Mcdonaldization

INTRODUCTION

• The american sociologist George Ritzer argues that McDonald's provides a vivid metaphor of the transformations taking place in industrialized societies.
• He argues that what we are witnessing in society today is a phenomenon known as 'Mcdonaldization'.

INTRODUCTION

• The american sociologist George Ritzer argues that McDonald's provides a vivid metaphor of the transformations taking place in industrialized societies.
• The american sociologist George Ritzer argues that McDonald's provides a vivid metaphor of the transformations taking place in industrialized societies..

Definition

• George Ritzer defines Mcdonaldization as, ''The process by which the principles of the fast food restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of the American Society as well as on a global scale''.

Four Guiding Principles

• Ritzer uses four guiding principles for the functioning of a global chain of McDonald's restaurants
• These principles have established flawless and smooth functioning thereby helping McDonald's in becoming one of the world's fastest growing fast food chain restaurants in the world.

The Four Principles

• EFFICIENCY
• CALCULABILITY
• UNIFORMITY
• CONTROL THROUGH AUTOMATION

1) EFFICIENCY
McDonald’s serves up millions of burgers all made precisely the same way at all its locations. Each food item sold by McDonald’s arrives at the local franchise from a centralized source. This is an efficient way
to ensure the same items will be available in all the outlets but is a barrier to using local resources or

making any variations in the size of the burgers.

2) CALCULABILITY

According to Ritzer, our culture is focused more and more on quantity rather than quality in our purchases. We want to “super-size” everything. Items are advertised with an emphasis on how much you can get for the money rather than how it tastes. Items are purchased in pre-set sizes and we always assume bigger is better.
Speed is also another factor in this calculability.

3) UNIFORMITY
All products manufactured come out in uniform prices and are sold in standardized quantities, this ensures uniformity in sale and is an efficient way of increasing sales as well, the uniformity is unique to their products and is also a marketing strategy deployed by McDonald's.

4) CONTROL THROUGH AUTOMATION

To deliver speedy service so that the customers don't have to wait long, automation is used to control and ease such a situation thereby providing efficient services. Automation allows the customer to leave quick thereby establishing quicker traffic flow and minimal interaction leaving space for more consumers to access their products with the touch of a few buttons at a drive-through. Most drive-throughs in America, Japan, and the United Kingdom are now automated.

Ritzer also notes that Mcdonaldization is catchier than 'Burger Kingization' or 'Starbuckization'. Ritzer's ideals are based on the ideals of the classical sociologist Max Weber who feared that as society became more industrialized it would attempt to become more rationalized – increasing the same in the name of greater efficiency. Weber thought that increased rationalization would, in turn, lead to increased bureaucracy and anonymity within the society. His work
was heavily influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the changes he saw occurring around the turn of the 20th century.

George Ritzer believes that McDonaldization spawns a series of irrationalities which he calls "irrationality of rationality". He adds that these irrationalities that include damage to the health and the environment.