MacDonald's is the largest fast food company in the world, operating in over 120 countries. While it has faced criticism over the years, including contributing to obesity, it has maintained a good reputation through its emphasis on diversity and inclusion. MacDonald's workforce is 73% women and people of color. It also spends over $250 million annually on charitable foundations. Through initiatives like its Global Women program, MacDonald's promotes international practices and diversity from entry-level to senior employees. Its training programs also help overcome challenges like discrimination among diverse employees.
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Running Head INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES AND DIVERSITY .docx
1. Running Head: INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES AND
DIVERSITY 1
INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES AND DIVERSITY
5
MacDonald’s International Practices and Diversity
MacDonald’s is the largest fast food industry across the world.
The company is headquartered in the U.S, but it has several
offices in other countries. The organizations operate in more
than 120 countries across the world, and its customers are
approximately 70 million. The company was initiated by two
brothers namely Maurice and Richard MacDonald’s in the year
1940 in California, America (Mirza, 2018). Initially, they had
started the business as a small joint that dealt with fast foods
such as hamburgers, milkshakes, and french-fries. The company
kept on growing over the years, until a time they decided to
franchise it. After franchising it in 1953, the business started to
be referred to as McDonald’s Corporation. They later sold the
business to Mr. Ray some years later, and he oversaw its global
expansion (Mirza, 2018).
McDonald’s understands the significance of diversity and
inclusion in the workplace, and thus it has developed several
strategies of ensuring that its workforce is diverse. Though the
company has faced several challenges over the years such as
being accused of being the main contributor to the high obesity
pandemic in America, the organization has still managed to
maintain a good reputation (Singh, 2019). The good reputation
is mainly contributed by its high regard to employee relations.
The organization puts much emphasis on developing a positive
corporate culture by employing diverse employees. Mainly, the
organization has managed to maintain the top position in the
2. fast food business globally because it understands the
significance of diverse employees in helping it succeed in
establishing its operations in foreign countries.
Factually, the latest statistics of the composition of the
organization's workforce showed that 73% of the workforce
consists of women, and persons of diverse color (Singh, 2019).
The organization has established 298 charitable houses that
offer hospitality to sick children. The organization spends over
$250 million in managing the cost of these houses every year
(Singh, 2019). The organization also observes diversity and
inclusion while dealing with its suppliers and franchise team.
The organization has introduced policies and practices that are
aimed at ensuring it reaches its goals through the diverse
employees.
MacDonald’s also shows its determination to enhance
international practices by launching various initiatives for
supporting marginalized populations. The Global women
initiative of 2009 is an absolute example of the initiatives that
MacDonald’s uses to enhance its international practices and
diversity programs (Mirza, 2018). The organization’s values
also evidence that it is determined to adhere to international
practices and diversity by observing fairness, integrity, and
honesty. According to (Mirza, 2018). The organization
observes diversity and inclusion of employees from the junior
level employees to senior level employees.
For an international organization to succeed in the international
market, it has to adhere to internationalization principles.
Employing diverse employees is one of the major goals that an
organization that is planning to enlarge its operations to foreign
markets should consider. Despite MacDonald’s experiencing
challenges in the past years whereby it was criticized heavily
3. for elevating the obesity pandemic in America, the organization
remained unshaken (Singh, 2019). The main reason that enabled
the organization to withstand the pressures effectively was the
fact that it had already attracted loyal customers who were
willing to stand by it. Generally, the organization apprehends
the contribution of diversity and inclusion to effective
internationalization, and therefore, it has used it to maximize its
efficiency and effectiveness.
The international practices of MacDonald’s outstand those of its
competitors because it manages to improve the cohesion of the
diverse employees by organizing diverse training programs.
Despite employing diverse employees, an organization may not
manage to fulfill its objectives if there is discrimination of the
diverse employees. Overcoming discrimination of diverse
employees is one of the major challenges that organizations face
while trying to implement international practices? MacDonald’s
has, however, proved that training programs can be used to
overcome this challenge, and thus organizations struggling to
implement diversity and international practices in the workplace
can follow the example of McDonald’s.
References
Mirza, B. (2018). McDonald's Makes Diversity Part of the
Business | Blog.SHRM.org. Retrieved from
https://blog.shrm.org/workplace/mcdonalds-makes-diversity-
part-of-the-business
Singh, A. (2019). McDonald's Makes Diversity About the
Bottom Line. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/csr/2010/09/08/mcdonalds-makes-
diversity-about-the-bottom-line/#250d41a506a3
A successful leader has not been easy for many companies.
There are many approaches to leadership. In this essay I will
provide exampels and research of characterisits that show what
4. an effective ldeader is .
14.2 Five approaches to leadership
3 different types of behavioral leadership approaches
One is task -oriented behavior initiating structure and
transactional leadership -make sure that workers have all the
equipments and resources needed to be proactive in completing
their task and mission that was set fourth for the organization.
Work better in low and highcontrol situations
Second relationship oriented behavior three behaviors
consideration, empowering leadership and servant leadership- Is
keeping In check how the leader communicates and handles
task with their workers basically their bond or repore.
Providing confidence in the employees, allowing the employees
to become more open to ideas and listening to their ideas. or
mentoring the employees which in all keeps a positive
environment. Works better in moderate control
Passive behavior known as laissez faisre leadership- This
form of leadership takes place when the leader do not have
enough leadership skills. The leader sits in the background and
donot engage with staff until they are forced to engage. For
example serious work problems with staff.
