Globalization: concepts, impacts, and contemporary perspectives

Globalization and the Corporate Environment

Memo to Supervisor of a McDonald's style fast food chain

Re: Globalization and the Fast Food Market

Globalization has become an increasingly unpopular term amongst economic journalists, as you are no doubt aware. Even a cursory scan of recent editions of the Economist yields allegations of environmental activists around the world who allege that America corporations are acting in a rapacious fashion towards the world's national resources. Local labor activists claim that individuals in Third World countries are being exploited for mere corporate profits, and American labor denounces outsourcing as the source of the recent failure of the job market to recover. Moreover, nationalist groups stress how corporations within the convenience industry such as our own have eroded indigenous cultural methodologies of planting, irrigation, and food production. Even the French have garnered sympathy for their farmer's destruction of local McDonald's, a true 'sign of the times'!

We as a company, of course, are aware of the tremendous value of globalization and its potential to garner profits specifically for our organization. In general, globalization, by increasing international trade and cultural exchanges has made middle-class employees as well as employers wealthier by and large. It has allowed consumers to lead more diverse lifestyles at home and abroad, and increased the exposure to ideas from abroad for our own nationals. In fact, these new and culturally diverse lifestyles of Americans today may be more reflective of their original cultures than of their immediate parent's. In other words, second-generational immigrants, once forced to abandon traditional modes of consumption, now have access to everything from corn tortillas to soy sauce at their local supermarket, Taco Bell, or Panda Express.

Of course, the ethnic and traditional American fast food industry, particularly the prepared food industry has come under increasing scrutiny for encouraging unhealthy lifestyles in consumers. However, rather than ignoring these accusations, our company can use this to positive affect. Why not adopt international regional trends of healthy lifestyles and incorporate them into our current menu structure? This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, by incorporating healthy 'Asian style' cuisine of a traditional kind, such as broiled fish fingers to be consumed with chop sticks to a 'heart healthy' Mexican meal of broiled chicken enchiladas with baked rather than fried tortilla shells. To answer criticisms that such meals unfairly target the impressionable young minds of children, the children's versions of such healthy global 'Harmony Meals' can also come with small fact books about the different countries and regions that inspired the meals, and explanations of why such 'Harmony Meals' are heart healthy in general and promote a healthy lifestyle.

This strategy has the potential to generate value for our company on several levels. Firstly, it will channel current allegations regarding the negative effects of globalization in a positive fashion, exploiting the opportunity of the average American consumer's elevated interest in regional trends and fusion foods and interest in reducing obesity. It will help our company avoid the threat of lawsuits from those who allege the fast food industry increases obesity without giving proper information regarding healthier choices. It will reduce our risk of using potentially hazardous beef products, as much of the cuisine used in such 'Harmony Meals' for children and adults comes from fish, vegetable, and poultry using nations. The meals will also introduce a surprising and educational, fun element to dining not expected within the industry, which usually makes use of purportedly mindless tie-ins with movies and cartoons.