Free Management Dissertations - Evaluation Of Organizational Response Mcdonald's French Fries Lawsuit Has
Evaluation of Organizational Response
McDonald's French fries lawsuit has not been a new one. Multinational corporations like McDonald's reaping millions in profits are the target for speculators as they deem these companies are responsible for the deterioration of society and environment. They have cause for concern as Schlossser (2001) indicated in his book how mega fast food chains have taken over the traditional meals and society from the individuals. With new restaurants opening every 17 hours, McDonald's has captivated and created an empire to swallow the consumers of the world and their rights too. The class action suit over the beef flavouring in French fries has its roots in organizational ethics. According to Maurice Punch (1996) corporate deviance has not gained much attention for investigation because of the assumption and held beliefs that organizations operate in a neutral technocratic environment characterised by legal and social frameworks. The general belief that all organizations are ethical and only turn criminal because they are forced to and for a commendable cause have been proven otherwise in the case of McDonald's. There is little doubt that Punch's assumptions that managers working within organizations are constrained by the environment in which they operate are true. Yet all the while they are also restructuring it to better serve purpose. Punch writes individuals "in a social and moral context where deviance may be embedded in the daily practices and understood meanings or routine organisational reality" (p. 46) tend to harbour misconduct and engage in deviant behaviours because they feel they are isolated and out of reach of the "intricate pattern of the ordinary". McDonald's empire has grown to such an extent that it has political, economical and social powers over the infrastructures in which it operates. Not only this but with a top position in one of the largest industries - the sandwich industry, McDonald's management assumed it has no obligation whatsoever to the society in which it operates. Instead, from the press releases and denial of the inclusion of beef tallow in its French fries ingredients (Nelson 2003) indicate McDonald's seem to have the notion that it is not answerable to anyone and no one is entitled to question its business activities.
McDonald's actions can be explained through Punch's (1996) rationale that business organizations turn deviant because they operate in a competitive environment. The company's business size is complex and tends to channel its responsibility to lower level staffs that have no knowledge of legal or ethical implications of the tasks they undertake. Furthermore, even if McDonald's staff had been aware of any discrepancies it would have denied existence because it needs to maintain an image and perception with the consumers.
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