Global Training & Development Plan

Part A

The chosen organization is McDonald’s Corporation. The multinational Corporation has been operating since 1940, with its corporate headquarters in the United States. Because its operations and clientele are global, this company has a global training and development program. As a result, employees require international education to perform at their peak. In addition, the company wants to make it easier for people to share their culinary delights with others. McDonald’s is the largest fast food restaurant chain, with an estimated 36,889 stores in 120 countries. Outside of the United States, most McDonald’s restaurants are franchises. Every day, 68 million customers are assisted.

McDonald’s Corporation has established a structure that allows for effective management and care of its global operations. McDonald’s Corporation is divided into several departments (Thompson, 2015). The restaurant operation is divided into smaller units in this organizational structure, each in charge of a specific task. Following McDonald’s stated mission and vision, each division is responsible for a specific operational area and its strategic objectives. President and CEO Chris Kempczinski are assisted by a team of nine senior executives, each in charge of a different aspect of the business. This is a difficult time for McDonald’s management. Several allegations of racial and sexual discrimination have recently been leveled against the fast food franchise (Dudovskiy, 2022). McDonald’s invests in its employees by providing opportunities for training and education at all levels. Employees are typically sent to Hamburger University for training.

Part B

Asia and Southeast Asia, including Japan and China, face most of the world’s food-related issues. The Middle East faces unique challenges because eating pork violates Islamic teachings. For example, McDonald’s has significantly altered some of its menu items in Japan to suit local community. Conservative Hindus in India have called for a boycott of McDonald’s after announcing that its restaurants will serve halal meat. McDonald’s India caused a stir when it claimed on Twitter that all its restaurants had received halal certification (Kuchay, 2019). Furthermore, there is McDonald’s fourth complaint alleging racial discrimination in less than a year, and the complaints have come from both current and former employees. Management at  McDonald’s allegedly treated black employees unfairly and used racially insensitive language, including subjecting them to harsher discipline and making them work fewer hours than white employees (Jones, 2020).

Part C

When developing the global training and development plan, it is critical to consider the data presented in sections A and B. The main issue is the frequency with which sexual harassment claims are made in the workplace. According to Forbes, employees are dissatisfied with the lack of action to address sexual violence in the workplace (Kaplan, 2022). As a result, all retail employees must receive training on preventing and responding to workplace violence and harassment. Another issue is discrimination based on race. The overarching goal of the global training and development strategy should be to raise staff members’ awareness of racism and ability to respond to racist acts in both personal and professional lives. Finally, staff members must be trained in cultural diversity and sensitivity to address food-related issues.

Part D

Working effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds is increasingly valued in the modern workplace. Employees are expected to improve their intercultural competence by learning time management skills, conflict resolution techniques, teamwork, and virtual and in-person communication techniques. A fast-food restaurant must adapt to today’s competitive and ever-changing business environment (Sena, 2020). Leader development cannot be left to chance for those in global general management roles because they must be prepared to deal with an endless array of unexpected challenges. It is critical to consider the McDonald’s Corporation’s overall strategy. The L&D strategy will be consistent with the overall business strategy. McDonald’s business plan combines cost leadership with international market expansion. The company’s employees will be trained to best implement the company’s strategic plan in light of this information and the need to address the aforementioned issues. The issues raised in Section C are being addressed, but the process is time-consuming. However, the company has a history of allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination (Valinsky, 2022). Furthermore, because these issues keep arising, staff members must be taught better ways to deal with them.

Part E

McDonald’s operates in a sector influenced by several political external factors, including the effects of stricter government regulations on food and health, a shift in the focus of public health policy, and the expansion of international trade agreements. In addition, social trends impact consumer behavior, which in turn impacts the overall or macro environment of the restaurant’s financial performance. The following are some external sociocultural factors that impact the organization and the development of employees’ intercultural competence: The rise of the health-conscious consumer, urbanization and an increase in cultural diversity are all contributing factors (Greenspan, 2022).

When designing training programs, it is critical to consider the growing cultural diversity and globalization of trade. The company’s current top priority is to create a welcoming environment where diversity is valued. However, recent events have revealed that there are gaps that staff members must be trained to fill.

Part F

Individualism and collectivism are most effectively explained by comparing them along these four criteria. In an individualistic society, pursuing one’s happiness comes first. Collectivism, on the other hand, emphasizes group concerns over individual concerns. Although the issues raised are bad for McDonald’s as a company, the franchisee is only partially to blame for the reputational risk. As a result, teamwork must be included in the training program. Employees are more likely to stick with a company that promotes a more collaborative work environment. As a result, both employee morale and public perception of the company will improve.

Part G

Employees must be made aware of the importance of diversity in the workplace, taught to recognize and value the unique qualities of their coworkers, and given the tools necessary to develop their interpersonal and communication skills across differences to foster a productive work environment.

Part H

McDonald’s employees work together to bring customers their preferred fast food items, such as Happy Meals and Big Macs. Only 12% of the McD crew members have bachelor’s degrees, with the majority (67%) having only completed high school. Communication, customer service, and physical stamina are advantageous in this role. Men make up 41.5% of the McDonald’s workforce, while women make up 58.5%. The average age of McDonald’s employees is 24. The majority of McDonald’s employees in the United States are White (63.4%), followed by Hispanics/Latinos/others (17.1%), Asians (7.8%), and Blacks/African Americans (7.8%)( Zip code 20221).

More than 90% of McDonald’s restaurants are franchised, presenting a unique set of challenges. Sexual harassment allegations harm McDonald’s reputation as a company, but the franchisee bears relatively little of the reputational risk. Moreover, due to the work’s low pay and unskilled nature, franchise managers have little incentive to respond to these allegations or bring them to the attention of corporate headquarters. As a result, businesses need help monitoring employees and imposing rules and regulations.

References

Dudovskiy, J. (2022, June 20). McDonald’s Leadership: a brief overview. Research-Methodology.

Greenspan, R. (2022, July 14). McDonald’s PESTEL/PESTLE Analysis & Recommendations. Panmore Institute.

Jones, C. (2020, October 13). McDonald’s faces another lawsuit by workers claiming racial discrimination. USA TODAY.

Kaplan, A. (2022, April 13). McDonald’s Workers Are Striking Over Continued Sexual Harassment Issues. Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2021/10/26/mcdonalds-workers-are-striking-over-continued-sexual-harassment-issues/?sh=7406f70e2e43

Kuchay, B. (2019, August 26). McDonald’s faces boycott threats in India for serving halal meat. Www.aljazeera.com.

Sena, M. (2020). Fast Food Industry Analysis 2020 – Cost & Trends. Franchisehelp.com.

Thompson, A. (2015, October 4). McDonald’s Organizational Structure & Its Characteristics – An Analysis. Panmore Institute.

Valinsky, J. (2022, September 23). McDonald’s must face $10 billion racial discrimination suit from media group | CNN Business. CNN.

Zippia. (2021, January 29). Mcdonalds Crew Member Demographics.