OB Notes 2014 Mcgill
Chapter 1: Introduction to McDonaldization
What is McDonaldization?
McDonaldization: The process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world
What do we mean by the spatial, temporal, and vertical expansion of McDonaldization?
Spatial expansion: franchises are growing rapidly; international success; other nations have developed their own variants on the McDonald’s chain
McDonald’s long arm: smaller towns, big cities, small remote outlets, campuses, schools, and hospitals
Applying to several industries including low-priced fast food chains and higher-priced more upscale chains, Toys R Us, The Body Shop, text messaging/cell phone use/entertainment
Temporal expansion: McDonald’s is shifting its focus to adding hours to existing locales
Open for breakfast
Vertical expansion: the demands of the fast food industry have forced industries that service it, to McDonaldize, in order to satisfy its insatiable demands
Potato growing and processing, cattle ranching, chicken raising, meat slaughtering and processing
What are the four dimensions of McDonaldization? Make sure you can name them and explain them. Use your own words.
1. Efficiency: develops and utilizes the optimum way of getting from one point to another; delivers service to customers in the most efficient way; workers perform according to a specific process which is proven to provide the most efficient results
2. Calculability: emphasizes the quantitative aspects of the delivery of products and services (quantity of production, time, costs)
3. Predictability: offers the assurance that the products and services will be the same no matter when or where you go; customers take comfort in this; workers’ performance follows corporate rules and instructions of managers
4. Control: all aspects of the service (lines, limited menus, few options, uncomfortable seats) are controlled so that
What is McDonaldization?
McDonaldization: The process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world
What do we mean by the spatial, temporal, and vertical expansion of McDonaldization?
Spatial expansion: franchises are growing rapidly; international success; other nations have developed their own variants on the McDonald’s chain
McDonald’s long arm: smaller towns, big cities, small remote outlets, campuses, schools, and hospitals
Applying to several industries including low-priced fast food chains and higher-priced more upscale chains, Toys R Us, The Body Shop, text messaging/cell phone use/entertainment
Temporal expansion: McDonald’s is shifting its focus to adding hours to existing locales
Open for breakfast
Vertical expansion: the demands of the fast food industry have forced industries that service it, to McDonaldize, in order to satisfy its insatiable demands
Potato growing and processing, cattle ranching, chicken raising, meat slaughtering and processing
What are the four dimensions of McDonaldization? Make sure you can name them and explain them. Use your own words.
1. Efficiency: develops and utilizes the optimum way of getting from one point to another; delivers service to customers in the most efficient way; workers perform according to a specific process which is proven to provide the most efficient results
2. Calculability: emphasizes the quantitative aspects of the delivery of products and services (quantity of production, time, costs)
3. Predictability: offers the assurance that the products and services will be the same no matter when or where you go; customers take comfort in this; workers’ performance follows corporate rules and instructions of managers
4. Control: all aspects of the service (lines, limited menus, few options, uncomfortable seats) are controlled so that