Working for McDonald's in Europe: The Unequal Struggle / Edition 1

by Tony Royle

Overview

The McDonald's Corporation is not only the largest system-wide sales service in the world, it is a phenomenon in its own right, and is now recognized as the most famous brand in the world. By providing a detailed analysis of the extent to which the McDonald's Corporation adapts or imposes its labour relations policies in Europe, this volume represents a real life case study revealing the interaction between a global multi-national enterprise and the regulatory systems of a number of different European countries. Key features include:

* an overview of the McDonald's Corporation's development and structure
* an analysis of its corporate culture and the issues of franchising
* an examination of key union strategies, including systems of co-determination, consultation and collective-bargaining
* a chapter dealing specifically with European legislation, in particular the McDonald's European Works Council

The author systematically analyzes the conflict between the McDonald's Corporation and the industrial relations systems of the European countries within which it operates, and exposes this conflict as an 'unequal struggle' between economic liberalism and collectivism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415207874
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/07/2000
Series:	Routledge Studies in Employment Relations
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

1. Liberalism, Collectivism and the Multinational Corporation; In the ring: liberalism versus collectivism, Regulating employment rights in mulinationals, Clarifying some concepts, Research issues and questions, Outline of the book 2. Welcome to Big Mac; From small acorns..., Enter the salesman, Exporting 'McBurgers', The problems of international expansion, Structure and organisation in the European market 3. The Corporate Paradox: McDonald's and its Franchise System; The growth of the franchise, The McDonald's franchise system, Financial costs and the application process, Outsiders and insiders, 'Traiters within': the MOA, Imposing uniformity, The distinction between the franchisee and the company restaurant manager, Capital expenditure, Franchises: working the employees harder? Appointment, promotion, recruitment and training, Staffing levels, pay and conditions, The franchise operator: employer or employee? 4. McDonald's at Work; McWork, Managing control and consent at McDonald's, Managing subjectivity, McCulture, Labour turnover, Part-time work, Workforce characteristics, Foreign workers, 'Coasters' and ethnic minorities, McJobs, Previous work experience, Recruited acquiescence? 5. There's No Place Like Home: the Impact of Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining Frameworks; McDonald's and the unions in North America, It's cold outside: McDonald's and the unions around the world, Trade unions and collective bargaining in Europe, McDonald's and the European unions, 'Do it your way' Ireland and the UK, Unions in the centre: Germany, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Unions in the south: France, Spain and Italy, Unions in the north: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Explaining low membership, Management attitudes towards unions, Franchises: the benefits of small operations, Workforce characteristics and workers' attitudes, It's not always high labour turnover and young workers, Explaining variation in union membership levels 6. 'Co-determination? What