaldization and how has it manifest our society? To understand the theory of McDonaldization, it is important to understand rationalization inside out. The modern fast-food chain is the perfect examples of rationalization because they're everywhere. And we can find similar fast-food restaurant chain with their logo and appealing characteristic like its quick process, being cheap, and the food packaging design. To make it simple Rationalization is the routine procedures and the elimination of any irrational domain like traditions, values, and emotions. McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization and scientific management base on four principles of predictability, efficiency, calculability, and control. According to …show more content…
by Timmerman through McDonaldization, rationalization has standardized the consumer experience. All the products are made to conform to one another. Which has encouraged industry to adopt the principle of McDonaldization as a business model. Starbucks is an example of stores that adopt the principle of McDonaldization. Starbucks store is in almost everywhere popular city around the world.the connection that I may from McDonaldization and Timmerman global adventure is to question where our food comes from. since rationalization has standardized our connection with our food. Efficiency the ability to accomplish something with the minimum expenditure of time and effort. A process where every stage is carried out quickly and easily. This idea of efficiency is promoted by businesses as beneficial to consumers, but in reality, it serves the business interests and customers are increasingly providing their own labor. As the labor costs rise and new technology is developed. In the book Timmerman mention the struggle every farmer face with this issue, not making any profit. At Winco there a checkout yourself section which I find is an example of efficiency. I believe that in the future there will be fewer jobs as new technology are replacing the …show more content…
Today, people want more for less. Quantity is a replacement for quality. During my grocery shopping trip, I notice that Winco cost less than eureka natural food. The reason for that is because all natural produces are organic compared to Winco where there only a few. Eureka natural food chooses quality over quantity. McDonaldized products and services are quantified, tasks are done within a certain time and products are a specific size, numerical standards are applied to almost everything. The quality of these goods is becoming more and more cheap.predictability is the assurance that products and services will be the same quality in all place. The fourth principle of the McDonaldization is control. This process involves the use of nonhuman technology to remove the uncertainties caused by human and to ensure that both employees and customers are pliant participants in the McDonaldization process. Employees are using less human logic and more technology as brain power. All we do nowadays is follow the instructions, push buttons, use a calculator, and scan barcodes. The skill and potential of human have become insignificant in a McDonaldized world. Everyday interactions are now based on the use of machines. Machines are the control nowadays it in almost every sector, from a corporation to small business to even our homes. This is how the principle of control mange to remove uncertainties
Critically analyse Ritzer's theory of ‘McDonaldization' and the associated term ‘McJobs'. To what extent do you agree with Ritzer's argument that a ‘McDonaldization of Society' is occurring in modern times, said to be characterized by the increasing rationalisation of work organisation? Illustrate arguments with practical real-world examples.
Around the world, McDonald’s iconic golden arches are more recognizable as an American symbol than the Christian cross (Schlosser, 2001). The interactionist perspective attempts to use symbolism and the information given by everyday interactions to better understand how society operates as a whole. This perspective views the impact of McDonaldization through its effect on the lives of everyday people throughout the world. The interactionist perspective would view the trend of McDonaldization as a negative influence on our culture because it takes away meaningful aspects of communication and originality in order to be more
In his video, Ritzer identifies four main principles of McDonaldization: predictability, calculability, efficiency, and control.
sociologist George Ritzer argues that the relationship between McDonald’s and our society runs even deeper. Beyond its commercial propaganda and symbolism, Ritzer says, McDonald’s is a potent manifestation of the rational processes that define modern society.
The American life has been transformed by the fast food industry not just changing the American diet but also the culture, workplace, economy, and the landscape. “Today about half of the money used to buy food is spent at restaurants-mainly fast food restaurants.” (Schlosser) This could be due to the fact that about two-thirds of working women are mothers. The impact of fast food on the American culture is transparent when just looking at McDonald’s. McDonald’s has become the world’s most famous brand; the golden arches are more known than the Christian cross. “A survey of American schoolchildren found that 96 percent could identify Ronald McDonald.” (Schlosser) McDonald’s is responsible for 90 percent of new jobs in The United States. The landscape has changed due to the fast food ...
Malone, Elizabeth, and George Ritzer. "Globalization Theory: Lessons from the Exportation of McDonaldization and the New Means of Consumption." Amerstud (2008): 97-112. Web. 26 Apr 2011. .
