The Ethical Decisions made by McDonald's

According to an article by The Guardian, McDonald’s topped the list of the most unethical companies. This is a big deal because of the impact this statement has on the stakeholders, the consumers and more importantly, on the company. There are many companies on the poll that are known for their unethical methods and values, clothing companies being a big part. Despite this, in the poll, the only restaurant brand was McDonald’s, who were on top of the list.

This result could be due to various issues that have come up in the media. The main issue that many are concerned about is the ingredients that make up the McDonald products themselves. This includes: BigMacs, Happy Meals, McFlurry, McChicken, etc. The ingredients used have been proven to have used excess amounts of sugar, trans saturated fats, and are highly processed. All of this directly affects the consumer’s health. Issues that have been raised from eating too many burgers and products from the restaurant include: heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It is seen why the brand is on top of the polls, and why many are choosing other restaurants in return.

There have also been cases where environmental pollution was involved. This is from the thousands of cow farms across the world, that release greenhouse emissions, in the form of methane. They use 350000 cattle per year. In order to get these farms made, many forests had to be cut down in order to allow space for the cows. This lead to deforestation, which in turn lead to loss in ecosystems, increased emissions, and more.

These cases affect the stakeholders, which is why it is such a big problem. McDonald’s stakeholders are: employees, government, competitors, and owners. These stakeholders are all affected in a negative manner due to the decisions made by the company. Slowly, McDonald’s are advertising a more healthy brand, which seems to be helping the overall understanding of McDonald’s. Nevertheless, these issues have not stopped the millions of customers, who are entering a McDonald’s everyday.

 Sources:

https://www.slideshare.net/sovannasuos1/mc-donalds-unethical-case-study

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-studies/mcdonalds-environmental-issues.php

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