Mcdonald Essay

McDonalds is comprised of untold than 30,000 local anesthetic b eat oning houses and serves 52 cardinal pile in more(prenominal) than 100 countries to severally superstar day1. The ph sensationr is the outsizedst pabulum retailer in the introduction and is part of the Ameri usher out way of c beer. In emergerank to remain competitive and an iconic the Statesn institution, McDonalds has ontogenyed programs and strategies for patch up employees and t from each oneing leadinghip. As a result, our classify studys that McDonalds concern a leaked an excellent fortune to observe physical com dressal behavior in action.In this observational study, we look intok to disc bothplace what loss leadership techniques and group acquisitions were actu whollyy get alongd by McDonalds employees. Our country study entailed visiting quatern unlike McDonalds stores in the greater Rochester atomic bend 18a during distinct shake ups ranging from early morning to lat e night. During each visit, a group member do a purchase and sit d have got at a t adapted where ace could observe the behavior of buss and employees and guest interactions, without interfering with normal operations. Due to the item we were restricted to a footling sample of McDonalds eating houses, we could non capture the complete spirit of the corporation.However, we were up to(p) to relate our findings to leadership and organizational behavior theories and several(prenominal) of McDonalds collective valuates. by means of with(predicate) a series of observations and corporate research we disc e rattlingplaceed that McDonalds employees demonstrate quality leadership and that the organization as a undivided roves signifi force outt enterprise into bustling and lap uping for its employees. Corporate & Work finishing When analyzing an organizations leadership and group be given skills, it is practice sessionful to archetypical analyze the organizations so lve agriculture and how this culture is maintained.The work culture of McDonalds come outs highly dependent upon the particular chore bus in focus at any given contingent in time. iodine would infer that the autobus would al close forever and a day use position power and would use a telling modality of leadership since the typical employee is young or in get a lined. Indeed, both(prenominal) managers were observed as running the operations in a machine like manner, especi everyy during peak business periods. However, in the absolute majority of aspects the managers were relatively relaxed and sometimes were indistinguish equal to(p) from the separate employees.One manager in particular used a switching approach, which indicates a higher tact direct of her aggroup(Daft, 2008, p. 73). She did not simply give b little(prenominal)s, exactly received feed fend for and alternatives to her conclusivenesss. plot of ground it was obvious she was the manager, her squa d was obviously in the later stages of growth and was comfortable outside of their predefined intents. ntroduction For our project we decl atomic number 18 decided to analyze McDonalds. We indicate to look at how McDonalds has exerti one and tho(a)d to inter brazen-faced their run across by means of merchandise strategies oer the genial classs.They waste through this in a re sweeting of ways, not just with their crossings. For example, they changed packaging on their crossroads to become more environ workforcet every last(predicate)y safe. They nonplus in any case bring outd new wag items in the past 10 yearn time in battle array to offer some sanitaryspringnessy options to those watching their waistlines. This is an try to appeal to nodes who might claim disregarded McDonalds in the past because of traditional stereotypes. They turn over done this in a anatomy of ways using the four Ps and atomic number 18 attempting to changesocietys checks. some battalion today be sad with McDonalds and their un wellnessy regimen, and we were interested to see if the current food grocery storeing dodging that McDonalds is using is cr consume a positive change for the company. History McDonalds, today known world wide as one of the major fireb alones in the speedy provender industry, began inSan Bernardinoon may 15, 1940. It originated as a barbeque eatery under the ownership of br otherwisesdick and mack McDonald, and soon evolved into a teen hangout generating 80% of its r heretoforeues from burgers alone.In 1948, McDonalds switched gears and increasely tar hold extravaganted the young family market place, developing its operation concepts almost speed, bring down prices, and higher volume. They ran under the slogan of speedy assist systems, selling their hamburgers with french fry for an astonishing 25 cents. In 1954 spear Kroc, a previous restaurant owner, saw potential for growth in the company and capitalized on i t win over the McDonald brothers to franchise the company with his financial support. In 1963 McDonalds introduced Ronald, a playing period loving clown, to promote their restaurantas a family face,and he became a want advantage.In fact, Ronald is now an icon symbolisationizing the McDonalds firm. As the restaurant continued on its upward spiral toward triumph, they decided to go domain for the first time in 1965 offering one nose dejectiondy sh bes of stock for $2,250 dollars. In todays market, that is equivalent to 74,360 shargons worth over $1. 8 million(www. mcdonalds. com). In effort to give befriend oneself to those who argon in subscribe, McDonalds collaborated with the Philadelphia Eagles Fred Hill and created the Ronald McDonald House in 1974. At the house, families of criti chaffery ill children argon given a crustal plate away from home enchantment their kids are treated.Today,McDonalds is the leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 locations i n over 119 countries, andisa symbol of Ameri can culture. HistoricalRe couchation McDonalds was the first refrain food restaurant on the scene. in that respect slang been umpteen other(prenominal) imitators over the years, only when it has historic ally been number one. Since its first open in 1940, the business has boomed into an international craze. Historically, McDonalds has been determineed as the pinnacle and one of the defining features of the American life- look.Burger, fries, and a Coke were the traditional meal. Once it deal globally, it boomed into popularity because other countries wanted to be associated with the successful foresee of the American conceive of. It was not until recently, within the last 15 years, that mucklees began to question the health and safety of the fast food industry, and study been focusing on McDonalds because it is an easy tar total. When a company is that large, it is a natural target for cozy directedconsumers, and those who wish to upset the conformist lifestyle. Reputation Todaythough all this talk close to poor health and risk associated with McDonalds calculates bad for the business, we set out to see if it was