Very Similar Experience To McDonalds France example essay topic

Studying and understanding different cultures of the world, is an integral part of successfully communicating internationally. This paper will examine three case studies evaluating communication styles in France. The focus will be on McDonald's France, Euro Disney, and Accor. These three cases all involve a lack of effective communication and understanding of French Culture. French Culture In order to examine these French communication case studies it is important to understand the French culture. The French are characterized as having a very high level of uncertainty avoidance, but ironically change their minds quite frequently.

The French are also very characterized as a very individualistic culture, meaning that everyone is only supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate family. These characteristics will be seen throughout the case studies, especially the uncertainty avoidance factor. McDonald's France Case: McDonalds has opened franchises all over the world, little did they know that breaking into the French market would be such a challenge. McDonalds is a global corporation that is now tailoring its food, and entire dinning experience to fit local cultures.

At first, the French were not very receptive of McDonalds invading their country, and were very reluctant to indulge in the high fat, fast food. Culturally it was different from anything they had ever experienced before. Initially French McDonalds were replicates of American McDonalds, serving the same menu with the same structural layout. The French traditionally enjoy lingering over their meals, and creating a dinning experience as opposed quickly consuming a large amount of food. These factors led to a slow start for McDonalds in France. The French were also very concerned about the high level of fat contained in the traditional McDonalds menu.

This became a huge communication problem, especially when protests started picketing several McDonalds in France. McDonalds France Solution: These problems have been handled by having McDonalds France Public Relations Department giving several press conferences, as well as, distributing several press releases. Since the Problem spans the entire country, high level McDonalds executives are communicating with the public. This communication does not end with high level executives; the message has permeated throughout the entire organization. The managers of individual franchises are very proactive to address and resolve the problems McDonalds has been experiencing.

They choose to use the several forms of media that are most likely to actually reach the average McDonalds consumer, news paper press releases, press conferences that could be aired on the local news, and a new advertising campaign. First, McDonalds realized that they needed to change the structure and process to not offend French consumers and entice them to consume McDonalds products. Carol Matlock states, "McDonald's France also has defused criticism by adapting its restaurant designs to blend with local architecture. Some outlets in the Alps now boast wood-and-stone interiors reminiscent of a chalet". McDonalds had to dig deep into the French culture to figure out why they were not succeeding. This problem can be related to the high level of uncertainty avoidance characteristic of the French Culture.

They are not comfortable with a new style of restaurant, even though they enjoy the food. So in order for McDonalds to successfully conduct business in France they needed to revamp their current dinning experience. They have also revamped their high speed food service as well. These new revamped McDonalds encourage dinners to linger over their food, and on average customers spend more money. They have also added some more traditional French items to their menu. For example, they now offer a hot ham and cheese sandwich, which helps make the fast food chain less of a change to French customers.

The French also are very particular about time when it comes to the dinning experience. As mentioned before, French people view meals as a dinning and social experience. By conforming to the French Culture and creating an environment that allows customers to lingerie has drastically increased their business. McDonalds France was able to communicate through several different channels to address the level of fat in their foods. They released several statements encouraging parents to not allow their children to eat too much Mcdonalds. McDonalds France was quoted as saying 'However, there is no reason to eat excessive amounts of junk food, nor go more than once a week to McDonald's.

' They have placed several articles in magazines stated this fact, encouraging consumers to eat McDonalds in moderation. McDonalds has also started a new add campaign poking fun at American McDonalds consumers. The advertisement depicts a fat lazy American that can not understand why French McDonalds use local products that are free from genetic alteration. This again reflects French culture that are concerned about childhood obesity, and more concerned with nutritional value associated with the foods they consume. McDonalds France has also switched the oils that it uses in cooking French Fries to one that contains fewer trans fats. McDonalds was able to use communication to find underlying factors that would increase consumer satisfaction and business.

McDonalds used a company wide communication strategy to address problems that bothered consumers, which has allowed them to open 950 McDonalds in France and well as averaging opening a new franchise every six days. Euro Disney Case: Disney had a very similar experience to McDonalds France when it tried to open its European subsidiary in France in 1987. Holly Muir Packman states it best when she said, "American businesses make assumptions about the transferability of their business, management, marketing, economic and structural models of organizing which frequently fail to take into consideration cultural differences. An example of the consequences of such an approach to intercultural business practice can be found in the Disney Corporation's recent European venture, now called Disneyland, Paris. Lack of cultural sensitivity and the negative infiltration strategy used by the Disney Corporation resulted in a great loss of time, money and reputation for which the corporation has only recently begun to compensate. Disney Corporation may have been prevented this if only its representatives had known then what they know now: simply put, that organizations are not distinct, separate entities capable of functioning outside their physical, social and cultural environments.

That insight, of course, calls for a different approach to international business, one which begins with the most basic aspect of human organizations, namely effective, meaningful, communicative interactions between people". Disney did not communicate effectively with consumers and the citizens of Paris. They assumed that their clients desired a very similar experience to that of American clients.