THE MCDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETYThomas Jawan NIM 19090017

William Soedharman NIM 19090036

ABOUT MCDONALD McDonald’s Corporation

is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving nearly 47 million customers daily.

A McDonald's restaurant is operated by either a franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself.

HEALTHY MCDONALD

McDonald’s primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast menu, soft drinks, milkshakes, and desserts.

In response to obesity trends in Western nations and in the face of criticism over the healthiness of its products, the company has modified its menu to include such healthier alternative as salads, wraps, fruit.

MCDONALDIZATION

...is 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. (Ritzer, 1993:1)

INTRODUCTION

McDonaldization (or McDonaldisation) is a term used by sociologist George Ritzer in his book The McDonaldization of Society (1993).

He describes it as the process by which a society takes on the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant.

McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization, or moving from traditional to rational modes of thought, and scientific management.

Ritzer highlighted four primary components of McDonaldization: Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, Control

EFFICIENCY Is the more familiar term used to describe

a formally rational process that employs the best and quickest means to achieve a particular goal.

The optimal method equates to the fastest method to get from point A to point B.

In the example of McDonald's customers, “Getting from a state of being hungry to a state of being full”.

Efficiency in McDonaldization means that every aspect of the organization is geared toward the minimization of time.

CALCULABILITY Is the attempt to measure, calculate, and

quantify every aspect of the organizational process and product.

McDonaldization developed the notion that quantity equals quality, and that a large amount of product delivered to the customer in a short amount of time is the same as a high quality product.

This allows people to quantify how much they're getting versus how much they’re paying.

Workers in these organizations are judged by how fast they are instead of the quality of work they do

The 1.6 ounce precooked hamburger is exactly 3.875 inches in diameter, fitting on a bun that is 3.5 inches in diameter.

Size and quantity are emphasized and reflected in the menu items.

Quantity takes predence over quality. The large quantity compensates for the low

quality.

CALCULABILITY

In the McDonald, every element of food preparation is measured and timed.

PREDICTABILITY Is built into the McDonaldization process in the

way the food is prepared and delivered and in terms of the mutual expectation on both side of the counter.

No matter where a person goes, they will receive the same service and receive the same product every time when interacting with the McDonaldized organization.

Employees’ tasks are highly repetitive, highly routine, and predictable.

The success of the McDonald’s model is based precisely on people knowing what to expect and what they will get.

Customers know what they want when they walk through the door, from the insincere welcome to the disposal of one’s garbage.

People knowing what to expect and what they will get.

PREDICTABILITY

*The best surprise is no surprise.

CONTROL

Is a fundamental feature of all organizations.

Particular characteristic of McDonaldization.

The leading source of unpreditability and uncertainty resides in the human factor, the labor process is designed to minimize employee discretion.

Innovation is discouraged.

PRINCIPLES OF MCDONALDIZATION

Media CNN & USA Today (McNews). Banking through ATM (McMoney). Health care is dispensed through walk-in/walk out

medical centres (McHealth). Management practices are reduced to the “one

minute manager” (McManagement). College courses can be taken online in the comfort

of one’s home (McCollege)

McDonalization are applicable to almost every sphere of life.

DIFFUSION OF MCDONALDIZATION

There is irrationality and rationality. Organization of society around rationality principles

(effeciency, calculibility, predictable, control), which are designed to achieve particular goals, actually undermine the ability to realize other objectives such as freedom, creativity, centomplation, quality and individuality.

Countercultural trends toward : Quality over quantity. Health food over fast food. Soliciting local independent businesses rather

than franchises. Seeking out alternative less commercialized,

services and businesses

CONCLUSION

With these four processes, a strategy which is rational within a narrow scope can lead to outcomes that are harmful or irrational.

Ritzer suggests that in the later part of the Twentieth Century the socially structured form of the fast-food restaurant has become the organizational force representing and extending the process of rationalization further into the realm of everyday interaction and individual identity.

McDonald's serves as the case model of this process in the 1990's.