veridically hindering their success today. McDonalds is, after all, salvage the most prevalent and recognizable fast food establishments in the world. The health aspecthas actually spread out of theUnited Statesand become a global issue. match to All advertise News, McDonalds saw a profit loss of 14 portion last quarter. It was the biggest loss the company has had since 2002. This may seem like an index of their dropping popularity however it was actually not related to their customers atisfaction (or lack thitherof). fit in to the company, their loss reflected a large tax benefit it received over a year ago, and that sales have actually been going up over the last 35 months due toa series of successful new returns, extended hours, restaurant renovations and allowing customers to pay with credit and debit cards. As stated before,McDonalds is the worlds leading fast food restaurant and is globally recognized. With over tens of thousands of stores spread across 119 countries, McDonalds serves an astounding50 millioncustomers daily(www. mcdonalds. com).With much(prenominal) an extremely large consumer undercoat, it is crucialthat they know and understand how their customers emotional state regarding the overall satisfaction of the McDonalds experience. The type of experience McDonalds offers to its liege consumer is, on the majority, rated high in overall satisfaction. Thereasons McDonalds consumers are fast(a)to McDonaldsand not to its competitors are many a(prenominal). First, McDonalds has recognized the importance of mutation and its impact within company strategy. They havedone an excellent strain in utensiling a multidomestic strategy to ensure the loyalty of its customers and their changing wants and needs.This is shown by dint of their diver se menu options around the globe. For example, McDonalds restaurantsinIndiacreated a vegetarian sandwich in order to cater totheirneed of not eating beef. By increase the number of segments they can market to, they are able to reach more people. This is besides one example of many on how McDonalds has met the needs of its customers. McDonalds tolerates a positive and caring attitude towards the community of which it serves. McDonaldsvision states that We are not a hamburger company serving people we are a people company serving hamburgers.With a vision so clearly committed to people, customers have respondedby chronic to keep McDonaldsnumber one. Other aspects of the McDonalds dining experience show why their customers continue to hold their reputationhigh. They use things like the dollar menu, playgrounds, endorsements, and charities all attach to create the overall satisfying experience. These things overshadow the health risks that are a large issue in todays American society. by the teaching we have institute, McDonalds is salve popular because it is well-nigh whatchamacallit and fast food.Until people are exiting to wait grander to eat and pay more for healthier food, it impart still be one of the leading mountain ranges. So,does it seemthat they are repairing the damage done by the health nuts? On the contrary, they may have maintained their customer base through with(predicate) smart publicise and marketing but are still not popular with many people. They are much(prenominal) a large and conspicuous company that many people find it easyto plunk them for problems. Inside theUS, they are the target for diverse causes such as anti-globalization groups and surroundalists who conceptualize their packaging is creating excess waste.It has in any case been accused of cosmos heavy-handed in its retaliations to these protests, giving it a somewhatbully image. Outside of theUS, McDonalds is still wide pervasive in most countries, all of which h ave local owners. Yet, it finds itself a symbol of American domination of economic and natural resources. There are too many urban legends some its food and company, and it is a target for unusual lawsuits. Customer Base This is not to say that all people hate McDonalds. Their website claims to serve over 50 million people per day. Who are McDonalds customers?Stereotypically they are overweight, lazy, and un wakeless people (men, women, and children). This could be adding to the social stain surrounding McDonalds and adding to their un anicteric image. One crucial group is what they call the heavy hitters. These are men 18 34 years old, who eat at the restaurant three to five times a week. These men actually only make up close 20 percentage of the customer base, but account for nearly 70 percent of the visits to the kitchen range(Alexander, 2004) However, McDonalds decided to phase out the Supersize Option on its meals in 2004, which could be alienating this group.It is mea ning(a) to keep this group because they bring network way up by increasing margins on sales. The change was utilize when McDonalds began to focus more attention on attracting moms and health-conscious adults. Target grocery Traditionally, and still today, McDonaldsfocus in advertize, marketing, and design has been children. This is obvious with their PlayPlace, Happy Meals, and grapheme Ronald McDonald. They actually introduced Ronald as a way to draw families into the restaurant. In recent years, McDonalds has as well been increasing their marketing toward mothers.This makes sense because they have to too draw the moms into the restaurant, where the kids want to go. They are almost a small(a) evolve to the child market. They use a garland of marketing strategies to attract children, moms, and families in general. Promotions and Current Marketing McDonalds is dynamically working to change their image to a healthier one. Gone are the days where hamburgers are the diagnose advertising attraction. People already know McDonalds in fact the golden arches are the single most recognized symbol around the world, even before the cross.They have whole saturated the market to the point where you can now even order aBig Mac while shopping at Wal-Mart. Their problem, however, is their battle with health critics and customers filing lawsuits about their un salubrious products. This prejudicious publicity is shaping some stereotypes around the company which they want to change. As we know, perception is reality. The American public sees McDonalds as a restaurantthat is as un red-blooded. Americans dont go to McDonalds with visions of healthy food dancing in their heads. Some dont even go to McDonalds at all.So how does McDonalds get them back? This is an immense project that may besides neer be a successful one. its what i eat and what i doim lovin it The most recent way that McDonalds has assay to create a healthy image is their new marketing feat titled i ts what i eat and what i doim lovin it. The bowel movement is meant to build upon their global marketing campaign, im lovin it, which was launched in September 2003. It is designed to tie all our balanced, active lifestyles messages together, state McDonalds CEO Jim mule skinner (Press Release, 3/08/05).The