McDonald’s operates in the fast-food industry that is greatly affected by the four I’s of non-market environment. With regards to issues, the organization experiences a myriad of issues that emanate from private and public politics. Health issues have dominated the list of factors that need the proper attention of the organization. For instance, in many cases, the organization has been accused by the members of the NGOs and civil society of selling products that are dangerous for human health (Baron, 2010). Another issue that has dominated the public sphere revolves around its marketing focus on children. McDonald’s is one of the companies in the fast-food industry that has been widely blamed for producing products, which target the children in society. The organization has manifested its marketing approach by providing toys to children and developing friendly product adverts. Issues of health and safety have also affected the organization. In other regions, the organization has succumbed to strict regulations due to the nature of its products (Boddewyn, 2003).
Health issues in society such as the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes have been associated with the consumption of fast foods. In this regard, MacDonald’s has been targeted by various lobby groups in society. The organization has been accused of selling food products that have a higher content of calories and sugar. The issue has therefore affected the performance of the organization in the non-market environment (Baron, 2010).
Institutions that have responded to the aforementioned issues include government entities and other private organizations in society. For instance, health entities have been very active in promoting awareness of diseases that are associated with the consumption of fast foods. Government entities concerned with health issues have also established regulations to control the activities of the organization. For example, the adoption of the Health Care Act in America has imposed new regulations on the organization. The regulations will ensure that the food products meet the health standards in the country. An institution such as PETA has also been very active in ensuring that MacDonald’s slaughters and stores livestock products using safety means (Boddewyn, 2003).
Interests from the non-market environment have stemmed from the shareholders of the organization. However, the management and the board of directors have shown a greater level of interest over other parties. The management has been committed to ensuring the factors in the non-market environment do not result in poor performance of the organization. For instance, the organization has adequately responded to the requirements of the government and other institutions to promote health issues. The employees of the organization have also developed an interest in promoting the good performance of the organization (Baron, 2010).
With regards to information, the management and the employees of the organization believed that their actions were aimed at improving the performance of the organization. However, individual consumers, the government, NGOs, and civil organizations believed that the actions of the company were aimed at reducing the health standards in society. The advertising approach adopted by the organization also indicated that its products were mainly targeted at children. The information spread by the media on fast food products also affected the performance of the organization (Boddewyn, 2003).
References
Baron, D.P. (2010). Business and its environment (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Boddewyn, J.J. (2003). Understanding and Advancing the concept of non-market. Business & Society, 42(3), 297-327.