...2015 What is McDonaldization Do you like fast food such as hamburgers and french fries? I like cheese burger pretty much, it not just as a banner of fast food and also is a part of the culture. With the developing of the fast food industry, the culture of fast food affects more and more people even causes some social phenomenons. For example, if people think about the symbolic culture of America, I will choose hamburgers. Because, the fast food industry has been rooted in international culture through global economic integration. Thanks to George Ritzer who is an American sociologist, professor, and author who studies globalization, metatheory, patterns of consumption, and modern and postmodern social theory. He creates a new definition, McDonaldization which draws upon Max Weber's idea of rationalization through the lens of the fast food industry. This definition helps people gain a better understanding of how fast food industry affects the whole society. McDonaldization is an academic term that coined by George Ritzer to describe a unique sociological phenomenon in his book The McDonaldization of Society (1993). McDonaldization means a process that makes cooking group or catering enterprise focus on efficiency, calculability, predictability and control shape organization. This improving trend will make fast food services transform mass production. It solves the most important problem that how to realize industrial globalization. In my mind, McDonaldization is a definition...
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...(LW): Canadian Families: Past, Present, and Future Danita Kagan Research/Analytical Review Paper McDonaldization Research Paper In a world where society is so influenced by technological advancements and materialistic possessions and where most people are often inclined to decide the way the live their lives, purchase items and what values and beliefs they follow based on brands, brand characteristics and brand values. We see many North Americans follow a way of life based on brands they connect with such as those who are Nike lovers; most often turn into what the brand stands for. They have a love for athletics, they always must show high performance in more than just sports and always exert a sense of authenticity in their lifestyle, but most importantly they live their lives in a “just do it” mentality. Yet even further social institutions that affiliate around the Nike lifestyle tend to have this same sense of rationalization. However, Nike is a brand that has had a small influence on those who are the brands consumer, when compared to some larger more influential brands. Yet there is one brand, with high global reach that triumphs all brands. This brand is the largest fast-food chain worldwide and the most influential brand in North Americans particularly; this brand is of course McDonalds. In The McDonaldization Thesis: Is Expansion Inevitable written by George Ritzer, Ritzer reveals that on a global scale the brand personality and characteristics of this number one fast-food...
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...or she thinks has become McDonalized. The paper should discuss 1) the McDonaldization of the institution and 2) research and discuss efforts that are being undertaken to counter or resist the trend. Students should look for instance, for alternative lifestyles, alternative forms of organization, or social movements that address the issue. They will decide which efforts are most promising or realistic in resisting McDonaldization. Their analysis should emphasize our course core value of Community. What is McDonalization? McDonaldization was originated from the author American sociologist George Ritzer. He uses McDonalization to define the homogenous sociological result that is happening to our culture. He expresses McDonaldization as the development by which the values of the fast-food restaurant such as McDonalds, are approaching to rule new and diverse divisions of American society, and as well as the rest of the world. The hamburgers here in the United States are the same all over the world. McDonaldization can be looked, in a way, in which the hamburger chain makes food for ingestion is taken as an ideal of Max Weber's philosophy of the reasoning of the modern world. McDonaldization is the development of rationalization. Rationalization is a sociological word that means the replacement of reasonably reliable rules for old-style or inconsistent rules. Companies use the four methods of McDonaldization such as efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. Efficiency...
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...Fast Food Nation: The McDonaldization of Society The term McDonaldization was introduced by George Ritzer. According to Ritzer (1996), the term described a sociological phenomenon that he noticed in society. When the concept of the McDonaldization was first introduced, it was viewed as a process of rationalization. Rationalization is viewed as a means of substituting consistent rules for traditional rules. The aspects of McDonaldization centers on the belief that any task presented can be rationalized. These concepts of Max Weber’s views on the structural change that occurs when humans interact and develop identities. This is compared to the principles of the fast food industry that dominates society. According to Larner and Spoonley (1995), the views of Weber’s analysis of society supports that notion that people will support traditional ways of thinking as an ends and means of viewing the world. When the fast food restaurant was first introduced, it was not seen as a traditional means of providing meals for families, but it has become a force that represents the process of rationalization when providing food for all families. Fast food restaurants have become huge in all American families. The fast food industry has grown faster than any other industry, to include the bookstores, childcare facilities, and toy stores. This process as viewed as the chain mentality. The chain mentality is when a concept or establishment becomes a force that comes to us. For example, fast food...
