Mcdonaldization exercise
McDonaldization is all around us. Nearly every business now uses processes of McDonaldization to increase their efficiency. McDonaldization is a broad term used to describe fast food principles now dominating other sectors of society (Ritzer, The McDonaldization of Society: 20th Anniversary Edition, page 1). McDonaldization encompasses efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control (Ritzer, 13). The main concept is choosing maximum production rates and minimum cost to provide goods for consumers. McDonaldization stresses quantity, as opposed to quality. For this assignment, I had to go out in the world and find a way to mess with the principle of McDonaldization.
To accomplish this, I called ESPN to complain about the fact that TV timeouts are called in football and basketball games. This is an example of how ESPN has been impacted by the “calculability” aspect of McDonaldization. ESPN, and all other television companies, use commercials and advertisements as an additional source of revenue. However, it has reached a point now where these TV timeouts interrupt the flow of the game (Ritzer, 80). TV timeouts are specifically designated, even when there is no natural break in play due to a timeout or halftime. The gentleman I talked to at ESPN Customer Service was woefully unprepared for my questions. He took about five seconds after I asked a question to respond. For example, he used phrases like “That’s the way it’s always been” and “Ain’t nothing we can do about that.” I felt bad for the man who had to answer my prodding questions. At one point, he even started asking me questions, as if trying to figure out exactly what I meant. My questions were so unusual for him that he didn’t know how to respond.
This was a very difficult assignment for me. I am typically non-confrontational and easy-going, so this assignment made me feel very uncomfortable. I had to be rather rude to this gentleman to complete the assignment. Even though it was just a phone conversation, that four minute conversation made me sweat. I knew that my demands would not be met, but I think I definitely made that man at ESPN think twice about McDonaldization and it’s prevalence in today’s society.
This exercise was not meant to condemn the fast food industry and give the appearance that McDonaldization is a disaster. In general, people welcome the changes McDonaldization brought to society. The four pillars of McDonaldization all make logical sense. Every consumer wants products that are the same every time. Consumers want a product that gets to them in a quick, efficient manner. Businesses and employers want to maximize their profit. However, these changes brought about some unintended consequences. The quality of goods started to decrease once the companies started using principles of McDonaldization. Even though McDonaldization has its flaws, don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.
To accomplish this, I called ESPN to complain about the fact that TV timeouts are called in football and basketball games. This is an example of how ESPN has been impacted by the “calculability” aspect of McDonaldization. ESPN, and all other television companies, use commercials and advertisements as an additional source of revenue. However, it has reached a point now where these TV timeouts interrupt the flow of the game (Ritzer, 80). TV timeouts are specifically designated, even when there is no natural break in play due to a timeout or halftime. The gentleman I talked to at ESPN Customer Service was woefully unprepared for my questions. He took about five seconds after I asked a question to respond. For example, he used phrases like “That’s the way it’s always been” and “Ain’t nothing we can do about that.” I felt bad for the man who had to answer my prodding questions. At one point, he even started asking me questions, as if trying to figure out exactly what I meant. My questions were so unusual for him that he didn’t know how to respond.
This was a very difficult assignment for me. I am typically non-confrontational and easy-going, so this assignment made me feel very uncomfortable. I had to be rather rude to this gentleman to complete the assignment. Even though it was just a phone conversation, that four minute conversation made me sweat. I knew that my demands would not be met, but I think I definitely made that man at ESPN think twice about McDonaldization and it’s prevalence in today’s society.
This exercise was not meant to condemn the fast food industry and give the appearance that McDonaldization is a disaster. In general, people welcome the changes McDonaldization brought to society. The four pillars of McDonaldization all make logical sense. Every consumer wants products that are the same every time. Consumers want a product that gets to them in a quick, efficient manner. Businesses and employers want to maximize their profit. However, these changes brought about some unintended consequences. The quality of goods started to decrease once the companies started using principles of McDonaldization. Even though McDonaldization has its flaws, don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.