Corporate Culture and Climate în McDonald’s

Corporate culture and climate in McDonald’s

1. Brief story of McDonald’s

“In business for yourself, but not by yourself” (Ray Kroc)

McDonald’s Corporation (listed on the Stock Exchange in New York under the code MCD) is the largest fast food chain restaurants in the world, selling priority hamburgers, chicken, french fries, mixed beverages based on milk (called milkshakes) and carbonated beverages. More recently it started to offer salads, fruit, snack wraps and carrot sticks.

The business began in 1940 with a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac Macdonald in San Bernadino, California. The introduction of "fast food System" in 1984 established the principles of fast food restaurants. Company’s foundation dates from the franchise restaurant opened by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Illinois on 15 April 1955 and it was the ninth McDonald's restaurant. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' legal rights over the company and led its worldwide expansion.

With the successful expansion of McDonald's in many international markets, the company became a symbol of globalization and the spread of American life style. Having a massive influence on how various social groups eats, had also created a frequent topic of public debate about obesity, corporate ethics and responsibility to the consumer. He created an auxiliary product and a specific jargon, such as the expression of junk food instead of fast food.

McDonald's restaurants are located in 120 countries and territories around the world and serve nearly 54 million customers each day. The company also operates restaurants brands, such as Piles Café and Boston Market and has a part of Pret a Manger.

Most independents restaurants, serving McDonald’s offers directly in the car (drive through) or serving in the restaurants (service counter) with dining areas inside and sometimes

Corporate culture and climate in McDonald’s

outside the restaurants. Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and drive, or Mc’Drive, as is known in many countries has in many cases separate locations for placing, paying and taking control, however the last two steps (paying and taking) are frequently combined in a single sitting, this type of service was introduced in Arizona in 1975, McDonald’s imitating other fast-food chains which held the initiative in this area.

Also, McDonald’s has introduced McCafé to follow the current trend. McCafé concept is tested by McDonald's Australia in 1993 and at the end of 2003 there were over 600 McCafés globe.

According to Consumer Reports Magazine, McDonald's has surpassed Starbucks, Burger King and Dunkin 'Donuts in a coffee taste test.

Some McDonald’s restaurants in sub-urban areas and in some cities provide large areas where children can play called “McDonald’s PlayPlace” if they are inside the restaurants or “Playland” in case they are outside the restaurants.

In 2006, McDonald’s started a project of re-energizing the brand called “Forever Young”, the first such effort since 1970.