3.4a McDonaldization

Although it has spread around the globe, McDonald’s is still a powerful symbol of the United States. This fast-food restaurant is a bureaucracy, which means it has rules and procedures, impersonal positions, a hierarchical structure of authority, and a division of labor. However, Ritzer (2021) argues that McDonald’s takes these bureaucratic processes further by incorporating the principles of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control throughout the organization. The use of these principles (efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control) is known as McDonaldization.

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Ordering Food at a Kiosk Increases Efficiency

Efficiency refers to how a process is fine-tuned to deliver a good or service to a customer as quickly as possible. McDonaldized systems, such as drive-thru windows (now often two-lane drive-thru lanes) and app-based ordering, reduce the time it takes to order and deliver goods. This increased efficiency enables the company to sell to more customers, thereby increasing profits.

Efficient systems can also reduce labor costs because fewer employees are needed to run each store. As a result, businesses can open more locations, increasing profits. However, because of the changes brought on through efficiency, each location needs fewer employees. Therefore, there are fewer entry-level jobs available to teenagers looking for part-time work. In June 2025, only 30% of 16 to 19-year-olds were employed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025d). In contrast, 57.9% of teenagers were employed in 1979 (the highest employment rate for this age group between 1948 and 2025) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).

Calculability means that the cost, profit, portion size, and other quantitative features of every product and service are known. For example, McDonald’s uses standardized portions of food at all restaurants. Every hamburger is the same weight and size. Pizza parlors weigh toppings before putting them on the pizza crust to ensure they always use the same amount to keep profitability. In the healthcare industry, insurance providers often limit the time doctors spend with each patient. Calculability can also help consumers, who can more accurately estimate the cost of their groceries and the time needed for a given service.

McDonald’s is a franchise, and each restaurant is owned by either a franchisee or the McDonald’s corporation. Regardless of ownership, however, the corporation decides the menu, prices, and operation of the business ensuring predictability for consumers. Many items are on most — if not all — McDonald’s menus, although there is some regional and global variation.

Predictability means that the business or organization behaves in a manner that allows consumers to know what to expect, even when the location or employees change. However, predictability can also constrain individuals. For example, an online university may require all courses to be organized in the same way (one discussion question, quiz, and short writing assignment assigned weekly) regardless of whether or how it advances student learning. This predictability benefits students because they know what to expect; however, it minimizes the expertise of the instructor and their ability to teach in ways that  adapt to student needs.

McDonaldization also relies on control, which limits employees’ and customers’ choices. A value or combo meal, for instance, comes with a limited range of options (main item, side, and drink). Customers can order a hamburger, chicken nuggets, or other protein as the main item. Still, the remaining items are usually limited to French fries and a drink.

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Many Restaurants Limit Customer’s Choices Through Value Meals

Having too many choices can be overwhelming for people and make a process less efficient. It can slow down the flow of customer traffic. Consider the sheer volume of choices available at Starbucks. Customers love the choices Starbucks gives them. However, the consequence is a sometimes lengthy wait to get their customized iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk, a shot of espresso, and whipped cream. In 2025, Starbucks announced they would cut 30% of the items on their menu to improve wait times and bring back customers (Selyukh, 2025).