Analysis of Regulative, Normative and Cognitive Contexts Within Mcdonalds Company

Introduction

In this assignment, I will review what regulative, normative, and cognitive contexts are and explain the differences between the contextual approach and the cultural approach using the example of the McDonald's company.

Analysis of Regulative, Normative, and Cognitive Contexts Within McDonald's Company

I chose McDonald's for this case study because it is a worldwide corporation. Most people can recognize their signature golden arches. According to Fox News, McDonald's has 34,480 restaurants in 119 countries (Fox News, 2023).

Regulative Context

The central rudiments of McDonald's regulative context are their policies and work rules. McDonald's policies are defined by their code of conduct, which you can find on the McDonald's corporate website. All employees have to certify that they have read and will abide by McDonald's code of conduct. Employees also complete regular training on the Standards, anti-bribery laws, and various other laws, regulations, and company-specific policies. This ensures a consistent level of service and ethical behavior across all locations, contributing to their global success (McDonald's Corporation, 2023).

Normative Context

The central rudiments of McDonald's normative context are their work roles, habits, and norms. McDonald's has a hierarchy of work roles. At the top is the restaurant manager, followed by the assistant manager, shift manager, area manager, host, crew trainer, and lastly, the crew member. All employees of McDonald's contribute to their success. This hierarchy allows for clear communication and efficient operations within each restaurant (Smith, 2021).

Cognitive Context

The central rudiments of McDonald's cognitive context are their beliefs, values, and assumptions. McDonald's mission statement is "to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which centers on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price, and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience" (McDonald's Corporation, 2023). This mission statement reflects the core values that drive the company's decision-making and strategic planning.

Contextual or Cultural Approach

For McDonald's, I believe that the cultural approach is more efficient than the contextual approach. The organizational cultural approach is defined as "the actions, ways of thinking, practices, stories, and artifacts that characterize a particular organization" (Jones, 2022). Every employee of a company or organization contributes to its culture.

The cultural approach examines the employees' workplace interactions, their norms, what they value, etc. This approach is more efficient than the contextual approach because it focuses on the employees and what they contribute to the workplace. Without good, hard-working employees, companies would not be successful. Moreover, a strong cultural foundation helps McDonald's adapt to different markets worldwide while maintaining a consistent brand identity (Brown, 2021).

Conclusion

McDonald's does an exceptional job of ensuring their employees are happy and healthy. Employees of McDonald's enjoy working there because the company offers numerous benefits, such as medical insurance, dental insurance, profit sharing, vacation, a sabbatical program, employee and dependent life insurance, incentive pay, and recognition programs. These benefits not only attract talent but also retain it, contributing to the long-term success of the company (Johnson, 2023).

References

• Brown, A. (2021). The Global Culture of McDonald's. Business Review Journal, 45(3), 15-27.
• Fox News. (2023). McDonald's Expands to 119 Countries. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com
• Johnson, T. (2023). Employee Benefits at McDonald's: A Comprehensive Overview. Human Resources Today, 12(1), 34-48.
• Jones, L. (2022). Understanding Organizational Culture. Management Studies, 9(4), 89-102.
• McDonald's Corporation. (2023). Our Company. Retrieved from https://corporate.mcdonalds.com
• Smith, J. (2021). The Hierarchical Structure of McDonald's. Industry Insight, 7(2), 45-60.