McDonald Culture
“RAY KROC – CULTURAL IMPACT OF MCDONALD’S”
QUEST CLUB
FORT WAYNE COUNTRY CLUB
MARCH 15, 2013
JOHN O. FEIGHNER
10976/009/00173176-3SLS
RAY KROC – CULTURAL IMPACT OF MCDONALD’S
My assigned topic – Ray Kroc – Cultural Impact of McDonald’s – was a curious assignment for a trial lawyer. As I commenced my research, I wondered if my fellow Quester who assigned the topic wanted me to focus on Ray Kroc’s development of McDonald’s and the cultural impact his restaurant empire had on the business community, real estate industry, franchise systems or, more broadly, the cultural and social impact of the fast food empire on our
American way of life and the health and well being of our citizens. I assume it is all of that and more. Rather ambitious for a 30-minute Quest Club paper!
Let’s begin with a word association test:
QSC – Quality, Service, Cleanliness
Ronald McDonald House
McDonald’s All-American Band – Macy’s Day Parade
McDonald’s High School All-American Basketball
Big Mac
Egg McMuffin
Billions and Billions Sold
McNuggets
Super Size it!
“Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!”
Hot Coffee – The Verdict
Golden Arches
McJob!
10976/009/00173176-3SLS
1
All of those phrases and images are a tribute to the marketing power and genius of Ray
Kroc and the McDonald’s restaurant empire.
Let’s first define the meaning of culture. In modern anthropology, the development of a culture is viewed as a process. W.C. McGrew lists six steps in the process:
1.
A new pattern of behavior is invented, or an existing one is modified.
2.
The innovator transmits this pattern to another.
3.
The form of the pattern is consistent within and across performers, perhaps even
in terms of recognizable, stylistic features.
4.
The one who acquires the pattern retains the ability to perform it long after having
acquired it.
5.
The pattern spreads across social units in a population. These social units may be
families, clans, troops or bands.
QUEST CLUB
FORT WAYNE COUNTRY CLUB
MARCH 15, 2013
JOHN O. FEIGHNER
10976/009/00173176-3SLS
RAY KROC – CULTURAL IMPACT OF MCDONALD’S
My assigned topic – Ray Kroc – Cultural Impact of McDonald’s – was a curious assignment for a trial lawyer. As I commenced my research, I wondered if my fellow Quester who assigned the topic wanted me to focus on Ray Kroc’s development of McDonald’s and the cultural impact his restaurant empire had on the business community, real estate industry, franchise systems or, more broadly, the cultural and social impact of the fast food empire on our
American way of life and the health and well being of our citizens. I assume it is all of that and more. Rather ambitious for a 30-minute Quest Club paper!
Let’s begin with a word association test:
QSC – Quality, Service, Cleanliness
Ronald McDonald House
McDonald’s All-American Band – Macy’s Day Parade
McDonald’s High School All-American Basketball
Big Mac
Egg McMuffin
Billions and Billions Sold
McNuggets
Super Size it!
“Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!”
Hot Coffee – The Verdict
Golden Arches
McJob!
10976/009/00173176-3SLS
1
All of those phrases and images are a tribute to the marketing power and genius of Ray
Kroc and the McDonald’s restaurant empire.
Let’s first define the meaning of culture. In modern anthropology, the development of a culture is viewed as a process. W.C. McGrew lists six steps in the process:
1.
A new pattern of behavior is invented, or an existing one is modified.
2.
The innovator transmits this pattern to another.
3.
The form of the pattern is consistent within and across performers, perhaps even
in terms of recognizable, stylistic features.
4.
The one who acquires the pattern retains the ability to perform it long after having
acquired it.
5.
The pattern spreads across social units in a population. These social units may be
families, clans, troops or bands.