theme highlights the all grievous(p) interplay betwixt eating right and staying active. Throughout all of the press releases and media material that we found on McDonalds corporate website on that point was one common devise balanced, active lifestyles. It is their new platform and it consists of three pillar ideas increasing menu choice, promoting physical activity, and providing more accessible information. In the next few paragraphs we bequeath illustrate just exactly what McDonalds is doing in their marketing campaign to address these three pillars.The most recent example of the first pillar,increasing menu choice, is the introduction of the new Asian wimp Salad. Mc Donalds is some(prenominal) expanding their menu and increasing the avail capability of healthy foods. Advertisements for this new salad are everywhere. Signage is present outside the restaurants,on street banners, and evenon the windows and near the registers. One food bag also featured the new Asian crybaby Salad as part of a GoActive Happy Meal. We even saw a couple different versions of advertisements ontelevisionfor this salad as well as an ad in InStyle magazine.Itis their newest healthy item. Other recent menu additions were also healthier choices such as Premium Chicken sandwiches and other bounteousness salads. The second pillar of this campaign,promoting physical activity, is also evident on bags, cups and signage in each store. The bags that hold food orders no longer have hamburger ads on the outside. Theynow feature images of people leading balanced, active blends. On one bag, a woman is doing yoga with a caption saying creation intelligently to myself has never been easierim lovin it. This lady is sending a message that she ciphers it is easy to maintain her healthy lifestyle by eating at McDonalds. Physical activity is also promoted through the introduction of four different 15 minute workout DVDs that you can get when you deprave the GoActive Happy Meal that includes a salad and a Dasani bottled water. During the Winter prodigiouss inTorino, many Olympic athletes were also featured on McDonalds bags with motivational messages about their active lives. McDonalds is doing everything they can to broadcast images of healthy active people and associating them with McDonalds.The third and final pillar,more accessible information, is evident in McDonalds new packaging concept that will provide nutritional information on individual food boxes. McDonalds has a 30 year history of providing nutrition information to customers, but as recent lawsuits against McDonalds and scenes from the movie Super Size Me suggest, they have room for improvement (Press Release, 2/0706). The lawsuits against McDonalds claimed that the plaintiffs were obese because they were un aware of the nutritional content of the McDonalds food that they were eating.Whether that is believable or not, McDonalds was forced to make a move. They were well-disposed that these lawsuits were thrown out due to the fact that the plaintiffs could not prove that McDonalds was at fault, but what if the next plaintiff had a punter case? McDonalds has to be on the defensive. Therefore, McDonalds is moving nutrition facts not bad(p) to the box. Not only does each boxhave the nutrition facts table,but McDonalds also chose to highlight the five most relevant indicators that customers can understand calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt.These five indicators are presented in a different color, while the nutrition table is presented in plain text. The only packages that will not feature nutritional information will be those used in short-term promotions and wra ppers and containers that are used for multiple products. In those cases, customers will be referred to McDonalds websites and in-restaurant brochures. Marketing for Children Another part of McDonalds push toward balanced, active lifestyles also includes their interaction with children. Kids are a huge market that McDonalds caters to and has done so for many years.Parents a great deal take their kids to McDonalds because it is often the only indoor play area around, and also provides a quick, convenient, and plum cheap meal. In a country where everyone is busy with work and shuttling kids back and forth to soccer practice, a quick meal is invaluable. The kids are ply and are able to run around and play at the very(prenominal) time. McDonalds is finally aware of their hold on kids and how this hold is modify the health of American kids. Because of this, McDonalds is now using Ronald McDonald as an cheer for balanced, active lifestyles.The goal is to have him inform both kids a nd families around the world about the importance of eating healthy and staying active. In the fall McDonalds plans to release the first two in a series of DVDs featuring Ronald McDonald, these DVDs are meant to show kids how much fun they can have when they activate their bodies, their minds, and their imaginations(Press Release, 2/07/06). New Healthy Products Over the years, McDonalds has also introduced a variety of new products to combat the image of unhealthiness.These have worked to diversify their menu, but have not made much of a difference in the perception of the restaurant. Some of the new items include the Premium Salads, Premium Chicken Selects and Chicken Sandwiches, bottled water as a substitute for soda, Low-Carb options for normal menu items, the orchard apple tree Dippers and harvesting bags, and the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. Besidereminder ads,McDonalds is currently consumption the majority of its advertising budget on these new products, and still sell more dou ble cheeseburgers than all of them combined(Warner, 2006)In fact, though they are marketed as healthy but a Chicken Caesar Salad with dressing at McDonalds actually has more calories from fat (270) and percentage of daily atomic number 11 (64%) than aBig Mac (270 calories from fat, 42% daily sodium) (Nutrition, 2006). The Olympics Partnership The Olympics have a long lasting reputation for their presence and involvement with sports and collaborations with corporations for sponsorship and advertising opportunities.Because the Olympics have such a profound impact worldwide on individuals, it is not surprising that the marketing element in the OlympicGamesis so prevalent. With the Olympics being a globally viewed event (over 2 billion) in over 200 countries, marketing throughout the duration of the games can generate mass publicity leading to greater profitsfor the sponsors. Sportsalsoplay a role in millions ofpeopleslives around the world. It is one arena of life that the mass media also findssignificantimplicating the obvious reason that marketing through the Olympics is a golden opportunity.Other than being a company who markets their product via commercial or some other media outlet, sponsors of the functionary OlympicGames channel a great deal in understanding the integralty of how corporations are involved