Back in the day, a brilliant man was born. He was innovator, making his ideas into reality and creating his ideas in ideal transportation that is very common in our daily lives. Henry Ford, the father of the transportation. Not only did he invent the means of transportation but also he created what many franchises use today in order to keep control in the work environment, the assembly line. Many companies use the assembly line in the use of assembled line of labor, as Ritzer mentions in his piece The McDonaldization of Society. In his eyes there are 4 components for assembling of labor to work, efficiency, calculability, predictability and control.
Ritzer demonstrates how each one makes the whole assembly line work. Efficiency is self-explanatory, a system that works fast. Fast food demonstrates that perfectly, McDonald, Burger King, and Wendy’s are just the few examples that define efficiency. Because of their fast paced ability to have what you order in matter of minutes at your fingertips is just fast, period. This doesn’t come easy though. You need some sort of formula to make it work, that’s where calculability comes into play. Calculability makes the product more quantity base rather then quality. When you’re at a fast food restaurant you see lines of fires, baskets of burgers, buckets of ketchup ready at you disposal. You don’t see that a fancy restaurant, where they are more focused on quality. There is no fast lane at a Cheese Cake Factory. They seat you, make you wait for you food and it’s served with a delicious plate. Not that McDonald doesn’t but in reality, we only eat McDonald when we’re really hungry, in hurry or looking to save a few dollars. Also not to mention the menu at these fast food places. They stay they same no matter where you go. That’s how predictable a fast food place can be. You roll up to the drive through and even before entering the parking lot, you know what’s on their menu. Why is that? It’s because they have the same products in the same order at different franchises.
Not only is the food the same but a lot the consumer and production stays the same. You have the same amount efficiency, and calculability that it doesn’t really matter which Burger King or Wendy’s you to go to. It’s all the same. This is how they control their customers. They have them being, literally, pushed in line and rushed to order. Have you ever noticed this when you’re at the drive through at a fast food place? They don’t take the time to talk to you, see how you are doing, no. They just take your order and yell “NEXT!” Making you feel like you need to be in a rush somewhere. I know when I’m at drive through or placing my order inside I get the same treatment, speedy delivery.
This not only happens in the fast food industry but other companies as well have adopted the theory of the assembly line of labor. Take for example, grocery stores. Have you ever experience buying your own meat at a grocery store? They aren’t very nice, first of all. They take your order based on a number ticket you pull out of a container. When your number is up you are asked what kind of meat and how you would like it to be cut. They don’t ask you how you are or what your plans are for the evening, no. They just serve you and go to the next person, the same at the check at lanes. They slide you good so fast before you can even get out you card or cash to pay it all. This world of “assembly” line of labor has come to the point where we turn into robots. We are condition to do something efficiently, in a formula, with a typical appearance and control. If one thing breaks or doesn’t work write, or in the work field, if someone is sick, they can get quickly replaced. When will this stop? If it does stop, what will take its place? I personally don’t think that assembly line of labor won’t stop for many reasons. One, we are too lazy to change it. If I asked you to go change you outfit after putting a lot of thought into it and waking down stairs, you would get too lazy to change it. I know I would. Secondly, it works! Why break something when it works just fine? There is no sense is trying to break a system that works just fine. This is why the system hasn’t been broken yet, we are to lazy to make a new one and the fact that it works is reason enough.
Ritzer demonstrates how each one makes the whole assembly line work. Efficiency is self-explanatory, a system that works fast. Fast food demonstrates that perfectly, McDonald, Burger King, and Wendy’s are just the few examples that define efficiency. Because of their fast paced ability to have what you order in matter of minutes at your fingertips is just fast, period. This doesn’t come easy though. You need some sort of formula to make it work, that’s where calculability comes into play. Calculability makes the product more quantity base rather then quality. When you’re at a fast food restaurant you see lines of fires, baskets of burgers, buckets of ketchup ready at you disposal. You don’t see that a fancy restaurant, where they are more focused on quality. There is no fast lane at a Cheese Cake Factory. They seat you, make you wait for you food and it’s served with a delicious plate. Not that McDonald doesn’t but in reality, we only eat McDonald when we’re really hungry, in hurry or looking to save a few dollars. Also not to mention the menu at these fast food places. They stay they same no matter where you go. That’s how predictable a fast food place can be. You roll up to the drive through and even before entering the parking lot, you know what’s on their menu. Why is that? It’s because they have the same products in the same order at different franchises.
Not only is the food the same but a lot the consumer and production stays the same. You have the same amount efficiency, and calculability that it doesn’t really matter which Burger King or Wendy’s you to go to. It’s all the same. This is how they control their customers. They have them being, literally, pushed in line and rushed to order. Have you ever noticed this when you’re at the drive through at a fast food place? They don’t take the time to talk to you, see how you are doing, no. They just take your order and yell “NEXT!” Making you feel like you need to be in a rush somewhere. I know when I’m at drive through or placing my order inside I get the same treatment, speedy delivery.
This not only happens in the fast food industry but other companies as well have adopted the theory of the assembly line of labor. Take for example, grocery stores. Have you ever experience buying your own meat at a grocery store? They aren’t very nice, first of all. They take your order based on a number ticket you pull out of a container. When your number is up you are asked what kind of meat and how you would like it to be cut. They don’t ask you how you are or what your plans are for the evening, no. They just serve you and go to the next person, the same at the check at lanes. They slide you good so fast before you can even get out you card or cash to pay it all. This world of “assembly” line of labor has come to the point where we turn into robots. We are condition to do something efficiently, in a formula, with a typical appearance and control. If one thing breaks or doesn’t work write, or in the work field, if someone is sick, they can get quickly replaced. When will this stop? If it does stop, what will take its place? I personally don’t think that assembly line of labor won’t stop for many reasons. One, we are too lazy to change it. If I asked you to go change you outfit after putting a lot of thought into it and waking down stairs, you would get too lazy to change it. I know I would. Secondly, it works! Why break something when it works just fine? There is no sense is trying to break a system that works just fine. This is why the system hasn’t been broken yet, we are to lazy to make a new one and the fact that it works is reason enough.