The icon that represents fast food culture for most people is McDonald's, though the fast food culture developed long before the creation of that restaurant chain. Schlosser considers the impact of such fast-food chains but also considers the primacy of the hamburger in the American diet and some of the dangers it poses. McDonald?s reliance on hamburger is a questionable item for a steady diet in a more health conscious age, and interferes w...
The McDonaldization of Society The McDonaldization of society may sound somewhat misleading but the term actually refers to the rationalization of society. The use of the word "McDonaldization" just simply indicates that the fast food restaurant is one of many great examples of rationality. Ritzer discusses five dimensions that characterize rationality or a rationalized society: efficiency, predictability, calculability, the use and preference of non-human technology, and the control over uncertainty. The five characteristics can be noticed in various aspects of society which exemplifies the extent that rationality affects our society and societies worldwide. In this paper I will summarize Ritzer's discussion of these five characteristics and give possible examples of each dimension.
Macdonaldization is a concept introduced by George Ritzer with his 1993 book, The Macdonaldization of Society. (Thoughtco.com, Ashley Crossman 02 March 2017, Macdonaldization Defined). According to Ritzer the Macdonaldization of society is a phenomenon that occurs when the society, its institutions and its organisations are adapted to have the same characteristics that are found in fast food chains which include efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardisation and control. (Thoughtco.com, Ashley Crossman 02 March 2017, Macdonaldization Defined) Many organisations have adopted the Macdonaldization approach to cut down on costs though this may reduce the quality of the products being presented to customers.
According to Royle (1999) McDonald’s is a very large multinational enterprise (MNE) and the largest food service operation in the world. Currently the company has 1.5 million workers with 23,500 stores in over 110 countries with the United Kingdom and Germany amongst the corporation’s six biggest markets, and over 12,000 restaurants in the United States. In 1974 the United Kingdom corporation was established and in 1971 the Germany corporation was established, currently the combined corporation has over 900 restaurants and close to 50,000 employees in each of these countries (Royle, 1999).
The effects of using the term “Americanization” have the potential to confuse and mislead those who are looking for clarity in the title. McDonaldization for example is in essence a cutthroat business plan that cuts out traditional quality handmade goods for efficiency. This has been adapted into many non-American businesses. For instance, Costa coffee uses the same franchise business model as Starbucks. The same way that Kia uses the same assembly line as Henry Ford pioneered in the early nineteen
Have you ever wondered how the business empire of McDonalds was started? With over ninety nine billion served, it was started in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. It was started off as just a Bar-B-Q that served just twenty items. Its first mascot was named “Speedee” They eventually realized that by setting up their kitchen like an assembly line that they could be much more productive and get their food done faster, with every employee doing a specified job; the restaurants production rate became much higher. A milkshake machine vendor came into their small restaurant one day, his name was Ray Kroc. He saw how much potential the restaurant has, so he bought it out and opened one of the first franchises. Within the first year of Ray Kroc buying it, there were one hundred and two locations all around the world. McDonalds currently is one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world and currently has served over sixty four million customers through one of their thirty two thousand sites. It has almost become a way of life for America. Though, McDonalds started off as a small business between two brothers, it grew into one of the largest restaurant franchises in the world and greatly affects our society and how we eat our food.
Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization of Society. Revised New Century Edition. California: Pine Forge Press, 2004.
RITZER, G (2008) The McDonaldisation of Society (5th edition) London: Sage. (Ch. 3 – Efficiency)
The globalization of the American fast food industry has presented itself as a modern assimilation process across the globe. As the United States continues to dominate as a global economic power, there is not just a transition towards its social and cultural ideals, but also an assimilation as they continue to mold the ideologies of local groups around the world. The correlation between economic expansion and the rise in American influence can be traced back to the early twentieth century. During this time, the United States, was an imperial power that viewed imperialism as a central aspect of the vastly modernizing period. The latter giving rise to a concept noted as “national consciousness,” in which instead of embracing the differences of others, the United States aimed to assimilate everyone into one nation through a common thread: culture. Although the United States, itself is still establishing its own culture, this fragile new American culture has become dominant with the help of expanding technology in the modern age. As globalization brings about a new modernized period, traces of American imperialism have resurfaced once again, no longer under the definition of assimilation, but under the context of McDonaldization, in American fast food companies.