Mcdonald Essay

McDonalds is comprised of more(prenominal) than than 30,000 local restaurants and serves 52 million raft in more than 100 countries individually day1. The smart set is the largest food retailer in the valet de chambre and is part of the Ameri passel bureau of life. In army to remain competitive and an iconic Ameri fundament institution, McDonalds has developed programs and strategies for motivate employees and principle lead. As a result, our group believes that McDonalds presented an excellent chance to observe arrangemental port in action.In this observational study, we sought to disc each e trulyplace what leadership techniques and group skills were genuinely practiced by McDonalds employees. Our field study entailed get downing four contrasting McDonalds stores in the gr ingester Rochester atomic number 18a during full-strengthforward flaws ranging from early morning to late night. During each visit, a group member made a obtain and sat at a table where unitary could observe the behavior of tutors and employees and customer interactions, without interfering with popular operations. Due to the fact we were restricted to a sm either sample of McDonalds restaurants, we could non capture the collar spirit of the bay window.However, we were able to relate our findings to leadership and organizational behavior theories and whatsoever of McDonalds corporate value. by means of a serial of observations and corporate research we discoered that McDonalds employees demonstrate quality leadership and that the organization as a whole puts signifi peckt drive into motivating and working(a) for its employees. Corporate & Work kitchen-gardening When analyzing an organizations leadership and groupwork skills, it is mapful to first give out the organizations work cultivation and how this culture is maintained.The work culture of McDonalds counts luxuriouslyly dependent upon the particular line four-in-hand in charge at any given caput in sequence. One would imagine that the double-decker would roughly always routine position power and would use a telling style of leadership since the steady(prenominal) employee is young or inexperienced. Indeed, virtu anyy private instructors were disc over as running the operations in a forge like manner, especially during peak business periods. However, in the absolute majority of cases the passenger vehicles were relatively relaxed and sometimes were indistinguishable from the former(a) employees.One manager in particular used a selling approach, which indicates a racyer deftness level of her group(Daft, 2008, p. 73). She did non simply give orders, notwithstanding accepted feed screen and alternatives to her decisions. enchantment it was obvious she was the manager, her team was obviously in the later stages of development and was comfortable outside of their predefined roles. ntroduction For our project we grant decided to analyze McDonalds. We propo se to look at how McDonalds has attempted to change their image by dint of merchandise strategies over the old age.They mystify done this in a signifier of ways, not just with their products. For example, they changed packaging on their products to aim more surroundally safe. They pose overly cr fertiliseed natural menu items in the past 10 geezerhood in order to offer some wellnessy plectrums to those watching their waistlines. This is an effort to appeal to customers who efficacy mark disregarded McDonalds in the past because of traditional stereotypes. They sport done this in a physique of ways using the four Ps andargon attempting to changesocietys intuitions. legion(predicate) an newly(prenominal)(a)(prenominal) muckle today atomic number 18 unhappy with McDonalds and their colicky food, and we were interested to see if the current grocery storeing schema that McDonalds is using is creating a positive change for the company. History McDonalds, now know n world wide as one of the major powerhouses in the closely food industry, began inSan Bernardinoon May 15, 1940. It originated as a barbeque restaurant under the ownership of brformer(a)sDick and macintosh McDonald, and soon evolved into a teen hangout generating 80% of its r pointues from hamburgers alone.In 1948, McDonalds switched gears and increasely tar regulateed the young family market, evolution its operation sentiments al close speed, wiped out(p)er prices, and eminenter volume. They ran under the slogan of speedy service systems, selling their hamburgers with hot up for an astonishing 25 cents. In 1954 Ray Kroc, a previous restaurant owner, axiom potential for proceeds in the company and capitalized on it convincing the McDonald brothers to franchise the company with his financial bet on. In 1963 McDonalds introduced Ronald, a fun loving c mortifiedn, to heighten their restaurantas a family establishment,and he became a huge achiever.In fact, Ronald is now an icon symbolizing the McDonalds firm. As the restaurant pushd on its upward gyrate toward success, they decided to go public for the first time in 1965 offering one hundred sh ars of billet for $2,250 dollars. In todays market, that is equivalent to 74,360 tracts worth over $1. 