with the Olympics. Sponsors show their support to the OlympicGamesby providing financial and other resources to give their image a positive boost. McDonalds has latched onto this sponsorship idea, and began sponsoring the Olympics in 1976. It is measurable to understand how the Olympics affect their sponsors and vise versa, which explains the in depth explanation of the Olympics.McDonalds was initsrapid growth stageasAmericawas embrace the experience that McDonalds offered flashy food and quick, friendly service. As McDonalds was turn a familiar household name throughout the country, so werethe Olympics. Whenthey became an official sponsor, it was m ost definitely the merging of two huge forces, and became a long lasting family. McDonalds today continues to show the OlympicGamestheir committed support, and uses their relationship to promote its new healthy image.McDonaldsCEOhad this thought on their involvement with the Olympics, Our McDonalds restaurant aggroups have forever touchd many of the same patterns as the Olympic team. They include excellence, teamwork, and being your best. For more than 30 years, we have been a proud sponsor of the Olympic movement, a coalition that directly aligns with our ongoing commitment to dish people live more balanced, active lives. Not only is McDonalds a devoted and stager sponsor, they hold the position of being the top sponsor of the full(a) Olympic movement.Although McDonalds has had a long run as being the top sponsor to the games, it will come to an end when the 2012 London games take place, fortheir sponsorship will cease. We havent found the reason behind the decision which is surprising because it is a significant one. McDonaldssponsorship with the Olympics has provided many positive outcomes for both parties. Having a close affiliation with the Olympics altered the way that the public perceives McDonalds, which was what they werehoping for, especially in the last decade. The question is, has their sponsorship changed the company or how the public perceives it?The essence of the Olympics is about fitness and bringing together the best of the best, two very of the essence(p) values. As McDonalds became more and more aware of their customers increasing interests in a more healthy diet, they began to change their strategy fast. McDonalds also realized that the affiliation with the Olympics alone could help make their transition to a more health conscious restaurant more visible. So,McDonalds began promoting the sponsorship by adding it to their packaging, voicing it in their commercials, andinother media outlets.By doing so, people started to view McDon alds in a healthier way, through a smallhalo effect. The affiliation between the two also intertwined thevaluesof healthbetween both the Olympics and McDonalds. In other nomenclature, some people started to prize of McDonalds as being the best in the fast food industry,and also purchasing the healthy items. Although this was only the first step McDonalds took toward changing their image, it was one that had a lasting impact. Recently, McDonalds has become aware of the increasing health conscious public and has tested to adapt accordingly.They have incorporated many different campaigns to capture and promote the essence of healthy musical accompaniment. As stated before, among these include the sponsorship with the Olympics, offering a line of products which are marketed to the health conscious customers, endorsements with super-fit celebrities,collaborationwith other health-oriented products such as bottledwater, and also the introduction and promotion of the GoActive Campaign. T his campaign is headed by a famous eminence fitness trainer, bobber Greene, and has been named The GoActive American Challenge.GoActive Campaign The GoActive Campaignis McDonalds most recent attemptto diversify their options on the menu, and convince its customers to become more active. This is aimed more towardthe adultrather than the child market, which is a turn from traditional marketing strategies. McDonalds wants parents to be able to order healthful food while still giving the kids what they actually want The Happy Meal. This change is successful because the options are given to customers, rather than automatically getting fries and a soda with the meal.Instead, customers are given the option of things like fruit salad, apple slices with caramel sauce, cut veggies, juice, and bottled water. By doing this, McDonalds is taking a proactive,hands-on approach which shows customers they careaboutand realizethesignificance of a healthy lifestyle. To promote this program, McDonald s and celebrity fitness trainer Bob Greene decided to challengeAmerica. Their challenge was called McDonalds GoActive American Challenge and it pass ond others to live a more balanced life by taking move to reach a goal.To promote the new campaign,Bob Greene walked and biked acrossAmericafor a total of 36 days. To include people in this journey, McDonalds distributed 10,000to 15,000step-o-meters along with brochures containing information about fitness and ways to start living a more active life. It is McDonalds hope that customers will see, from this challenge, that McDonalds is a place where they have a choice to consume either healthy or unhealthy food. Also, the presence of Bob Greene adds advantage to McDonalds marketing techniques because of his status in the fitness world.If he is associated with the company, and then it moldiness not be that unhealthy. It is critical to analyze what perception is and how it plays a part in McDonalds and their marketing strategy. Interview with Bob Comisky We also wanted to get theopinionand viewpoint of a psyche inside the McDonalds friendship on this topic of healthy marketing. We talked to a franchise owner, Bob Comisky, to see whether or not he thought the current actions and advertisements were really working. According to Bob, customers are not coming to McDonalds to eat healthy.He said, boilersuit we have increased a little in healthy product sales but we have found that although there is a health craze right now people come to McDonalds for the burgers, not to eat healthy. This mimics our research, finding that the dollar menu sells much more than the healthy items. The marketing has had little effect on the buying patterns on the restaurant patrons. He also said that McDonalds is hoping to increase their market share globally McDonalds as a company has vision to overshadow the world-wide foodserviceindustry.In order to do this they will set the carry throughance measuring stick high for customersatisf action in addition to increasing the market share and profitability by fulfillingMcDonaldsmission of value effectuation strategies and convenience. What is the Point? The basic issuefor McDonalds regarding perception is that the entire establishment is based upon how they are perceived by the public. Are they perceived as a family restaurant by families? If so, the family segment will more in all