Comparison of The Ideas of Mcdonaldization and Starbuckization

Introduction

George Ritzer expanded, updated and produced a critical analysis of the impact of social structural change on human interaction and identity from the central elements Max Weber’s work. The significant subject in Weber's study of modern society was the process of’ Rationalization. Rationalization also known as ‘making excuse’ is a defence tool in which debatable behaviours or feelings are justified and it is also an easy fallacy of reasoning. Ritzer suggests that in the later part of the Twentieth Century the socially organized arrangement of the fast-food restaurant has become the organizational strength representing and extending the process of rationalization further into the realm of everyday contact and individual identity. McDonald's serves as the case model of this process in the 1990's.

The word McDonaldization was developed by an American sociologist named George Ritzer in his book titled “The McDonaldization of Society” in the year 1993. According to George Ritzer in his book, the terms McDonaldization means society adopts the characteristics of a fast food restaurant. McDonaldization brings so many benefits to the society. The aspects in McDonaldization includes efficacy, calculability, predictability and control.

The word of Starbuckization can be refer to the homogenized social strength and phenomenon of Starbucks controlling other parts of society. Starbucks was first established as a coffee bean roaster and retailer in Seattle, Washington, in 1971, and has expanded across the United States and the globe. The students from the University of San Francisco were inspired to sell high-quality coffee beans they were taught to roasting beans. There are four major elements of Starbuckization that shared the same elements with McDonaldization. There is efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control by nonhuman technology. Starbucks has emphasized its quality brand image, coffee culture, personal connection with customers, and social responsibility compared to McDonald's.

Discussion

Definition of McDonaldization and Starbuckization

An American sociologist, George Ritzer has developed the word of McDonaldization in his book titled “The McDonaldization of Society” in the year 1993. Ritzer said that the word of 'McDonaldization' is when a society adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. The procedure of McDonaldization can be brief as the method in which 'the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of recent quantify idea about the worldwide homogenization of cultures due to globalization. McDonaldization is the method of which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to overlook more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world. McDonaldization is a reconceptualization of rationalization and scientific organization. McDonaldization brings so many benefits to the society. The aspects in McDonaldization includes efficiency, calculability, predictability and control.

Starbuckization is a homogenized cultural force and phenomenon of Starbucks dominating other aspects of society. Starbucks has expanded across the United States and the globe. The students from the University of San Francisco were inspired to sell high-quality coffee beans they were taught to roasting beans. There are four major elements of Starbuckization that shared the same elements with McDonaldization. There is efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control by nonhuman technology. Starbucks has emphasized its quality brand image, coffee culture, personal connection with customers, and social responsibility compared to McDonald's. Starbuckization has made the high coffee culture a way of life globally. When Starbucks enters foreign countries, it causes the glocalization and cultural heterogenization occur. Starbuckization has instead globalized the different types of coffee in a standardized way.

What has Starbucks added to, or removed from the McDonald’s Model?

Starbucks has moved away from the unremarkable of McDonald’s price towards McDonaldization of better product, particularly the coffee. Before the Starbucks was established, the American coffee’s quality was a bit disappointing. Starbucks has directed a now-boundless pattern toward the gratitude and consumption of higher quality coffee in America. It has done likewise in different nations, where the value of coffee was more awful than in America. Starbucks has succeeded fiercely in nations with a background marked by poor coffee and without strong coffee culture like Japan. Now, in Japan has more than 800 Starbucks shops. But, the countries that have high-quality of coffee and the society already known about the coffee culture like Turkey, Italy, France give a big challenge to Starbucks.

Starbucks has removed the McDonald’s model from the hard edged approach and image to the soften image. Starbucks make an improvement through the furniture they used. Starbucks has overstuffed armchairs and sofas rather than McDonald that are stiff and using hard chair. Starbucks offered a very conducive environment to the customers to have a business meeting, discussion or revision rather than McDonalds that have more focus on family where they prepare indoor playground to allowed the kids play it while the parents enjoy their meals. Starbucks can call as the ideal ‘Third Place” while the ideal McDonald’s customers is for who don’t want to sets foot in the restaurant. McDonalds focus on customer to not stay long time in the restaurant rather can Starbucks. It looks like Starbucks have a welcoming environment that allowed the customers to stay in long period in the shop while enjoying their drinks.

Starbucks has a unique and personal concept for their company. They provide new phenomena which is a welcoming environment where customers can stay at the shop in long time. Starbucks also used to try be very familiar with the customers. They write the customers’ name on the cup to pretending they are something. The Starbucks is really care to the customers and employees.

The dissimilarities between McDonaldization and Starbuckization is McDonaldization has food is much more specialized to each individual but Starbuckization has the different types of coffee in a standardized way. You can walk into a Starbucks in LA and get a caramel macchiato that tastes just the same as a Starbucks caramel macchiato in Japan, and from east to west you can guarantee that there will be the same coffee selections at any given Starbucks.

Should the concept of “Starbuckization” replace “McDonaldization”?

For my opinion, McDonaldization can’t be replacing with Starbuckization because both of it have the similar concept in the efficiency, predictability, control and irrationality. The different from both concept is through the image and middle class lifestyle. Starbuckization’s image have its own history and adjustment a few times to have new image that used until today. The logo started the modifications in the year 1987 when the company was developed by Howard Schultz. The original name, Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice was also transformed to Starbucks Coffee. The exclusive concept of Starbucks logo design has added greatly effect in the company’s success at worldwide.

The principle of McDonaldization fix with Starbucks. In efficiency concept, Starbuck now follow how McDonald’s process in drive-through. It really a good to follow by Starbucks because the more in coffee products rather that McDonalds that have varieties of meals that they should serve.

Conclusion

To wrap up this topic, there are so many pros and cons of from the McDonaldization elements and Starbucksization elements. There will be consequences of irrationality in rationalized system. I personally think that we can use both McDonaldization and Starbucksization principles to create a good company. Both used the similar elements which are efficiency, calculability, predictability and also control actually really useful. Those elements are important for all of us to have standardized learning experience because with that way, we can survive at any institutions around the globe.

References

• Ashley Crossman,2020, McDonaldization: Definition and Overview of the Concept, retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mcdonaldization-of-society-3026751
• Chad M. Gesser, 2020, McDonaldization and Starbuckization, retrieved from https://thesociallens.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/mcdonaldization-and-starbuckization/
• Cate Misczuk, 2012, STARBUCKSIZATION: T HE NEW MCDONALDIZATION?, retrieved from http://itsglobalization101.blogspot.com/2012/02/starbuckization.html
• Basic Ideas of McDonaldiztion, retrieved from https://www.cpp.edu/~ddwills/courses/ant352/readings352/McDonaldization.htm
• Kyle P. Tsakiris, 2016, Max Weber’s Theory of Rationalization: What it Can Tell us of Modernity, retrieved from https://www.tremr.com/kyle-tsakiris/max-webers-theory-of-rationalization-what-it-can-tell-us-of-modernity