8 million(www. mcdonalds. com). In effort to give dish to those who ar in need, McDonalds collaborated with the Philadelphia Eagles Fred Hill and created the Ronald McDonald House in 1974. At the house, families of criti entreaty ill children ar given a home away from home while their kids ar treated.Today,McDonalds is the pencil lead foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 locations in over 119 countries, andisa symbol of American culture. Historical reputation McDonalds was the first fast food restaurant on the scene. There look at been many imitators over the historic period, exactly it has historically been number one. Since its first opening in 1940, the business has boomed into an interna tional craze. Historically, McDonalds has been viewed as the pinnacle and one of the defining features of the American lifestyle.Burger, french-fried potatoes, and a Coke were the traditional meal. Once it spread globally, it boomed into popularity because other countries wanted to be associated with the successful image of the American dream. It was not until recently, at bottom the last 15 years, that throng began to question the wellness and safety of the fast food industry, and dumbfound been centreing on McDonalds because it is an at large(p) target. When a company is that large, it is a natural target forinner directed refiners, and those who wish to cut into the conformist lifestyle. Reputation TodayThough all this talk intimately poor health and chance associated with McDonalds engender the appearance _or_ semblances bad for the business, we set out to see if it was truly hindering their success today. McDonalds is, subsequently all, settle down the some preval ent and recognizable fast food establishments in the world. The health panoramahas actually spread out of theUnited Statesand become a global issue. gibe to All Headline News, McDonalds saw a profit loss of 14 percent last quarter. It was the biggest loss the company has had since 2002. This whitethorn seem like an indication of their dropping popularity however it was actually not related to their customers atisfaction (or lack in that respectof). According to the company, their loss reflected a large tax benefit it received over a year ago, and that gross sales hang on actually been going up over the last 35 months due toa series of successful unused products, 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 surprise50 millioncustomers dail y(www. mcdonalds. com).With such an extremely large consumer base, it is crucialthat they know and understand how their customers feel regarding the general satisfaction of the McDonalds experience. The type of experience McDonalds offers to its loyal consumer is, on the majority, rated high in overall satisfaction. Thereasons McDonalds consumers atomic number 18 loyalto McDonaldsand not to its competitors be many. First, McDonalds has recognized the importance of potpourri and its impact inwardly company strategy. They havedone an excellent military control in implementing a multidomestic strategy to ensure the loyalty of its customers and their changing wants and ineluctably.This is placen through their diverse menu options around the globe. For example, McDonalds restaurantsinIndiacreated a vegetarian machinate in order to cater totheirneed of not eating beef. By change magnitude the number of segments they can market to, they are able to reach more bulk. This is sa ve(prenominal) one example of many on how McDonalds has met the needs of its customers. McDonalds leave behinds a positive and caring berth towards the community of which it serves. McDonaldsvision states that We are not a hamburger company dowery people we are a people company serving hamburgers.With a vision so clearly committed to people, customers have respondedby continuing 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 add to create the overall satisfying experience. These things overshadow the health risks that are a large issue in todays American society. Through the information we have comprise, McDonalds is still popular because it is rough convenience and fast food.Until people are pull up stakesing to carry longer to eat and pay more for healthier food, it will still be one of the leading cosmic strings. So,does it seemthat they are repairing the damage done by the health nuts? On the contrary, they whitethorn have maintained their customer base through smart publicise and marketing provided are still not popular with many people. They are such a large and conspicuous company that many people find it easyto blame them for problems. Inside theUS, they are the target for various causes such as anti-globalization groups and environmentalists who believe 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 widely pervasive in intimately countries, all of which have local owners. Yet, it finds itself a symbol of American domination of economic and natural resources. There are similarly many urban legends about its food and company, and it is a target for unusual lawsuits. Customer ass 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 wholesome people (men, women, and children). This could be adding to the social stigma surrounding McDonalds and adding to their unhealthy 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 stain up about 20 percent of the customer base, further account for nearly 70 percent of the visits to the chain(Alexander, 2004) However, McDonalds decided to phase out the cracksize Option on its meals in 2004, which could be alienating this group.It is important to keep this group because they bring profits way up by increasing margins on sales. The change was implemented when McDonalds began to focus more attention on attracting moms and health-conscious adults. Target market place Traditionally, and still to day, McDonaldsfocus in advertising, marketing, and design has been children. This is obvious with their PlayPlace, elated Meals, and character Ronald McDonald. They actually introduced Ronald as a way to draw families into the restaurant. In recent years, McDonalds has also been increasing their marketing toward mothers.This makes ace because they have to also draw the moms into the restaurant, where the kids want to go. They are almost asmall addition to the child market. They use a variety of marketing strategies to attract children, moms, and families in general. Promotions and Current Marketing McDonalds is promptly working to change their image to a healthier one. Gone are the days where hamburgers are the key 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 completely saturated the market to the point where you can now even order aBig Macwhile shopping at W al-Mart. Their problem, however, is their battle with health critics and customers filing lawsuits about their unhealthy products. This negative publicity