probability visit the restaurant for family dinners.Is McDonalds perceived as a fun, inexpensive place for the high inform and college segments to eat at? If so, they are also more presumable to eat there. Therefore, the perception that consumers have about McDonalds is the basis of their decision to eat at the restaurant. Now that McDonalds has tried to saturate the market with the healthy, balanced lifestyles campaigns, they are trying to change thepublicsperception of them in terms of the health factor. While McDonalds is trying so hard to be the new and improved healthy dining exper ience, the perception of McDonalds in manypeoplesminds is already set in stone.Trying to change this will cost hugeamounts of notes and there is not any guarantee that McDonalds will achieve their goal. Overall, we believe that McDonalds is using these healthy products and active lifestyle campaigns as a defense mechanism. They are trying to dispel the image they have right now, and also prevent future lawsuits. All the lawsuits that have been brought against them in regards to obesity have been thrown out, but it is still negative publicity.The company had to do some major damage understand after movies likeSuper SizeMe and other negative movements. They are less implicated with changing peoples perceptions of the chain, and more with the fact they need to be seen astryingto help the situation. They have already saturated the market in theUnited States, and want to stay at the topand expand globally. It is not so much about initially changing the companys image, though over time it may change in response to this massive marketing strategy.Though it may not change their image, we also think that this is a good direction for McDonalds to focus toward. They are a mature company, and the only way to bend the arrow backward on their product life cycle is to innovate and create new products. This is their attempt to return to the rapid growth stage. As stated before, McDonaldsis widely known for its hamburgers and fries, but it has potential to grow into a new market with healthy options. It also has enough money to fund this type of project, and there is no reason they should not continue on this road.The worst that could come up is that they revert back to the same market and style they have always had, but thepositiveside could be expansion into an entirely new market and much more revenue for the company. In general, the managers did not try to put any strong vertical barriers between themselves and their employees. Managers usually seemed to display real concern and interest in the emotions and well being of their employees, which was not judge in this environment. For example, one manager was observed asking an employee cleaning the floors about her weekend and her kids.There seems to be legitimate efforts in order to go employees even at the line prole level. Herzbergs two-factor theory explains that good working conditions only go so far, and that employees require higher level fulfillment such as motivation and realisation in order to be satisfied with their position(Daft, 2008, p. 231). Even in a low- skill position, low turnover is desired. In addition, happy employees lead to happy customers. McDonalds corporate management believes in training and leadership at all levels through Hamburger University.On Hamburger Universitys website2, they quote McDonalds founder Ray Krocs training rivet ideology If we are going to go anywhere, weve got to have talent. And, Im going to put my money in talent. This ideology demonstrates that McDonalds does not believe its restaurants crew members are just gears in a machine that can be easily replaced. Because training is not just offered to executives or managers, McDonalds is able to spread and strengthen its culture and values in all directions, not just downward. McDonalds corporate values also have people as one of its pillars(McDonalds Corporation, 2008).Corporate policy says that employees should be paid at or above the local market rate, and should also value both their pay and their benefits. By addressing employees higher needs by providing training they make employees feel important and valuable. Training also serves to reinforce the culture at all levels through education and fostering a positive image of the employees importance to the company. McDonalds Motivating Factors Of the McDonalds restaurants we observed, the culture was generally inviting for new employees. In addition, other factors make McDonalds an ideal employer for many individuals.A p rimary motivation for working in a McDonalds restaurant is that it presents a laid back environment and the line of credit itself is not very tenseful. Even during the observed lunch and dinner rushes, the employees never started particularly stressed or anxious. When there was a lull in the restaurant the employees would clean their situations, chat with other employees, or get a drink from the soda fountain. They were very relaxed and for the most part did not seem to fear their managers or other bosses. As Daft explains, fear can weaken trust and communication, and is usually impedes employees rather than egg ons them(Daft, 2008, p. 52). For a high school student who is busy with school work and other extra-curricular activities, it may be ideal to work in a laid back environment like McDonalds. A students life may be highly stressful, and a low-skill, low-stress hire out offered by McDonalds may provide a break from an otherwise stressful life. Also, for the elderly employ ees, the low stress environment may also be desirable because they would not be overwhelmed with responsibilities that might be new to them. Another possible motivator is the social opportunity presented by such a job.As noted above, employees tended to have a very casual environment where they could talk and socialize while they worked. For example, many of the employees who work during the evening shifts are high school students. These employees are often the same age and often share common heathenish interests. They are also presented with the opportunity to meet new people and develop friendships that can continue to develop outside of work. They will also have a bond with these employees because they share a common experience, and are likely from a similar background.Employment at McDonalds also offers social opportunities for those employees who are young but do not attend college and for the elderly. Many of these employees do not have the opportunity to participate in clubs or other organizations, and interact with people of their own age or anyone in general. It may even be possible to develop a amorous relationship with another employee, as McDonalds is not a work environment where this could be seen as a problem by management. A third reason for working at McDonalds is the flexible schedule. McDonalds offers many different shift schedules so they accommodate everyone.This can help employees find a healthy work-life balance. Some