Macdonals Work Force Diversity

What diversity means to McDonalds is not only who works within the organisation but goes as far as the customers who they serve. Patricia Sowell Harris, McDonald’s Chief Diversity Officer declares, â€Å"At its simplest, diversity means that your organization reflects the customers you serve and the society in which you operate. But to be effective, it’s more than counting numbers †¦ it’s making those numbers count. A truly diverse culture means that different views, opinions, experiences, educations, religions, and lifestyles are respected, where everybody is a valued and contributing member of the team, and where actions are led by insights that create success in the business. † While diversity initiatives have assisted many people in their professions and organisations in their venture to succeed, is there another side to the story; is it just a waste of time and money? For some corporations, that may be true. Cultural diversity efforts like cultural awareness could be seen as nothing more than an extravagant scheme that really does nothing to help workers feel like they are truly a part of the organization, but for the organisation to be seen in a positive light from onlookers; although this hardly seems the case for cultural diversity initiatives in McDonalds. The following was taken from the McDonalds website: Minorities and women represent approximately 37 per cent of all McDonald's franchisees; More than 65 per cent of the applicants in training to become new McDonald's franchisees are women and minorities. † Serves more than 58 million customers around the world each day †¢ Is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 32,000 local restaurants in 118 countries †¢ Employs more than 1. 6 million people worldwide – our brand’s best ambassadors are our people †¢ Today, more than 60 percent of our glob al home office and U. S. ompany workforce are of a racial or ethnic minority, or are women †¢ Is widely recognized as a top company for minorities – also a â€Å"Great Place to Work† in more than 30 countries †¢ Ranked one of the Top 20 Global Companies for Leaders by Fortune magazine in 2007 †¢ About 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are independently owned & operated (franchised) by local business men and women (McDonalds corporation www. macdonalds. com as it exists 2/4/11) Around the world, inclusion and diversity at McDonald’s means providing equal opportunities for everyone to ucceed and contribute. We accomplish this in a number of ways, such as the integration of diversity initiatives into our daily business practices, a strong diversity education curriculum, employee business networks and external partnerships with minority organizations. Jan states â€Å"I’m proud of our industry-leading Global Inclusion and Intercultural Management team which has successfully driven our efforts to have diversity among our employees, franchisees and suppliers across the globe. Jan Fields, President, McDonald’s USA With more than 32,000 restaurants in 118 countries, McDonald’s carries a new meaning to the word diversity, bringing diversity and even change to the menus at every community it touches. Around the world, diversity at McDonald’s means providing equal opportunities for everyone to succeed and contribute. They accomplish this in a number of ways, such as bring forth diversity initiatives into their daily business practices, a strong diverse education curriculum, employee business networks and partnerships with minority organisations. To reinforce the diverse culture today, more than 60 per cent of the workforces are of a racial or ethnic minority, or are women. Inclusion and Diversity also plays an important role for the leaders of McDonalds in the future. Our management team provides regular updates on the progress in this area so they are constantly evaluating the performance to make sure they have strong diverse culture, including gender, ethnicity and nationality. In addition, McDonalds has the largest number of minority and women franchise owners in the fast food industry. The National Black McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association can be considered most successful African American business organizations in the nation, and the Hispanic franchisees fund the largest scholarship program for Hispanic high school students entering college. Furthermore McDonalds suppliers are equally diverse. On average McDonald’s spend $4 billion per year on food, paper packaging, restaurant operating supplies, uniforms and toys from minority and women-owned businesses says Patricia Sowell Harris, McDonald’s Chief Diversity Officer So whether it’s their franchisees, suppliers, or employees, their commitment to inclusion and diversity has helped make McDonald’s the company they’re today. Most importantly, this commitment allows the fast food chain to ensure that their restaurants and business reflect the customer in which is extensively diverse.