Society and Friends

McDonalidization is creating automated, highly efficient, quantifiable, and homogenized processes and systems. The term refers to the fast food chain but can be witnessed in almost every area of life, from education to entertainment. McDonaldization arguably began with assembly-line production, long before fast food existed. The trend has permeated much more than the industrial domain, and has impacted the ways people live their lives. Although McDonaldization has some benefits, such as increased efficiency, predictability, and standardization, the detriments to McDonalidization include dehumanization, immorality, lack of creativity, and loss of soul.

McDonaldization provides the illusion of saving time, because processes are automated. Many companies find that McDonaldization is necessary for them to meet performance standards or turn a profit. For some companies, it becomes critical to manage supply chains in a way that requires bulk purchasing. A mechanized workforce, literally and figuratively, is also part of the McDonaldization process. Some workforces are being replaced by machines, while others are being driven to perform like machines instead of people.

Workers in McDonalized companies are valued for quantitative measures such as how many minutes they work, how cheap their labor is, or how many units they can produce in the shortest period of time. In a world where every penny of profitability matters most, McDonaldization may seem like the ideal method of production. Therefore, one problem with the McDonald's method is that it creates anomie: a sense of disconnection and apathy. Workers who are valued as numerical data will not feel valued as human beings.

Moreover, the products and services created through the McDonald's method are devoid of character and creativity because they are mechanized. Consumers seeking unique items of clothing or gifts cannot rely on a McDonald's-like supplier or retail chain and instead must seek out a boutique. The prices may be higher in the boutique because of the lack of McDonaldization. However, some consumers would prefer one independently designed dress over ten that were made in the McDonald's style.

It is possible that both types of businesses, those that are McDonald's-like, and those that are not, can coexist. Some consumers do not mind a low-quality, mass-produced product made using ethically questionable business practices, whereas others mind a great deal. The difference between McDonaldized beer and craft beer is a good example, because it highlights the pros and cons of each. McDonalized beer, such as Budweiser, is mass-produced in a McDonalds-like method in which homogenization and cost are more important than creativity and quality.

Budweiser is, like McDonald's food, a relatively cheap product that reflects the caliber of the ingredients. Craft beer, on the other hand, can be expensive. The methods of producing craft beer are costlier not only because of the lack of large supply chain and higher cost of quality, specialized ingredients, but also possibly due to the company culture in small businesses. Large companies that are McDonaldized, like Anheiser-Busch, most likely do not empower their workers to develop new beer styles or make marketing suggestions.

A small craft brewery must empower its workers.