Case Study of McDonalds

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Question 4: What management roles would Catriona Noble be playing as she (a) has weekly conferences with her management team at McDonald’s Australia, (b) assess the feasibility of adding new range of premium Angus burgers to the McDonald’s menu, or (c) keeps employees focused on the company’s commitments to its customers?

During weekly conferences with her management team, Catriona Noble takes on a leadership and decision making role when discussing agenda points, which may include implementing change in the company, making adjustments in projects and timeframes, troubleshooting issues in the running of the franchisees, etc.

When assessing the feasibility of adding a new range of premium Angus burgers, she takes to on the management roles of planning, quality control, marketing, and the analyzing of customer feedback.

When keeping employees focused on the companies commitments to its customers, she takes on the leadership and human resource management role.

Question 5: Go to McDonald’s Australia website www.mcdonalds.com.au and look up information about the company, its corporate and sustainability report. What can you tell about company emphasis on managing its employees and the focus on customers by its focus on delivering outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V)? In what ways does the organization support it employees in developing their skills and future career possibilities?

McDonalds puts an emphasis on managing and training their employees to ensure quality service is delivered to their customers. Through treating their staff with the respect they deserve, and providing ongoing training with an emphasis on their core beliefs and values of honesty, hard work and outstanding quality customer service, they ensure consistency of quality, value, and excellent service in every branch.

McDonalds invests in their employees and encourages professional development that allows them to climb the corporate ladder by providing additional free training to employees who show leadership potential. Their training programs consist of both theory and workplace experience. In addition, McDonalds offers staff who show management potential the opportunity to obtain Certificate II in retail, which is a nationally recognized course that not only helps them in their career development within McDonalds, but also in future employment opportunities with other retail organizations.

Question 6: Throughout Chapter 1, we have covered a number of contemporary issues in the theme boxes, such as workforce diversity and inclusion, sustainability and ethics. Still utilising information at McDonald’s Australia website, what are McDonald’s approaches to these three contemporary issues?

Workforce Diversity and Inclusion:

McDonalds has an inclusive and flexible approach towards hiring its employees. It values the cultural and personal differences of their employees and believe that these differences contribute positively to the business. McDonalds ensures that its employees are treated respectfully and with dignity. It also promotes equal employment opportunities that ensure a harmonious work environment free from harassment, bullying, and discrimination.

Sustainability and Ethics:

Mc Donald’s makes it a priority to give back in the local communities in which they are operating. One of the most well-known charity projects is The Ronald Mc Donald House Charities (RMHC), which aims to help thousands of children with serious illness and their families. In addition McDonalds also supports hundreds of athletic programs across Australia, contributes to supporting young people who are interested in career development, and actively participates and sponsors environmental programs, such as clean up Australia, Earth Hour, and Fire Rescue.

Question 7: What could other managers learn from Catriona Noble and McDonald’s approach? Are there any differences in being a CEO at McDonalds Australia and being an executive director at the children First Foundation as featured in the opening section to this chapter? If so, what would they be?

Managers from around the world can learn from McDonald’s approach of investing in training and retaining good staff, such as Catriona Noble. Catriona Noble’s success story proves that hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and determination pay off in the long run, and that with the right attitude and willingness to take risks and learn new things, it is possible to climb the corporate ladder quickly.

There are differences in the being a CEO at McDonalds, and being the executive director at Child First Foundation. Although they are both senior management roles, the purposes of these organizations are very different. Whilst McDonalds is a for-profit corporation, whose main goal at the end of the day is to run a profitable business, Children First is a not-for-profit organization that relies on donations, corporate sponsorships, and partnerships with hospitals and doctors. The styles of management used to manage a multinational corporation are different than the style used for a small not-for-profit organization. In addition, the availability and access to resources vary greatly between what the CEO of McDonalds has available to what would be available to the executive director of Children First.

References:

Korporaal, G. (2010). The Burger Queen. The Deal, 16 July 2010, pp. 16-17.

McDonald's (2015). www.mcdonalds.com.au . Retrieved 2015, from www.mcdonalds.com.au : https://mcdonalds.com.au/

Robbins, et al,(2012). Management 6th Edition . New South Wales: Pearson Australia.

Urban, R.(2010). Noble is the new McDonalds CEO. The Australian, 1 April 2010, p.21