McDonaldization

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at how the process by which the principles of the fast-food industry are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society, as well as the rest of the world, is viewed as a social threat by some sociologists today. It also discusses how critics of this view maintain that this same process has created hundreds of thousands of jobs for those who might not otherwise have a job opportunity at all and that working even at minimum wage job provides people with valuable job skills and a solid work ethic. It examines how understanding the "McDonaldization" process, if it indeed exists, requires an examination of any benefits and disadvantages that have been identified as resulting from this phenomenon. It proposes a study to measure the effect, if one exists, of working a minimum wage job early in life on developing transferable job skills and a good work ethic in later years. The study uses a survey approach to measure the responses of 20 participants as to their perception of the McDonalidization process based on past job experiences. A discussion of the findings is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

Outline
Chapter One
Introduction
Problem Statement
Overview of the Study
Rationale of the Study
Definition of Terms
Chapter Two
Review of the Relevant Literature
What Is McDonaldization Anyway?
Overview of McDonald's
What the Critics Say
What the Supporters Say
What is Automation
Feedback Principle
Automation and the Computer Marketplace
Computer Automation in Industrial and Service Environments
Cultural Aspects of Automation
Conforming to Quality Standards
Conforming to Group Standards
The Corporate Learning Culture
"Adapt or Die"
Chapter Three
Research Methodology
The Approach
Advantages of Survey Approach
Survey Design
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Limitations of the Study
Validity and Uniqueness (Originality) of the Data
Data Gathering Method
Chapter Four
Results
Section I. Yes/No Questions
Section II. Scaled Questions
Section III. Open-Ended Questions
Chapter Five
Discussion
Section One
Section Two
Chapter 6
Conclusions
References

From the Paper:

"One of the sternest critics of McDonald's, George Ritzer, says in his book, McDonaldization of America, that he defines McDonalization as "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 the rest of the world" (1993, p. 1). Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's in 1948 in Southern California. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's Corporation, opened his first McDonald's in 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois (originally scheduled to be torn down, this store was saved as a result of public demand and is now a well-maintained and popular museum). By the 1950's, the technological advances in preserving and storing food combined with the growing ownership of automobiles and the development of vast new suburbs transformed both shopping and eating habits. As a result, American shopping plaza supermarkets quickly overwhelmed many smaller, independent grocers. It was at this time in American history that fast food was introduced in an effort to entice families out of the home by providing a meal at a price that everyone could afford. From the critics' perspective, the reasons for going out to use one of the new businesses no longer relied on the quality of the service that was given, but the qualities that McDonaldization emphasized."

More papers on McDonaldization:

• Essay # 86505 : "The McDonaldization Thesis"
• Book Review # 122009 : "Modern McDonaldization"
• Analytical Essay # 127097 : "Frame Analysis of "The McDonaldization of Society"
• Research Paper # 122701 : "Globalization, Fordism, and McDonaldization"

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