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...Sarah Falusi P12196126 Full Time | What are the effects of McDonaldization upon jobs and employees? | Dr David Robotham | | The intention of this essay will be to discuss and analyse the effects of Mcdonaldization on jobs and employees. The term “McDonaldization”, according to George Ritzer (1993), can be said be the process of rationalisation, although taken to extreme levels. Rationalisation is a sociological term that simply means the substitution of logically consistent rules for traditional (or illogical) rules. One of the fundamental aspects of McDonaldization is that almost any task can (and should) be rationalised. The procedure of McDonaldization, most often used in the fast food industry although it can be seen in all aspects of society, takes a process and breaks it down into several smaller ones. This is then repeated until all tasks have been broken down to the smallest possible tasks. These following tasks are then rationalised to find the single more efficient methods for completing each process. All other methods are then considered to be inefficient and are then forgotten as the new method is then adopted. The product is a new efficient, logical arrangement of procedures that can be completed the same way every time to produce the desired outcome with usually a minimal amount of application and time as all unnecessary steps are eliminated. The way in which McDonaldization is different from bureaucracy (a system of government in which most of the...
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...Mcdonaldization Although, especially in the United States, the ubiquitous hamburger chain has been around long enough for academics and other commentators repeatedly to have drawn attention to its social effects and analogies in other fields, it is the sociologist George Ritzer who coined the phrase in his book "The Mcdonaldization of Society" (Ritzer, 1996). In his book, which he describes as a work in social criticism, Ritzer analyses the particular ways in which the success of the American hamburger chain has impacted upon not only economic patterns, but in particular on a multitude of facets of social life in general. Basing his analysis on Max Weber's theory of rationalisation, he draws on extensive empirical and anecdotal data to trace these influences. Mention have been made of the fact that the pattern of rationalisation which is so very patently typified by McDonald's, is by no means restricted to the domain of the fast-food market. In fact, in the modern society the first real representative of this wave is probably the supermarket, which came to the fore as a replacement for the corner store and has since itself been superseded by all sorts of hypermarkets. Also in the world of entertainment and healthcare, similar developments have taken place. As far as the first is concerned, video shop chains and Disneyland are pertinent examples, while nobody who has been to a private hospital or medical centre lately, needs to be reminded that the much idealised house doctor...
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...The ideas of the classical theorists, particularly those of bureaucracy and scientific management, are generally considered as rather old fashion and out of date, and of little relevance to work and organization today. Is this really the case? The classical theory is the earliest form of management that perceived that a set of universal principles would apply to all the organizations in all situations to achieve efficiency and organization's goals. Scientific management and bureaucratic theory were one of the several components of the classical school of organization. Important pioneers among them are Frederick Taylor and Max Weber. The classical theories have been contested of little relevance to work and organization today simply because today’s organizations have moved from industrial revolution to the information age due to the fast-paced change in technology (Toffler, 1984). Although bureaucracy has been synonymous to red tape and has negatives effects such as “rigidity, alienation and low commitment” (Adler, 1999, p.37) and dehumanizing people (Grey, 2009), the characteristics of bureaucracy such as specialization, hierarchy of authority, system of rules and impersonality (Stewart, 1986) as well as evidence of ongoing existence of this management method, bureaucracy is proved to remain noteworthy. This essay will examine the situation presented in organization today, and determine whether bureaucracy and scientific management can be considered as old fashioned,...
