A multinational company, McDonald’s manufactures products in many countries and sells them around the world, requiring the use of transport and communication from America [where its headquarters are] to 119 other countries. Jet airplanes, cheap telephone services, email, huge oceangoing vessels, instant capital flows, all used by McDonald’s, have made the world more interdependent than ever. Money, technology and raw materials continually move across national borders. Along with products and finances, ideas and cultures circulate more freely. Many politicians, academics, and journalists treat these trends as inevitable and welcomed. But for the world’s people, business-driven globalization means uprooting old ways of life and threatening livelihoods and cultures. The global social justice movement, itself a product of globalization, proposes an alternative path, more responsive to public needs. Intense political disputes will continue over globalization’s meaning and its future direction.
McDonald’s has become not only the largest fast food restaurant organization, but is a symbol of globalization; literally changing eating habits around the world. It commands 42% of the U.S. fast food market and runs more than 28,000 restaurants in 120 countries. About 8% of the U.S. population will eat at McDonald’s daily; annually, 96% of the U.S. population will eat there.
However, McDonald’s is also trying its best stop the cultural change, by changing itself to fit. In Italy, McDonald's serves Mediterranean salads, and teriyaki burgers are available in Japan. In Israel there are several kosher McDonald's restaurants, and in Mexican outlets sell burritos. These are just a few examples of when McDonald's has actually changed itself to fit into the local culture. In India, the country that Davicsin used in his column as an example, consumers can get McDonald's sandwiches made with mutton and chicken instead of beef, respecting their religion. Also initiating community programs, they were the first to commence the seat-belt wearing campaign in Saudi Arabia.
Globalization & McDonald'sMcDonald's has 31,000 restaurants in 119 countries, employing more than 1.5 million people, which is about 1/4 of Singapore's population, thus increasing job opportunities world-wide. With so many restaurants, McDonald's demand for resources will increase. As one character of a modern world is the demand for good and efficient services, McDonald's has contributed in giving greater access to a global marketplace of goods by its strong economic influence as they encourage many enterprises to offer them different services in order to keep up with the demands of people. Furthermore, McDonald's invests and supports initiatives to adapt its products and services to different locales to ensure its global brand, which increases global economy. McDonald's is a clear sign of globalization as everywhere you go there will be a McDonald's! Be it in Japan, Germany etc there will always be a McDonald's around every corner! In a globalized environment, there is always not enough time to sit down and have a good meal due to the amount of work. So, fast food is the only way to go. McDonald's has came up with all sorts of ideas to fit all sorts of people. They have a morning menu for those that wake up early and the "24hr" drive-thru strategy. This has enabled their sales to increase and has done better than any other fast food chain eg. Pizza hut, KFC, Burger King etc. Bibliography:
Broader Perspectives, The Lost Issue 4, "Characteristics of the Modern World"
Broader Perspectives, The Food & Society Issue, The Politics Hunger, Issue 1, School of Thought, Flaming Toast Productions
Singaore Population 2007, US Census International DB
Globalization Insider, LISA Localization Industry Standards Association, http:www.lisa.org/globalizationinsider/2005/01/a_day_in_the_li.html, " A Day in the Life of the Globalization Manager at McDonald's Corp"
“This year, Americans will spend more money on fast food than on high education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars,” says Eric Schlosser in his book, Fast Food Nation. Currently McDonald’s opens 2,000 restaurants yearly, averaging to an opening every five hours; with intentions to grow and expand in the next century. The term McDonaldisation, popularized by George Ritzer, author of The McDonaldisation of Society, has been adopted by believers of that McDonald’s negatively structures and dominates our society, economy, politics, and culture through their grand size and power.
Behind the smiling face of Ronald McDonald lurks a singularly determined multi-national corporation that wields power over governments. Happy meals and donations target the most vulnerable people in society. Ronald McDonald has a proven policy of suing drastically for “telling lies about them”, even threatening to sue credible media institutions like BBC and The Guardian, which indicates that they are trying to stop the expression of free speech if it affects their commercial operations.