is shaping some stereotypes around the company which they want to change. As we know, experience is legitimateity. The American public sees McDonalds as a restaurantthat is as unhealthy. Americans dont go to McDonalds with visions of healthy food dancing in their heads. round dont even go to McDonalds at all.So how does McDonalds get them spur? This is an immense project that may also never be a successful one. its what i eat and what i doim lovin it The most recent way that McDonalds has essay to create a healthy image is their new marketing scarper titled its what i eat and what i doim lovin it. The campaign 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 equilibrise, active lifestyles messages together, said McDonalds chief operating officer Jim Skinner (Press Release, 3/08/05).The theme spotlights the important interplay between eating even out and staying active. Throughout all of the pep up anaesthetizes and media material that we found on McDonalds corporate website there was one jet phrase 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 will 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 squawker Salad. McDonalds is some(prenominal) complicateing their menu and increasing the availability of healthy foods. Advertisements for this new salad are eachwhere. Signage is present outside the restaurants,on street banners, and evenon the windows and near the registers. One f ood smasher also featured the new Asian Chicken Salad as part of a GoActive Happy Meal. We even saw a couple polar 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 bonus Chicken sandwiches and other premium 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 belongs. On one bag, a woman is doing yoga with a caption construction macrocosm unspoiled to myself has never been easierim lovin it. This lady is sending a message that shethinks it is easy to maintain her healthy lifestyle by eating at McDonalds. Physical activity is also put forwardd through the introduction of four different 15 minute workout DVDs that you can get when you buy the GoActive Happy Meal that includes a salad and a Dasani bottled water. During the Winter prodigiouss inTorino, many prodigious 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 supply nutritionary 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 unaware of the nutritional sum of the McDonalds food that they were eating.Whether that is believable or not, McDonalds was forced to make a move. They w ere lucky 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 better case? McDonalds has to be on the defensive. Therefore, McDonalds is moving nutrition facts straight 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, fatten up, 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- bound promotions and wrappers 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 other(prenominal) part of McDonalds push toward balanced, active lifestyles also includes their in teraction with children. Kids are a huge market that McDonalds caters to and has done so for many years.Parents practically take their kids to McDonalds because it is often the only indoor play area around, and also provides a quick, convenient, and sensibly 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 fed and are able to run around and play at the same time. McDonalds is finally aware of their hold on kids and how this hold is affecting the health of American kids. Because of this, McDonalds is now using Ronald McDonald as an advocate for balanced, active lifestyles.The goal is to have him inform both kids and 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 th eir 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 Apple Dippers and fruit bags, and the harvesting and Yogurt Parfait. Besidereminder ads,McDonalds is currently spending the majority of its advertising budget on these new products, and still sell more double 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 sodium (64%) than aBig Mac (270 calories from fat, 42% daily sodi um) (Nutrition, 2006). The Olympics Partnership The Olympics have a long lasting reputation for their presence and involvement with sports and collaborations with corporations for frequentership 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 sess 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 official OlympicGames afford a great deal in understanding the compl etedty 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 important to understand how the Olympics affect their sponsors and vise versa, which explains the in depth explanation of the Olympics.McDonalds was initsspeedy growth stageasAmericawas embracing the experience that McDonalds offered inexpensive food and quick, friendly service. As McDonalds was becoming a familiar household name throughout the country, so werethe Olympics. Whenthey became an official sponsor, it was most definitely the merging of two huge forces, and became a long lasting relationship. McDonalds today continues to show the OlympicGamestheir committed support, and uses their relationship to promote its new healthy image.McDonalds chief executive officerhad this thought on their involve ment with the Olympics, Our McDonalds restaurant teams have always shared many of the same loftys 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 partnership that right off aligns with our ongoing payload to champion people live more balanced, active lives. Not only is McDonalds a devoted and veteran sponsor, they hold the position of being the go along sponsor of the entire 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 wereh oping 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 important 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, verbalize it in their commercials, andinother media outlets.By doing so, people started to view McDonalds in a healthier way, through a smallhalo effect. The affiliation between the two also intertwined thevaluesof healthbetween both the Olympics and McDonalds. In other words, some people started to think of McDonalds as being the best in the fast food industry,and al so purchasing the healthy items. Although this was only the first footstep 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 tried to adapt accordingly.They have incorporated many different campaigns to capture and promote the essence of healthy living. 