HRM Responses to a Changing Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

HRM Responses to a Changing Environment - Essay ExampleIn the UK, the bon ton also has a stake in Pret A Manger (www.McDonalds.co.uk).The UK is unusual in having moreoer a relatively small proportion of restaurants as exemption operations. The first English restaurant was built in Woolwich in 1974 and was a product of a joint venture between Bob Rhea (a franchisee from Ohio) and McDonalds. In 1977, this had increased to thirty restaurants, and by 1982 this had reached 200 restaurants. In 1986, McDonalds bought out Rheas 45% share for $38 million. Since that time, however, McDonalds UK has only slowly franchised parts of the operation. In 1993, this stood at only 11%, but by 1996 over 20% were franchise operations. McDonalds UK management state that they expect to have closer to 30% being franchises by beforehand(predicate) in 2001 (Royle, 2000, p. 32).According to the Euromonitor report, the company was operating 1,250 McDonalds restaurants throughout the country. 2003 saw the co mpany introduce a revitalisation strategy, operating on both a world(prenominal) and local level. For McDonalds in the UK, the issue is no longer simply opening the right type of restaurant in the right location, but also engaging with real issues concerning the local community.The McDonalds business model is slightly different from that of most other fast food chains. In addition to ordinary franchise fees, supplies and luck of sales, McDonalds also collects rent. As a condition of the franchise agreement, McDonalds owns most properties. Since rent is a fee that is not linked to sales, this practice allows McDonalds more control over its franchisees (Rumbelow, 1 February 2001).As the worlds largest fast food company, McDonalds was the target of criticism on many grounds over the review period. It has been accused of the