Values across Cultures
McDonalds is one of the leading fast food companies around the world. Being a business entity that operates in different parts of the world, the company interacts with different values across various cultures that it has to adhere to in order to operate successfully. In New Zealand, McDonalds has been successful mainly due to its ability to embrace the culture in its environment and make various stakeholders comfortable.
Matt, a crew member in one of McDonalds’ Restaurants in New Zealand, explains the working environment at McDonalds in New Zealand. The employees are friendly amongst themselves and they are allowed to interact freely as they continue with their work (Matt, 2016). In New Zealand, the people are friendly and tend to treat people as equals. The social welfare system in the country promotes equality (Auckland.ac.nz, 2016). McDonalds has similarly adopted the culture and as such, it is normal for members of the management to freely interact with junior and help with the daily work.
McDonalds respects the culture of the communities in which it operates. For instance, in New Zealand, their love for sports is well documented across the world. The company has therefore provided facilities that employees like Matt can use to sharpen their sporting skills when they are not on duty. The organization equally its employees time off to go and participate in sporting events as explained by Matt, (2016). Other than supporting its employees, McDonalds has also been supporting the community in sporting activities to maintain their sporting culture.
Culture assassination is one of the things that McDonalds avoids in its work environment. The company is flexible enough to adjust its operations in various parts of the world to suit the culture of the region ("Community - The Approach | McDonald's New Zealand", 2016). In order to operate successfully in new environments, multinationals must endeavor to understand the prevailing culture and be prepared to embrace it.
References
Auckland.ac.nz, (2016). New Zealand social values - The University of Auckland. Auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 8 August 2016, from https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/international-students/is-life-at-auckland/is-living-in-auckland-and-new-zealand/is-new-zealand-social-values.html
Community - The Approach | McDonald's New Zealand. (2016). Mcdonalds.co.nz. Retrieved 8 August 2016, from https://mcdonalds.co.nz/learn/responsibility/community-the-approach
Matt, (2016). Macca's Employment Matt. YouTube. Retrieved 8 August 2016, from https://youtu.be/YAvHWNgCvOM
