Maintaining Diversity And Equality At McDonald's: Policies And Strategies

Background to the organisation
The key policies that govern its equality and diversity practice
An identification of the organisation’s business strategy and how its quality and diversity practice fits in
The UK equality and diversity regulations and how the organisation fits in
The competitive advantage of equality and diversity
Way in which the organisation can maximise the benefits of quality and diversity

McDonald’s company is a centralized international company which renders fast food products like French fries, hamburgers and other food products. The company is expanding and exploring the business activities globally by serving majority of customers in the international market. The main motive of this task is to highlight and discuss about the activities and operations of McDonald’s. The paper discusses how McDonald’s is maintaining diversity and equality at the workplace to cope up with rivals globally. Diversity and equality is needed in every company to fulfill the needs and requirements of the customers and employees as well. By using equality and diversity, the company is able to meet the long-term requirements and needs of the business. Thus, diversity and equality put direct impact on the revenue and profitability of McDonald’s. McDonald’s is committed to expanding and fostering diversity among its three legs such as suppliers, workers and franchisees. Better outcomes and innovative thinking are significant advantages of diversity and equality. To maintain diversity and equality is costly process, it is a biggest challenge in McDonald’s. The key policies that govern McDonald’s equality and diversity practices also have been discussed in the task. The paper also provides brief information about business strategy that is adopted by McDonald’s Company. Along with this, the paper also analyzes the policies and regulations related to diversity and equality that are made by government of UK. The paper outlines that how Equality and diversity provide competitive benefits to the company with maintaining reasonable prices of the products. At the end, various ways and strategies that can boost the benefits of equality and diversity also have been presented in the task. More detail of the task has been drawn below.

McDonald’s is an American fast food company, incorporated in 1940 as a restaurant managed and controlled by Richard and Maurice McDonald in United States, Bernardino and California. It has been studied that McDonald’s is a biggest and growing restaurant chains measured by revenue which is serving more than 69 million customers on daily basis in approx 100 countries. The organization has approx 36,900 outlets in which 235,000 employees are working together at the workplace (McDonald’s, 2018). The firm is proud to have become one of the fastest and growing food service brands in all over the world (McDonald’s, 201b). From the start, McDonald’s has been committed for doing right things in every day. It is stated that the firm introduced a velocity growth plan in March 2017 to grow and survive business internationally. The company provides an excellent restaurant experience to the customers in the global market. The suppliers, operators, and workers work together to fulfill the needs and requirements of customers in an effective way (McDonald’s, 2018b).

The diversity and equality policy would state that the firm objectives to safeguard and protect those who may face harassment or inequality due to one or more of the protected attributes. The key policies that govern McDonald’s equality and diversity practice have been detailed below.

A fair workplace: It has been found that McDonald’s recognizes the significance and value of rendering an atmosphere where everyone could expect to be treated with integrity and esteem. The company promotes and improves equal employment opportunity to ensure that workers enjoy a harmonious and dynamic work atmosphere that is free from bullying, annoyance and unlawful discrimination (McDonald’s, 2018a). A fair workplace helps in promoted and improving the diversity and equality in McDonald’s. 

The key policies that govern its equality and diversity practice

Diversity and inclusion: It is stated that McDonald’s is proud of its strategy to assortment and inclusion. They respect the unique attributes and perspectives of people, and the company further relies on these diverse perspectives to support people develop and improve the relationship with each other, business partners and customers. This policy embraces the diversity of the workers, business partners, customers and franchises and the company work hard to make sure everyone at McDonald’s feels happy and welcome. The company provides equal employment opportunity and ensures in merit-based decision making. There is no discrimination in the workplace between men and women. The effective employment decisions including hiring, placement, benefits, compensation, recruitment, promotion and training are taken by the firm while expanding business internationally (McDonald’s, 2018a). Diversity and inclusion policy leads to higher satisfaction and equality in the workplace. 

Promotion on merit: At McDonald’s, top management believe in putting aces in their places. This means that in guidance, recruitment, identifying and developing workers for providing innovative opportunities to them. It is one of the significant and unique equality and diversity practices (Janssens and Zanoni, 2014).