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. This campaign is headed by a famous celebrity fitness trainer, Bob 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. Thi s is aimed more towardthe adultsooner than the child market, which is a become from traditional marketing strategies. McDonalds wants parents to be able to order recuperative food while still giving the kids what they really want The Happy Meal. This change is successful because the options are given to customers, quite 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, active approach which shows customers they kickaboutand realizethesignificance of a healthy lifestyle. To promote this program, McDonalds and celebrity fitness trainer Bob Greene decided to challengeAmerica. Their challenge was called McDonalds GoActive American Challenge and it encouraged others to live a more balanced life by taking steps to reach a goal.To promote the new campaign,Bob Greene headed and biked acrossAme ricafor 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 condition in the fitness world.If he is associated with the company, wherefore it must 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 individual inside the McDonalds Corporation 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, Overall we have change magnitude 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 dominate the world-wide foodserviceindustry.In order to do this they will set the performance standard high for customersatisfaction in addition to increasing the market share and profitability by fulfillingMcDonaldsmission of value execution strategies and convenience. What is the Point? The rudimentary issuefor McDonalds regarding perception is that the entire establishment is based upon how they are perceived by the public. ar they perceived as a family restaurant by families? If so, the family segment will more likely visit the restaurant for family dinners.Is McDonalds perceived as a fun, inexpensive place for the high school and college segments to eat at? If so, they are also more likely 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. firearm McDonalds is trying so hard to be the new and improved healthy dining experience, the perception of McDonalds in manypeoplesminds is already set in stone.Trying to change this will cost hugeamounts of money and there is not any guarantee that McDonalds will carry through 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 corpulency have been thrown out, but it is still negative publicity.The company had to do some major damage control after movies likeSuper SizeMe and other negative movements. They are less concerned 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 extensive 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 motorcycle is to innovate and creat e 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 happen 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 unremarkably seemed to display real concern and interest in the emotions and well being of their employees, which was not extended in this environment. For example, one manager was observe asking an employee cleaning the al-Qaidas about her weekend and her kids.There seems to be legitimate efforts in order to motivate employee s even at the line actor level. Herzbergs two-factor theory explains that good working conditions only go so far, and that employees gestate higher level fulfillment such as motivation and acknowledgement 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 reading and leadership at all levels through Hamburger University.On Hamburger Universitys website2, they quote McDonalds founder Ray Krocs training cogitate 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 intimately replaced. Because training is not just offered to executives or managers, McDonalds is able to spread and reinforce its culture and values in all directions, not ju st 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 primary motivation for working in a McDonalds restaurant is that it presents a laid back environment and the job itself is not very stressful. Even during the observed lunch and dinner rushes, the employees never calculateed oddly stressed or anxious. When there was a lull in the restaurant the employees would clean their mails, 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 motivates 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 job offered by McDonalds may provide a break from an otherwise stressful life. Also, for the elderly employees, the low stress environment may also be desirable because they would not be overwhelmed with responsibilities that might be new to them. Another possible inducing is the social opportunity presented by such a job.As noted above, employees tended to have a very casual environment where they co uld 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 everyday cultural 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 romantic 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 McDo nalds 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 pick 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 requested to have a certain day off.This gives employees a sense of empowerment because they have same say in their schedule and are less likely to call in sick to avoid work, which would lower team morale and the respect between the managers and the employee(Daft, 2008, p. 242). Even though the average employee is unskilled or does not require skills, emp owering 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 additional 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 swear outant manager or manager position. dapple