There are many successful leaders that are male and female.
There is one that has really been Eventhough Oprah Winfrey
was faced with many challenges she was given then title of a
promonant leader.
Situational leadership approach Looking at the situation there
are different ways to handle a situation based on the situation.
These two contiengency approaches do not believe that
leaderships on a trait or ones behavior. They believe that it is
the situation that occurs that would later give them a face value
situation to handle. That’s when they would know what step to
5. take.
Fiedler’s contingency model task oriented style and relationship
oriented style and three dimensions of control, leader member,
task structure, position power. Looks at the two orientations
such as task or relationships that was noted and then see which
one would work best.
House path goal revised leadership model clarifying paths for
subordinates goals and employee characteristics and
environmental factors that affect leadership behaviors. Provides
rewards and gets every excited and motived by become more
detailed on what goals are set fourth. What type of actions that
needs to be taken for the goals to be achieved. Giving a
helping hand, tools and training to assist the workers.
What advantages do situational leadership have towards
behavioral leadership.
Situational leadership is considered a greatadvantage towards
behavioral leadership because situational is able to be faced
with a conflict and can reson or come up with a logic decision.
Building relationships and giving rewards. When the theory is
focused on a behavioral approach, the leader is more about what
he was qualified to do and they are doing the task that needs to
be set fourth and following everystep from the calendar. So
they may not be prepared on how to handle a situation , when it
a rises.
Whats the use of transformational leadership and its 4 keys
The use of an transformational leader is to get people to
believe in taking care of the organization and its goals that need
to be set fourth versus making sure their own interest is put
first. They do this by encouraging their workers to be
exceptional and loyal which that brings on the best in the
company. Providing results and accomplish high exceptional
goals.
According to University of phoenix 2014 the best leaders are
6. both transcational and transformational
The 4 keys are motivation, trust, encourage excellence and
stimulate them intellectually has the ability to get the workers
to see their vision and want to support. So they may give them
an agenda and short goals. That are realistic. Second key is
influence them to trust in what the company say they will do.
That happens by being consistent in having confidences with
high standards. Encouraging them to grow by challenging the
workers to think more outside the box. Allowing them to be
more responsible with training that would add more skills and
growth to them. Fourth key is stimulating the workers to have a
new found purpose. Taking on the organizational problems to
be their own challenge that they can personal get past. Thinking
of creative way to accomplish the mission at face value.
Hill, W. (1969). A situational approach to leadership
effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 53(6), 513-517.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/10.1037/h00286
67
sample
International Practices and Diversity
Uber has international offices in London, Sao Paulo,
Mexico City, Amsterdam, and Singapore, and operates in
roughly 77 countries including 616 cities worldwide. Uber is
known globally to be a part of the “gig economy.” The gig
economy, as defined by Cambridge dictionary, is “a way of
working… based on people having temporary jobs or doing
separate pieces of work, each paid separately, rather than
working for an employer.” Uber’s international strategy is
parallel with their business plan in the United States.
7. According to Sarah Kessler, Uber has adopted “algorithmic
management” since its start in 2009 (Fast Company).
Algorithmic management allows independent drivers to be
paired with passengers that are nearby in a matter of minutes.
As well, prices/rates change based on where the demand surges.
Uber drivers can conveniently partake in this so long as they
have reliable internet speed on their mobile phones. Drivers are
evaluated by passengers as soon as their ride is complete.
Drivers are rated based on a 5-star rating system and are
evaluated on their driving skills and behavior. Algorithmic
management allows for relatively few managers in each major
city to watch over hundreds/thousands of drivers (Carnegie
Mellon University). Regardless of using this type of
management, however, Uber has earned itself a negative
reputation as perceived by the public and many of its own
employees. To combat this, Uber should consider implementing
global diversity training as is mentioned in the text. Uber
drivers/employees can gain meaningful skills through such
training and steer away from the negative reputation.
Uber uses an aggressive process strategy for its
international expansion. According to Adam Henshall, “the car
hire app engages in ruthless guerrilla marketing, setting up in
new locations at any cost” (Process St.). This process is
unethical in addition to all of those issues mentioned in the
previous Ethics section. In response to Uber’s aggressive
process strategy, the company has been banned in many
countries around the world. If Uber would like to continue as
the number one ride sharing company in the years to come, it
ought to reconsider many of its business practices.
Our best recommendation for this issue would be that Uber
develop a global diversity management (Crawshaw, 210). Uber
can use this type of management to understand the policies and
practices that a certain country operates with.
Uber has received a lot of criticism over the years for not
releasing its diversity numbers since its inception in 2009.
According to Polina Marinova from Fortune.com, Uber finally
8. released its diversity numbers on March 28, 2017. The results
for the gender aspect provide the following results: men 63.9%,
and women, 36.1% of the global Uber workforce. For race and
ethnicity, 49.8% are White, 30.9% are Asian, 8.8% are Black,
5.6% are Hispanic, and 4.3% are multiracial. To gain a better
image, Uber’s Human Resource Management needs to “reflect
the growing interest in the concept of inclusion, rather than just
focusing on diversity statistics” (Crawshaw, 203).