Being disability confident: It has been found that McDonald’s is an effective and long-standing supporter of employment opportunities for employees with disability. The main objective of the company is to ensure that whether the employees are addressing and fulfilling the needs, and requirements of consumers or not. The training programs further help in providing innovative services to customers across the globe (McDonald’s, 2018a).

A responsible employer of students: It has been studied that McDonald’s is a primary employer of young people in the country and the people take this seriously. It is the company’s responsibility to support a suitable and effective balance between employment and schooling to ensure workers have excellent opportunities in near future. McDonald’s has an accountable student policy to sustain the academic and effective commitment and of young people and a dynamic roistering system that lodge learning and work (McDonald’s, 2018a).

Community engagement: It is one of the best and leading policies at McDonald’s that helps in maintaining diversity and equality in the workplace. Being an active and effective member in the communities, the company serves excellent services to the customers in all over the world (Janssens and Zanoni, 2014). McDonald’s, franchisees and workers continue to look various ways to make meaningful and effective impacts on the diverse and innovative communities where people work and live. The inclusion and community engagement team at McDonald’s has set up a shared value relationship with tremendous based companies (McDonald’s, 2018a).

It is stated that McDonald’s uses a growth strategy to expand business activities and operations internationally. In March 2017, the company launched a velocity growth plan to maximize profitability and to gain competitive benefits internationally. The company knows the most significant and effective way to grow and survive the business and generate value for all the stakeholders is by serving various customers more often (Talpau and Boscor, 2011). By using growth strategy, the company is able to focus on the needs, demands, and requirements of the business. Apart from this, velocity provides competitive benefits in the international market. The growth strategy is connected with equality and diversity in the workplace (Michielsens, Bingham and Clarke, 2013). The key pillars of growth strategy are included the following.

Organization’s business strategy and how its quality and diversity practice fits in

Retain: It is one of the unique and effective pillars of a growth strategy that helps in retaining the potential and talented candidates at the workplace. By retaining the customers and employees, McDonald’s has been able to extend the areas of strength with monitoring on family and breakfast occasions. The retention strategy is suitable to maintain diversity and equality at the workplace.

Regain: Regaining the customers help in improving and enhancing the taste and quality of food and enhancing convenience and rendering strong value in the global market. This will further help the company to enhance and boost diversity at the workplace (Carpenter and Sanders, 2009) 

Convert: Converting casual consumers to more committed customers with snacks and coffee. It will also help to identify and analyze the diversity and equality at McDonald’s.  

The company uses intensive growth strategies to support business expansion and development. Growth strategy helps in boosting cultural competencies and skills of the workers so that they maintain diversity in the organization (Azim and Azim, 2012). Cross-cultural communication is very useful that helps in improving and enhancing communication and ignoring misunderstanding and barriers (McDonald’s, 2018c).

Equality act 2010 had been made by the government of UK. The equality act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination at the workplace. It sets out the various ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone. This act helps McDonald’s to run the business functions and operations in an effective way. It eliminates the victimization, harassment and discrimination at the workplace. This act also covers gender, reassignment, age, disability and marital status. With effect of this act, the company is able to reduce and eliminate the discrimination and inequality at the workplace. The equality and diversity is a term used in the UK to outline and explain champion equality, human rights and diversity as defining value of community. By considering equality act, McDonald’s promotes the workers towards the achievement of goals and objectives in the organization (Educationservice, 2018).  The equality act 2010 provides a single legal framework with effective, clear, and streamlined legislation that would be more dynamic and significant for handling disadvantages and discrimination and that would provide a legal framework to protect the rights and interests of individuals and advance equality of various opportunities for all. According to this act, if a person concerns about discrimination of any kind, the people need to inform HR adviser. The equality act brings together over 116 separate pieces of regulation into one single act (Equality and human rights, 2018). The government of UK provides guidance to employees, service providers, employers, education providers and services users for understanding and evaluating the equality act. The nine main pieces of legislation that have merged into a single equality act are discussed below.

