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Essay / McDonaldization and its effects on society
Introduction: McDonaldization is an idea developed by George Ritzer. This concept evolves in everyone's hectic lives. Background: In today's society, people have a microwave mentality. When people make plans or goals, they intend to stick to them, but they rarely deviate from them. For example, when people enter a store, they plan to go and get what they need according to their list and leave. People in today's society are people who like one-stop shopping and stores that are a replica of a previous store they have previously shopped at. It's more convenient for someone to go shopping at Walmart and know exactly which aisle to take to pick up the necessities they need, like groceries, clothing, and electronics, without be confused, because the store has a completely different layout than he is used to. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayThesis Statement: Elements that atone for McDonaldization include efficiency, predictability, calculability, non-human technology, and control. Topic Sentence: Achieving a goal in the shortest possible time is considered effective. Evidence and Quotes: An example that demonstrates the effectiveness of McDonaldization would be Target having different employees and department managers who are familiar with the specifics of the department. Comment: The advantage of having different managers and employees for each department allows the customer to benefit from fast service and get answers to all their questions. The downside of having different employees would result in an increase in the money distributed. Topic Sentence: When a customer can walk into any Target and go straight to an aisle and pick up their essentials that have the same organization and price, it is considered predictability. When a customer has become familiar with the store and does not have to waste time, it can be considered predictable. In some cases, the target may not offer the product the customer is looking for and tends to look for other locations. The downside is that if a target doesn't carry it, no target will carry it. Another element is computability, meaning it must be able to be calculated. Evidence and citations: for example, Target inventory; holding an increased inventory helps them know which products are more popular than others. Comment: This is an advantage for the company because it now knows how much of each product it must order for the following month. The downside is that inventory takes a long time. Therefore, employees may need to be paid overtime to take inventory. Additionally, if not done correctly, it could result in an incorrect order. Topic Sentence: An example of non-human technology is self-checkout at Target. Evidence and Citations: This is available for people who have fewer items and need to get out quickly. Plus, there is usually little to no wait for self-checkout. Comment: However, a disadvantage would be if a person has a full shopping cart with a large number of products. For them, this can be a disadvantage. There is often little room to pay for products while trying to empty the cart of unpaid products. Plus, there's no help packing so much stuff with autopay. Topic sentence: Finally, theControl refers to the rules that must be followed by both employees and customers. Evidence and citation: For example, at Targett, the customer is not allowed to go behind the food court counters or behind the doors, it is labeled employee only, even though the employee must wear a uniform specific. Comment: An advantage of this method is that the eating areas are hygienic and the employees are identifiable. A disadvantage may arise if employees do not keep their uniforms clean and appear dirty when behind the counter. Topic Sentence: An important factor in McDonaldization in society is that there is better and faster service. Topic Sentence: An important factor for McDonaldization in society is that there is better and faster service. However, when rationality becomes irrational, the system begins to collapse. For example, service becomes slower, inventory becomes inaccurate, technology begins to break down, and positions are not staffed appropriately. The irrationality of rationality is visible in Target. In my experience at Target in Douglasville, I have found that the shelves are not restocked quickly, and as a college student with limited time, it is inconvenient for me to have to return multiple times to check if what I need has been put back on the shelves. Also, I can never find employees or when I find them, they are never in charge of that department. The Target near my school has a very different layout than the one near my house in Douglasville, so I tend to get lost quite often and there are never any employees to help me. The concept of McDonaldization is not successful at Target because it seems Targett is trying to run his business with less and less human staff. Because there are fewer employees at target customers who are unable to find the necessities they need and get the support they need. The overall experience a customer will have when visiting the Target will take longer than expected because it may be disorganized, they themselves may not be restocked, and no employees are present. This could result in loss of money, customers and products. Topic sentence: The meaning of McDonaldization is that people want fast and immediate service. Today's society is overworked and overscheduled and we are often running from one obligation to another. Many people already feel like they don't have enough time for family and friends and don't want to spend their extra time running errands. McDonaldization can lead to feelings of alienation depending on an employee's perspective. Marx's theory of alienation refers to the condition in which the individual is isolated and separated from their society, work, or sense of self. This happens because a worker feels no sense of connection with people or products. He feels separated from everything in his work environment. Another concept is Max Weber's Iron Cage. The Iron Cage is defined as a situation in which an individual is trapped by social institutions. In today's society, people are more focused on what they spend their money on and the value they believe that product represents. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Concluding Paragraph: Overall, I do not view McDonaldization as having a positive effect on society. Today's society is.