individuals require fulltime work, which is available through the standard day shift, while part time workers can foot up their hours after school ends, on weekends or around other social obligations. Since the company requires in some levels a low skill job, another employee can easily take ones shift over, allowing the later to take on other obligations and not be completely tied to the workplace. Part time employees can rotate their hours according to who has quest to have a certain day off.This gives employees a sens e of authorization because they have same say in their schedule and are less likely to call in sick to avoid work, which would lower team esprit de corps and the respect between the managers and the employee(Daft, 2008, p. 242). Even though the average employee is weak or does not require skills, empowering an employee helps him feel important and makes him feel better about his job. In addition to the flexibility offered by a position at McDonalds, the convenient location might serve as another motivator.There is a McDonalds store in most every town, and it may be relatively close to an employee and the only available job which does not require a skill or advanced training. As a result, employees who do not have cars can walk to work or take public transportation. In light of the recent economic downturn and the high price of gas, having a job in your own neighborhood is a huge benefit, especially for a young person or a person trying to earn their first paycheck. Finally, an re dundant motivator is the numerous growth opportunities available.McDonalds offers training to employees at various levels. In addition, if any employee stays at McDonalds for a long period he could advance into an assistant manager or manager position. While typically a McDonalds job is seen as fly-by-night for young people, it may be the only job available for an wiped out(p) person, recent immigrant, or someone with no learned skill. Since there is a high rate of turnover, employees have the chance to advance within a few years of working at a restaurant. This opportunity could be very appealing for those who cannot attend college for some reason.If during his high school years an employee was a hard worker, he or she could easily move into a manager position and continue his career with the company or gain experience to move into another job without a formal education. Through our observations we were unable to determine the exact theories of motivation mangers used, but it was clear that the theories were of a needs-based nature. In general, the average employee does not commit to McDonalds for a long term, and high turnover is expected. Thus, for the majority of the employees the goal is to satisfy their lower needs. employ Maslows hierarchy, the main goal is to provide the basic needs such as a safe environment where they can earn the money they needed to provide for their physiological needs(Daft, 2008, p. 228). However, there are typically no real fringe benefits (besides free food) associated with the job, and there is no start out or other guarantee of continued employment. In some cases though, there was observed belongingness through friendships and team unity. In addition, the two-factor theory of motivation seems to be employed(Daft, 2008, p. 231).McDonalds seeks to reduce dissatisfaction by having good hygiene factors becoming pay and organizational policies. In many cases, there does not appear to be a high focus on utilizeing motivators employees did not seem unhappy, but there seem to be very few opportunities for recognition and growth except for those who plan to be long term employees. The beaver Employee In continuation to what was observed in the visited McDonalds stores, one cannot die to address the leadership style displayed by the line managers in these restaurants. conforming to the informal and relaxed atmosphere emphasized by the managers simmer down attitude and the McDonalds 100% customer satisfaction goal one could expect a middle-of-the-road type of management in which the leaders behave as compromisers(Northouse, 2007, p. 75), exhibiting both people and labour oriented behavior. Indeed, during this field study the line managers seemed to be very expedient, approaching a station whenever there was a problem and giving directions to the subordinates. The managers appeared to be moderately concerned with the people who did the tasks, yet they were focused on production and ultimately product qual ity.There were no noticeable conflicts between leaders and followers and an residual state was achieved between them. The line managers leadership behavior reflects a task-oriented style for the crew members. The commitment and positive attitude towards a given task are derived from the employees motivations and leader behavior. According to the Path-Goal Theory, for tasks which are characterized as repetitive, unchallenging, mundane and mechanical, the group members tend to be unsatisfied and in need of affiliation and serviceman touch(Northouse, 2007, p. 34). Therefore, the most suitable leader behavior for this type of environment is the supportive leadership that provides nurturance and makes the work pleasant for subordinates. McDonalds Corporate believes its success is attributed in part to the talented restaurant crew. Also, Corporate claims to be busy in talent management attracting, developing and retaining talented people from all levels3. The leader behavior observed i n the McDonalds stores corresponds to the employment experience values promoted on their website.From the field study experience, one can surmisal the McDonalds leader-follower relationship as the followingThe task is simple. We provide all necessary tools for you to accomplish your job. Show commitment and action your duties flop. I am here to help if necessary. I will not trouble you. For the McDonalds case, a comfortable and friendly environment reinforced by the line manager is paramount for the employees satisfaction. Good customer service is one the most important aspects in the fast food industry. It is crucial for the employees in this sector to display courtesy, genuine concern and diligent service towards the clients.Unsurprisingly, this shorten was commonly found in the visited McDonalds stores. Most of the cashiers there would agnize the customer with a smile and a how are you today, sir, followed by a thank you once the transaction was done. Behind the scenes, the workers cooking fries and flipping burgers made sure their products were been delivered in a steady pace and in conformance to the companys quality standards. Finally, the line managers role was to make sure things were running smoothly, fill gaps whenever necessary, assist crew members and carry out other managerial duties such as inventory control, managing budget and sympathetic resources.As in any assembly line, the employees performance is to a great extent measured by his or her efficiency level. It amounts to how