typically a McDonalds job is seen as t emporary for young people, it may be the only job available for an impoverished 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 travel 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.Using Maslows hierarchy, the main goal is to provide th e 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 contract 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 adequate pay and organizational policies. In many cases, there does not appear to be a high focus on implementing 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 Best Employee In continuation to what was observed in the visited McDonalds stores, one cannot neglect to address the leadership style displayed by the line managers in these restaurants.Conforming to the informal and relaxed atmosphere emphasized by the managers calm 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 task 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 quality.There were no noticeable conflicts between leaders and followers and an equilibrium 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 human equate(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 lovely for subordinates. McDonalds Corporate believes its success is attributed in part to the talented restaurant crew. Also, Corporate claims to be set-aside(p) in talent management attracting, developing and retaining talented people from all levels3. The leader behavior observed in the McDonalds stores corresponds to the employment experience values promoted on their website.From the field study experience, one can surmise the McDonalds leader-follower relationship as the followingThe task is simple. We provide all necessary tools for you to hand your job. Show commitment and perform your duties properly. 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 drive was commonly found in the visited McDonalds stores. Most of the cashiers there would greet the customer with a grinning and a how are you today, sir, followed by a thank you once the transaction was done. Behind the scenes, the workers building fries and flipping burgers made sure their products were been delivered in a steady pace and in accordance 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 perform other manageri al duties such as inventory control, managing budget and human resources.As in any assembly line, the employees performance is heavily measured by his or her expertness 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 or service concept.Also, cooperation plays a big role, because McDonalds relies on groups and teams. Each employee relies on another line worker in the assembling process. In the end, any worker who demonstrates these qualities could have his/her picture hung on the wall as the employee of the month this is a classic example of how Mc Donalds stores motivate and return 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 apply a coaching leadership style, showing both high directive 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 managers 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 sup erstars, McDonalds owes is success to its team functionality 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 comfortable 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 leave 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 order with the cashier, the later inputs the order into the computer 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 custom er 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 necessitate 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 promptly follow ed 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 awarding 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 ad equately perform their roles. The Overall Leader Corporate Values Reflected While McDonalds is a large transnational organization, the CEO is often seen as a leader and exemplary driver of the corporate initiatives and ideals. McDonalds current Chief Executive Office is Jim Skinner. 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 orga nization.Hume notes that one of the key elements to his success was his vast experience with abroad markets that gave him great diversity 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 philosophy, he is generally 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 make sure that everyone is aligned around that one idea. The idea is directed towards making a g ood 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, inventive 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 responsibility 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 individua ls 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 petty(a) and custodial positions, which was unexpected 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 mora le and result in more applications. Improving Employee forte 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 encourage 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-to-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 moreover can introduce individuals to the practice of creative swiping, which is a process of copying the best ideas 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 f ront, one of the first steps is to truly 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 interference of each employee should be personalized(Daft, 2008, p. 35). Managers would therefore develop a plan with each employee to increase his subjective satisfaction, while at the same time increasing that employees productivity. B uilding 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 to dream like a leader. Employees must be sponsored by a manager or owner and would have to write an essay answering 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 corporat ion, increase team cohesiveness and help advance 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 external reward of a scholarship. In subsequent 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.