P/S Section Bank Q100

[itsalwayssunny96]

So I was just re-looking at a question from the P/S section bank and I am still shaky on the reasoning. It says:

Which scenario is NOT an accurate representation of the McDonaldization of society?
A. A customer cleaning their table and disposing of waste after eating at a restaurant
B. A doctor seeing a patient at his or her residence rather than at a medical facility
C. A supermarket chain using self-scan machines at check-outs, in place of employees
D. A chain of coffee shops offering the same menu and decor across the United States

The answer was B, but I picked A. I was between the 2. AAMC's explanation says that McDonaldization encompasses 4 characteristics... efficiency, calculability, uniformity, and technological control. It said that choice A fit into "efficiency" but ...how? It's the customer, not the employee and I don't really see how it relates to efficiency. Choices A and B both didn't seem right to me so I just guessed and picked the wrong one.

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[aldol16]

Well, it's efficient for the company because the company can now afford to hire fewer workers due to the customer assuming one of the roles of the employees, i.e. cleaning up after themselves. So it makes the operation of the company more efficient in that you can do the same amount of work with fewer workers.

 

[itsalwayssunny96]

Well, it's efficient for the company because the company can now afford to hire fewer workers due to the customer assuming one of the roles of the employees, i.e. cleaning up after themselves. So it makes the operation of the company more efficient in that you can do the same amount of work with fewer workers.

Don't you think that's pretty extreme since it doesn't say "every customer", but just says "a customer"?

 

[aldol16]

Don't you think that's pretty extreme since it doesn't say "every customer", but just says "a customer"?

I think the generalization is implied in this question. That is, "a" is taken to mean customers in general and not a singular customer. Or if it is "a" customer, then that customer is following some rule to dispose of his or her own waste.

 

[jazzmetal]

Which scenario is NOT an accurate representation of the McDonaldization of society?
A. A customer cleaning their table and disposing of waste after eating at a restaurant
B. A doctor seeing a patient at his or her residence rather than at a medical facility

I found this question a little tricky too, because A seems like a trap - too on-the-nose McDonald's. But you can think of McDonaldization more generally as standardized/formulaic, versus customized/tailored. A customer's bussing her own table is part of a self-serve restaurant's formula, whereas a housecall is unusual; no two housecalls will be the same.

 

[itsalwayssunny96]

I found this question a little tricky too, because A seems like a trap - too on-the-nose McDonald's. But you can think of McDonaldization more generally as standardized/formulaic, versus customized/tailored. A customer's bussing her own table is part of a self-serve restaurant's formula, whereas a housecall is unusual; no two housecalls will be the same.

That's a good way to think about it. Had I thought about it like that, I would've gotten this question right. Thanks!

 

[aldol16]

I found this question a little tricky too, because A seems like a trap - too on-the-nose McDonald's. But you can think of McDonaldization more generally as standardized/formulaic, versus customized/tailored. A customer's bussing her own table is part of a self-serve restaurant's formula, whereas a housecall is unusual; no two housecalls will be the same.

Not to mention the McDonaldization of society usually involves faceless corporations that use standardized and centralized operations, much like hospitals do whereas a house call from a doctor is actually quite personal and not faceless.

 

[deleted647690]

I chose A because I figured option B, a doctor going to a patient's residence, would be more efficient and streamlined because the patient doesn't even need to leave the house. The medical care is brought straight to their doorstep, improving the efficiency of healthcare

Also, A doesn't even involve the company making a change to the operations of the restaurant, something that would be more in line with McDonaldization
It just describes a customer cleaning up after themselves