• The equal pay act 1970
• The race relations act 1976
• The sex discrimination act 1975
• The disability discrimination act 1995
• The employment equality (belief or religion) regulations 2003
• The employment equality (sexual orientation) regulations 2003
• The employment equality (age) regulations 2006
• The equality act 2006, part 2
• The equality act (sexual orientation) regulations 2007

It has been studied that the equality act 2010 helps in running and developing the business activities internationally. It also provides job satisfaction and job security to the workers in the organization while functioning effectively. Diversity is significant at the workplace because it helps the workers relate to a dynamic and effective customer base and supports to generate a fun and favorable environment in which to work together (Equality and human rights, 2018). This act further protects the individuals from discrimination at the workplace.

It is investigated that equality and diversity provide ample of competitive benefits at the workplace. Individual from diverse backgrounds could render a selection of various talents, experience and skills that can be of benefit to the company and their work performance and productivity (McDonald, Payne and Frow, 2011). Therefore, McDonald’s can overcome the rivalries in the international market. Equality and diversity also create innovation at the workplace. McDonald’s embraces diversity to attract and retain the wide range of applicants for filling the vacancies (Tatli, 2011). It will further help the company to cope up with rivals internationally. Equality and diversity in the workplace are significant and effective for encouraging and improving the employees from all backgrounds to feel confident in their capability and attain their best. The excellent and higher team morale and loyalty, the more productive and effective workers are. With dynamic equality and diversity, the company can create a favorable working environment and relationship at the workplace. It also helps in standing out against the rivalries in the competitive market (Tomlinson and Schwabenland, 2010).

A team with dynamic working relationships would be more engaged, productive and focused. The more diverse and effective workforce helps in analyzing and evaluating the opportunities and threats of the market. The skilled and potential employees also support McDonald’s to identify and measure the policies, strategies and products of the competitors. In this way, the company is able to compete against the rivals in the international market (Eze and Jooda, 2013). Equality and diversity are significant to maintain good and strong communication and collaboration within the organization. It will also help McDonald’s to measure and determine the external factors internationally. In this way, the firm can take ample of competitive advantages while functioning and operating business at international level. Language issues and cultural differences may often act as a bit of a hurdle for McDonald’s who want to explore their business over shores, however  by recruiting and selecting workers who speak various languages it can make it possible for a firm on a international basis and communicate with a broader client base. It will also helps in struggling with competitors across the globe. The skilled and talented workforce helps in making effective and unique policies and plans in the organization to stand out over the rivals internationally (Greene and Kirton, 2015). The diversity and equality increase creativity, profitability, outcomes and performance. On the other hand, there are various disadvantages of diversity and equality includes communication barriers, increased competition, and increased cost of training and collaboration issues.

There are various ways that can help McDonald’s to maximize and improve the benefits of diversity and equality. Some of the ways have been discussed below.

• It is stated that top management at McDonald’s needs to communicate and collaborate diversity policy regularly and clearly. Communication helps in reducing and eliminating the barriers and challenges that are rising in the organization. To maintain strong communication at the workplace, the company needs to hold meetings and seminars for the workers on regular basis. It will further help in maximizing diversity and equality benefits to a large extent (Herring, 2009).
• Training and development is another way that helps in boosting equality and diversity in the workplace. Training and development are essential to increase and enhance the diversity within the organization. It also helps in preventing various differences such as ethnicities, gender, ages, races, and socio-economic issues. By providing training and development, McDonald’s can maximize the profitability and outcomes and it also helps in maintaining a favorable and dynamic working environment (Oswick and Noon, 2014).
• Develop organization policies aligned with government laws on equal employment opportunity. This will further help in enhancing diversity and equality benefits globally. McDonald’s also celebrate the significant events to augment diversity and equality at the workplace. It will help in achieving the desired objectives and targets within the organization. By maintaining diversity at the workplace, the company can attract and retain the majority of customers and employees widely (Roberge and Van Dick, 2010).
• Performance management system shall be implemented to take maximum benefits if diversity and equality in the organization. Performance management system helps in identifying and analyzing the performance, effectiveness and efficiency of the workers. It also provides increases satisfaction level and job security of the employees (Barak, 2016).