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...To evaluate this statement we first need to define what the mechanistic and learning approach is. Then define exactly what organisational learning is and what impact the characteristics of the mechanistic approach will have on it. The two approaches involve theories and models about the adaptability and the learning skills of organizations. Bureaucracies clearly lack these characteristics in comparison to other approaches. The mechanistic approach operates the organisation in the same way a machine operates - efficient, specialised, reliable, predictable, logical and with no opinions (has no heart). The model which refers to this approach would be the Taylor model (Taylorism - 21st century scientific management). Frederick Winslow Taylor was a mechanical engineer who strived to improve industrial efficiency. He was a pioneer in the field of scientific management. The Taylor model consists of 4 components. 'Division of labour' where responsibility is shifted from worker to manager. 'One best way' where the scientific methods determine the most efficient way to operate. 'Scientific selection and training' which means the best person is selected depending on experience and qualifications. They are trained to work as efficiently as possible. Finally, 'monitor performance' where operations and performance is observed and monitored through an organisational hierarchy and through supervision. This basic concept further developed into Fordism and finally into TQM. The...
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...revolution, and due to the emergence of the factory system more attention was being given to methods or factors that could contribute towards increasing output levels. It was here that Frederick Taylor began his studies into this field and his ideas were later furthered by individuals such as Gilbreth and Gantt. Despite each individual having a significant input into the study of scientific management Taylor was widely regarded as the ‘Father of Scientific Management’ and hence the term ‘Taylorism’ being introduced. 2. Technically Scientific Management is the “management thought concerned primarily with the physical efficiency of an individual worker”[1]. However George Ritzer defined Scientific Management as a procedure that “produced nonhuman technology that exerted great control over workers”[2]. In this statement Ritzer refers to the effect of scientific management. Before the study by Taylor and most businesses followed the old ‘Rule of Thumb’ management procedure in which the worker had the ‘initiative’[3] and control and therefore it was only his hard work that resulted in the...
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...The McDonaldization of China A Curriculum Project 2009 Fulbright‐Hays Seminars Abroad to China Lynn Guenette Sociology Instructor Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester MN © 2008 NCUSCR • 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1901 • New York, NY 10010-4102 • (212) 645-9677 • www.ncuscr.org Introduction The author had the privilege of traveling to China on a Fulbright‐Hays study tour during the summer of 2009. While sociologists have been studying the effects of McDonaldization in U.S. society since 1993, few have studied how Chinese society has been influenced by this phenomenon. James Watson and his team studied the phenomenon in 1997 and their book, “Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia” is an excellent resource for anyone studying this topic, especially the first two chapters. During a lecture at Chongqing University, Professor Zhang Jin mentioned that the idea of Scientific Management was being explored in China during the early 20th century by such business leaders as Lu Zuofu with his experiment at Beibei. This “model society” was implementing the same values in the early 20th century that McDonald’s later touted in the U.S. fifty years later. The author suspected that they had a common ancestor in Taylorism, a business model developed in the U.S. around 1900. Further research found that indeed, they shared that common ideology. Could this be the reason that the Chinese have adapted so ...
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...revolution, and due to the emergence of the factory system more attention was being given to methods or factors that could contribute towards increasing output levels. It was here that Frederick Taylor began his studies into this field and his ideas were later furthered by individuals such as Gilbreth and Gantt. Despite each individual having a significant input into the study of scientific management Taylor was widely regarded as the ‘Father of Scientific Management’ and hence the term ‘Taylorism’ being introduced. 2. Technically Scientific Management is the “management thought concerned primarily with the physical efficiency of an individual worker”[1]. However George Ritzer defined Scientific Management as a procedure that “produced nonhuman technology that exerted great control over workers”[2]. In this statement Ritzer refers to the effect of scientific management. Before the study by Taylor and most businesses followed the old ‘Rule of Thumb’ management procedure in which the worker had the ‘initiative’[3] and control and therefore it was only his hard work that resulted in the...
