Culture in McDonald (Case Study Sample)

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Culture in McDonald
McDonald Corporation is one of the fastest growing food producers for the past four decades. It is expanding its operations by opening new branches all over the world. It is a multinational corporation which has improved its reputation but it has been tainted by the bad ethical issues which have affected other community’s culture and way of life (Schlosser 100). McDonald’s products are clean, cheap and convenient but it has been found to have many negative effects. McDonald chains have positioned themselves as Americana but its employees are paid low wages, hence negatively affecting their culture and way of life. Employees work for many hours under stressful conditions and lack of respect. These unethical practices of the world’s largest food producing corporation have been experienced in most countries especially in African and Asian countries (McDonald Corporation 60).
The western culture introduced by McDonald Corporation has been criticized as unethical and it does not conform to most cultural beliefs. The corporation is well known all over the world for its high quality fries and burgers in all 119 fast food restaurants in the world. McDonald have been participating in social responsibility or community engagements for instance; the Ronald McDonald apartments in America have been converted to be a home care where children with threatening chronic illnesses are taken care of (Schlosser 110). This portrays a sign of commitment to the welfare of its customers and community at large. It is the only fast food restaurant in the world which has added specialty foods to suit that every country (Pennino 405). By homogenizing its products and chain stores front appearances, the corporation has been able to maintain a feeling of familiarity and comfort to all of its customers (Gibison).
Even though McDonald Corporation supports the children with illnesses which threaten their lives; it has been criticized for manufacturing products which contribute to such illnesses. These illnesses include: mad cow disease, obesity, asthma and heart disease. It is quite unfortunate because out of the 350 children’s hospitals in the world, at least 208 of them have fast food restaurants. Many nations have argued that McDonald Company does not care much about people’s health; but they are driven by the profits targets they set (Tanner 115).
On environment conservation, McDonald’s practices and activities are questionable. The polythene bags used to wrap their food products cannot decompose, hence littering the environment. Burning these polythenes releases gases into the air, hence polluting the environment; leading to more complicated ailments that affect the respiratory system. McDonald Corporation is well known worldwide for not using locally grown potatoes, but instead, they import their own potatoes which are genetically modified. These genetically modified potatoes have been proven to affect people’s health conditions. This practice of importing food products such as potatoes and beef from other nations also causes a lot of problems to the environment (Schlosser 105).
A fast food known as hamburger patty contains pieces of meat from more than one hundred cattle, raised in more than six countries (Gibison). The health experts have found out that, such patties contain some contaminants whose origin is not known. This is because multiple sources of meat make the contaminant difficult to be traced (Gibison). The importation of food products has worked against the economic culture of many nations since it does not promote the local people or citizens, where they should be buying their farm produce such as potatoes and cattle (Tanner 95).
McDonald’s products are not only harmful to human beings and the environment; it has greatly affected and influenced the culture of the people of East Asia with its recent entry into the region (Tanner 118). Many nations have criticized its rapid expansion which has posed a threat to the indigenous cuisines leading to the creation of unhealthy homogenous global culture which only benefits a few people. Though Chinese parents want to treat their children with trips outside China especially to McDonald, they will be eroding their culture and endangering their children’s health. Young people in Beijing and Hong Kong no longer care about their cultural ordinary food but they are quick to adapt to the McDonald’s food stuff (Gibison).
The Eastern region, especially Asian countries is obsessed with the American culture introduced by McDonald Corporation. For example, the festivities and celebrations such as birth days were unknown in Asia especially countries in East Asia. The lunar calendar used in Hong Kong was used to match the dates of birth recorded to be used later in life together with auspicious burial dates and during marriage (Schlosser 113). The culture in many Asian nations has been permanently altered where the past norms are being lost to McDonald’s hamburgers and big Macs. Hindus in China have been offended by McDonald’s culture of undisclosing beef flavors in French fries. Hindus are strict vegetarians; hence the issue embroiled a row which later made the McDonald Corporation to apologize in 2002 and paid them ten million US dollars. Hindus believe that, cows are sacred and therefore should not be eaten (McDonald Corporation 70).
In Japan, food coloring agents is illegal; this made the Japanese government to withdraw its license because of adding food colorings known as azorubin without the people’s knowledge. The most controversial case happened in Southlake City where Chrissy Haley found some pieces of a rat in her salad she had ordered for herself and her child. The woman has been tested and she is still undergoing some sessions with a ...