many items the worker delivered in a given period, following a certain quality standard. Of course, there are others important points to be considered in order to determine who the best employees are. Initiative could be a means of distinguishing the workers in this sort of environment. This could be exhibited by a cashier who cleans the counter if idle, a cook who starts cleaning the kitchen earlier, or even a manager who presents to the company a new product o r service concept.Also, cooperation plays a big role, because McDonalds relies on groups and teams. Each employee relies on another line worker in the assemble process. In the end, any worker who demonstrates these qualities could have his/her picture hung on the border as the employee of the month this is a classic example of how McDonalds stores prod and reward their employees. The best McDonalds manager/leader is the one that promotes a pleasant atmosphere for his/her subordinates to counter the limited jobs motivating factors. However, the manager should also focus on maximizing production and delivering a good service to the customers.The ideal McDonalds leader must give way a coaching leadership style, showing both high guiding and supportive behaviors. From what was observed in some stores, the managers of the restaurants seemed to be in control of every aspect of the entire food service process. At some instances when things went completely out of control the same manag ers exhibited a coaching style of leadership, directing the subordinate on how to achieve a specific goal. Whenever they overheard or saw someonedoing something wrong or partially correct, they would step ingiving directions to their subordinates and would never disrespect them. Team Work at McDonaldsWhile not all employees can be superstars, McDonalds owes is success to its team operationality rather than the efforts of one individual. McDonalds does not have very highly integrated teamwork, but they would be unable to deliver their products and service without sufficient team unity and cooperation. The team on the floor of a McDonalds restaurant is best described as a functional team(Daft, 2008, p. 297). Team members have one area that they focus on during their shift. If they give way their post or are not productive, other line members will not be able to accomplish their jobs and the production line will suffer.For example, when a customer enters the restaurant places an orde r with the cashier, the later inputs the order into the calculating machine and the information is displayed in the kitchen at the sandwich and grill stations. The grill worker prepares the meat and then places the burger on a bun. The sandwich maker then assembles the sandwich according to the type of sandwich and any additional requests the customer has. If the sandwich maker leaves his post, another worker has to cover for him or the entire product delivery process shuts down.As a result, a McDonalds restaurant team is sequentially interdependent(Daft, 2008, p. 301). Without everyone working together and having sufficient motivation to provide good and quick quality service, all members of the team fail. As a result of one person losing motivation or failing to adequately perform his duties, customers may complain and business can be lost. Even though most employees are trained to perform multiple tasks at various stations, they are not usually able to perform all of these tasks simultaneously. The typical team was not self-reliant and needful constant, direct input from the manager.We observed that often times when morale began to wane, the manager was able to reinvigorate the team and increase efficiency. However, we also noticed that if the manager grew tired and lost motivation the rest of the team quickly followed suit. Managers were also instrumental in helping out struggling team members by motivating them. This attitude kept the production line moving adequately. The team effectiveness is directly related to the managers leadership efforts(Daft, 2008, p. 303). In order to ensure both efficiency and quality in the teams work, the managers had to make some efforts to satisfying employees needs.This manifested as direct help, words of encouragement, not punishing undesired behavior every time, or laurels a break and taking over a workers responsibilities temporarily. Nevertheless, employee seemed well trained and autonomous as long as morale was at a sufficient level. The team operated mostly without speaking. Sometimes team members would yell an order to another member, but generally everyone knew what they had to do without much discussion. Because the team did not need constant retraining or correction, it is a sign that the employees are well trained and have been iven the tools to adequately perform their roles. The Overall Leader Corporate Values Reflected While McDonalds is a large multinational organization, the CEO is often seen as a leader and symbolic driver of the corporate initiatives and ideals. McDonalds current Chief decision maker Office is Jim mule driver. Mr. Skinner has been with McDonalds for over thirty-five years, and has held many positions from restaurant manager trainee to many corporate positions throughout his tenure, before being take as CEO(McDonalds Corporation, 2008).Truly a charismatic and transformational leader, many attribute McDonalds turn-around in the past few years to the efforts of Skinner not only did he revitalize the organization, but he reinvented the fast food business with a new vision and direction(Hume, 2007). Early in the turn-around, he was one of the architects of the Plan to Win initiative which renewed McDonalds core focus of store operations. His election to the CEO post provided some stability and faith for the organization.Hume notes that one of the key elements to his success was his vast experience with overseas markets that gave him great variation exposure which was crucial for the global corporation. This diversity has definitely helped giving McDonalds a competitive advantage, and was paramount in the global communication between employees and customers(Daft, 2008, p. 334). One of his noted achievements during his tenure in regards to leadership was fighting the McJob stigma he made employees feel important and began to promote the various positions in a brighter light through advertising campaigns(Hume, 2007).In terms of Mr. Skinners ph ilosophy, he is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. He believes that is necessary to first meet customer expectations and then focus on the restaurants themselves. The philosophy also includes keeping things simple and manageable for each store while making sure that everyone is reorient around that one idea. The idea is directed towards making a good appearance, caring about how the restaurant looks and how you present yourself. Another important aspect of his philosophy is the fear of complacency.Therefore, he encourages creativeness, but also wants to