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...to five pounds of garbage a day, while being responsible for 124 pounds of behind the scenes consumption. This behind the scenes consumption includes construction materials, fossil fuels, industrial materials, forest, and metals amongst others. We must also keep in mind that this is a 1990 figure, and that Americans consume significantly more in 2014. It is statistics like these that make it almost inevitable that we end up with skyscrapers of garbage like in Wall-E. Additionally, Hardin brings up a point worth noting in “The Tragedy of the Commons” with regard to population growth. Because the population is growing faster than it ever has before, not only are we consuming more but there are also so many more people alive in our current society. This makes the question of where we...
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...anytime footage of a unique event or an action in the world is shared in cyberspace for everyone to see; these are small affects of globalization in life. Globalization integrates economy and cultures of different regions of the world through trading, telecommunication, technology, human migration, and capital flows. Incentive of the integration may be economic, political, cultural, technological or humanitarian. George Ritzer’s invented term, McDonaldization, is a subset of the globalization phenomenon. Ritzer compares globalization with characteristic of a fast-food restaurant. The characteristic includes measuring efficiency by pace of serving customers, which means the fastest worker is the efficient one; getting a large amount of food in a very low price; receiving constant and predictable service from distinctively similar workers. Ritzer believes the fast-food characteristic is dominating different sectors of American society and the entire world. In fact, this is the irresistible effect of globalization. The phenomenon, which Ritzer calls McDonaldization, is neither new nor destructive; it is just how firms coexist in free comparative market. Accepting globalization instead of resisting it, would help to promote global prosperity. Educating different aspects and strength points of globalization and its impacts on economy, culture and politic would ease the acceptance. Globalization impacts the world economy with diverse effects. Roger A. Arnold, in his book Economics...
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...twentieth century; he was famous for his classical management theory. Weber classified three different types of authority, traditional, charismatic and legitimate authority. Traditional authority is based on traditions and customs that the leader has the legitimate right to use authority. Charismatic authority is the belief that the leader whose mission and visions will inspire others. Legitimate authority is based on formal, system of rules. In the 1930s, Weber introduced that the bureaucratic form as being the ideal way of organizing government agencies. This soon became popular in both the private and public sectors. Weber believes that the development of rational forms to be the most important characteristics in the development of Western society and capitalism. He considered the traditional and charismatic forms as irrational. Rationality is based on reasoning, calculation and logic. One of the many types of rationality includes the formal rationality. The notion of formal rationality is important to the emergence of industrial capitalism as capitalism values reason, calculation and precision, science and logic. Formal rationality is a form of rationality that characterizes bureaucratic organizations. Bureaucracy refers to the execution of tasks that are governed by official administrative and formal rules of an organization. Weber’s bureaucratic management theory focuses on dividing organizations into hierarchies with authorities and control. The ideal type is extreme, empirically...
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...Introduction The principles of today's management goes back to the mid 1990's when an article named the “principles of scientific management” was published by Fredric Winslow Taylor who pioneered the term ‘scientific management’ in 1911. He defined scientific management as a study to increase productivity by methodologically studying the correlation between the individual and the task for the purpose of reconstructing and improving the work process (Jones and George, 2003). In the 19th and 20th century working hours were long, intense and confined, which resulted in the workers performing their tasks slower (Brodner, 2007). These issues caught the attention of Fredrick Winslow Taylor who was from the industrial revolution era, which was previously characterized by mass production (Asyali and Bastug, 2014). His intention was to increase the efficiency of the workforce by scientifically studying how work was done and by improving each stage without wearing out the laborers (Ahlstorm, 2014). Principles of scientific management After conducting various experiments he derived 4 principles, which contributed to the various management practices upheld in the 20th century (Giannantonio and Hurley-Hanson, 2011). First, science not the rule of thumb. In the industrial revolution managers relied on their personal judgment to resolve issues also referred to as the rule of thumb but all such approaches by the managers would not be efficient. Taylor felt that to increase productivity...
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