Conclusion 

It is concluded from the above discussion that McDonald’s is one of the biggest and well known brands in the global market that provides food products to the customers in all over the world. The above analysis reveals that McDonald’s uses innovative and dynamic strategies and policies to maintain diversity and equality at the workplace. The above analysis indicates that UK government makes effective and unique policies and regulations to exercise diversity and equality in the organization. Diversity and equality play a significant role in attaining competitive advantages in the global market. It is recommended that McDonald’s should provide rewards and recognition to the workers to survive business internationally and to govern equality and diversity practices across the globe. The top management and managers should maintain reciprocal relationship with workers to stay in the competitive market. Talent management system shall be implemented at the workplace to identify and evaluate the skills, talents and experience of the workers internationally.

References

Azim, P. and Azim, S., 2012. Impact of Constructive Marketing Strategies on Return (Revenue & Profitability): A Case Study of Mcdonald’s. Journal of Asian Business Strategy, 2(7), pp.153-169.

Barak, M.E.M., 2016. Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications.

Carpenter, M.A. and Sanders, W.G., 2009. Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective: Concepts. Pearson Prentice Hall.

Educationservice.2018. Diversity, equality and the law in the UK[Online]. Available from https://www.parliament.uk/documents/education/online-resources/Diversity%20Resource/Topic3.pdf [Accessed as on 9th November 2018].

Equalityand humanrights.2018. What is the equality act [Online]. Available from https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act-2010/what-equality-act [Accessed as on 9th November 2018].

Eze, P. and Jooda, O., 2013. Enhancing Working Relationship in a Multicultural Organization; McDonalds Borlänge, Sweden.

Greene, A.M. and Kirton, G., 2015. The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach. Routledge.

Herring, C., 2009. Does diversity pay?: Race, gender, and the business case for diversity. American Sociological Review, 74(2), pp.208-224.

Janssens, M. and Zanoni, P., 2014. Alternative diversity management: Organizational practices fostering ethnic equality at work. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 30(3), pp.317-331.

McDonald, M., Payne, A. and Frow, P., 2011. Marketing plans for services: A complete guide. John Wiley & Sons.

McDonald’s.2018. About McDonald’s [Online]. Available from https://www.mcdonalds.com.ph/content/page/about [Accessed as on 9th November 2018].

McDonald’s.2018 a. Global diversity, inclusion & community engagement [Online]. Available from https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion.html [Accessed as on 8th November 2018].

McDonald’s.2018b. Macca’s people [Online]. Available from https://mcdonalds.com.au/about-maccas/people [Accessed as on 8th November 2018].

McDonald’s.2018c. Our growth strategy [Online]. Available from https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/about-us/our-growth-strategy.html [Accessed as on 9th November 2018].

Michielsens, E., Bingham, C. and Clarke, L., 2013. Managing diversity through flexible work arrangements: Management perspectives. Employee Relations, 36(1), pp.49-69.

Oswick, C. and Noon, M., 2014. Discourses of diversity, equality and inclusion: trenchant formulations or transient fashions?. British Journal of Management, 25(1), pp.23-39.

Roberge, M.É. and Van Dick, R., 2010. Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance?. Human resource management review, 20(4), pp.295-308.

Talpau, A. and Boscor, D., 2011. Customer-oriented marketing-A strategy that guarantees success: Starbucks and McDonald's. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Economic Sciences. Series V, 4(1), p.51.

Tatli, A., 2011. A multi?layered exploration of the diversity management field: diversity discourses, practices and practitioners in the UK. British Journal of Management, 22(2), pp.238-253.

Tomlinson, F. and Schwabenland, C., 2010. Reconciling competing discourses of diversity? The UK non-profit sector between social justice and the business case. Organization, 17(1), pp.101-121.