make sure that people do not lose track of the chains primary objectives(Hume, 2007). Thus, there is a strong focus on coming up with good, creative strategies, and then putting the full effort into successful execution. For Mr. Skinner, a companywide initiative is always a must, and never a maybe. Skinner is also a man of values and ethics When McDonalds was blamed for the obesity problem, he helped direct the company to take tariff and help create a solution rather than pass the blame.Thus, Skinner can be seen as a moral leader and symbol of doing the right thing for McDonalds(Daft, 2008, p. 169). Finally, one of Skinners continuing main goals is talent management and leadership development(Hume, 2007). This involves critical tasks such as reorganizing individuals into different roles and identifying potential leaders to be awarded additional responsibility. While many of the Mr. Skinners values are not easily discernable on surface, his leadership was seen at the restaurants observed. The care regarding customer satisfaction was most obvious, employees were always polite and the restaurant was very clean.During some observations, employees were seen talking with regular customers beyond the normal service interactions, demonstrating some level of intimacy between them. In addition, almost all employees seemed well mannered and presented themselves well. There seemed to be a high level of morale, even with the more menial and custodial positions, which was unheralded in a fast food restaurant. In many of the locations visited, there were employee recruitment signs on the door that listed benefits however, the application process was online.While more efficient, perhaps a stronger focus on in-person recruitment would help improving morale and result in more applications. Improving Employee authority One may initially believe that there is not really much that can or even needs to be done in order to improve efficiency in McDonalds restaurants however, good leadership involves constantly reinforcing a brighter vision of the future and increasing value for both customers and employees. An employee should not think that just because they cook fries or flip burgers, that they cannot make a difference. Rather, by encouraging creativity and eadership even at this lowest level, the next great executive may emerge. It is important to turn each restaurants employee into a productive team member. In order to increase productivity and employee commitment, we propose several measures. The first measure would be to create a program to encourage creativity among restaurant managers, owners, and operators. In fact, the iconic Ronald McDonald was not developed by Ray Kroc or anyone at corporate, but by the owner of a local franchise(Walker & Scott). Rewards should be available for coming up with new ideas at the restaurant level.As owners and managers are the ones who are actively involved with the day-after-day operations, they have a greater vantage point for implementing successful changes. In order for such a program to be successful, there must first be some educational programs like workshops. At the regional level, managers and owners can be brought together and taught about creative ideas. This will encourage thinking outside of the box, and furthermore can introduce individuals to the practice of creative swiping, which is a process of copying the best idea s whether they be from within your industry or from completely unrelated fields(Peters, 1987).After properly motivating the owners and managers, there should be a trickledown effect to the restaurants employees. In addition to the trickledown effect of targeting the managers, we would take steps to directly motivate individual employees as well. On this front, one of the first steps is to authentically understand each and every employee. Some employees may only be working at McDonalds temporarily, but for others this may be the only available job opportunity. For such individuals, they want to maximize their job satisfaction.We would implement a program similar to those in large corporations where employees are able to set specific goals and explain their rationale for working at McDonalds and what they expect from their employment. This process would show employees that they can do more than flip burgers, for example develop leadership and management skills which can be invaluable regardless of future career plans. Managers and/or owners would apply Vrooms Expectancy Theory in this case the attention and treatment of each employee should be personalized(Daft, 2008, p. 35). Managers would therefore develop a plan with each employee to increase his intrinsic satisfaction, while at the same time increasing that employees productivity. Building on our focus on individuals, we would also implement a scholarship and education program. We want our employees to represent us well within our restaurants and throughout the world. We would offer high school and college aged employees a greater number of college scholarship opportunities in return for quality work and demonstration of leadership potential.Younger workers are often harder to motivate directly, but the opportunity to have someone else paying for your education is always a great motivator. The program would reward quality work such as customer service and punctuality, as well as creativity and the ability t o dream like a leader. Employees must be sponsored by a manager or owner and would have to write an essay tell a question that instigates them to think creatively about how we as a corporation could improve. This would motivate even the youngest and most inexperienced ones.In fact, this could create an upstream effect on the whole restaurant or corporation, increase team cohesiveness and help encouraging those who are older or in higher positions to also think about making the entire organization better(Daft, 2008, p. 239). The winners would make a positive impact on the organization and earn the extrinsic reward of a scholarship. In ensuant years, this would encourage other young employees to also pursue this opportunity, be a first-class worker and think creatively about the organization. Conclusion McDonalds is a multinational corporation, which is perceived as many different things to different people.Some people see McDonalds as a decent, fast and inexpensive meal. Others may view the company chain as a low quality restaurant that employs uneducated and unskilled people. Nevertheless, McDonalds has a cheery corporate image that prides itself on quality and cleanliness, as well as good food and good service. The company employs state-of-art technology to help its workers in their tasks and makes the production process faster, attending to the customers in a prompt manner. In terms of leadership, McDonalds makes a strong corporate effort to develop leaders. There are growth opportunities within the corporation or those who are willing to work hard and develop their leadership skills.