No / This paper is based on a study of the employment practices of one Italian-owned multinational corporation (MNC) and one US-owned MNC in the Italian quick-food service sector and examines such issues as work organization, unionization, employee representation and pay and conditions. The paper focuses on the concept of ‘dominance’ and the related convergence and divergence theses. The findings suggest that dominance can not only be interpreted as a mode of employment or production emanating from one country, but could also be associated with one dominant MNC in one sector. Consequently, it is argued that while the effect of host and home country influences may be significant factors in cross-border employment relations practices, more attention needs to be paid to organizational contingencies and the sectoral characteristics within which firms operate.

No / This article reports on the union recognition dispute that took place at the MacDonald's food-processing plant in Moscow. It examines this dispute in the context of McDonald's employment practices worldwide, the interventions made by international and local unions, and Russian government bodies. Despite these interventions it became impossible to either organise the workforce or establish a collective agreement. The case illustrates the difficulties facing both local unions and global union federations when confronted by intransigent multinational companies, especially in low-skilled sectors in transitional economies.

No / This article examines the labour relations practices of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the German and Spanish quick-food service sectors. The demand for greater profitability and lower costs is leading to a greater standardization of work methods across a widening range of food service operators, resulting in the gradual elimination of more expensive, skilled and experienced workers, and an increasingly non-union approach in employee relations practices. The outcome involves increasing standardization, union exclusion, low trust, low skills, and low pay. These sectoral characteristics appear to outweigh both country-of-origin and host-country effects. The findings therefore confirm continuing variation within national industrial relations systems and the importance of sectoral characteristics and organizational contingencies in understanding MNC cross-border behaviour.

No / This paper examines the problem of effectively regulating the labour relations practices of multinational corporations. It focuses on the activities of the McDonald's Corporation in a number of European countries. The findings suggest that public and private codes of conduct have a very limited effect and that determined and well-resourced corporations can not only undermine regional forms of regulation - such as that provided by the European Union - but also, and to a considerable extent, national-level regulation. This is particularly evident in the area of independent trade union representation. Although its aim of avoiding collective bargaining and union recognition wherever possible is only partially successful, McDonald's appears to have developed a number of highly effective strategies for limiting the presence of trade unions at restaurant level, particularly in avoiding or undermining statutory works councils and union representation rights.

Yes / Ireland’s selective system of collective agreed minimum wages has come under significant pressure in recent years. A new fast-food employer body took a constitutional challenge against the system of Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) and this was strengthened by the discourse on the negative effects of minimum wages as Ireland’s economic crisis worsened. Taking a historical institutional approach, the article examines the critical juncture for the JLC system and the factors which led to the subsequent government decision to retain but reform the system. The article argues that the improved enforcement of minimum wages was a key factor in the employers’ push for abolition of the system but that the legacy of a collapsed social partnership system prevented the system’s abolition.

近年來，速食業在台灣的營收約占餐飲業的三成以上，已成為台灣最具影響力的餐飲業之一。有許多文獻在探討有關影響速食店設點策略的因素，其中包括在地市場的情況以及與其他廠商之間的競爭條件。除此之外，多篇文獻亦指出，為解決總公司與分店之間的資訊不對稱問題，加盟系統是速食業者最常使用的解決方案。雖然競爭與加盟議題對於台灣速食業相當重要，但大多數的實證文獻都聚焦在歐美地區的案例。本研究藉由實證上探討台灣速食業的獨特性，以補足文獻上的缺漏。結果顯示，人口越密集和平均年齡越低的地區，存在越多的速食店。除此之外，本研究也發現摩斯漢堡在較大及有高比例兒童人口的市場，傾向遠離麥當勞以避免競爭。最後，實證結果亦指出，台灣麥當勞傾向加盟那些位於人口較少的地區，但是加盟與否和該分店提供的附加服務較無關。 / With shares over 30% in the restaurant market, the fast-food industry has recently become one of the most influential restaurant businesses of Taiwan. The literature has much discussed factors that affect the location strategies of fast-food companies such as the state of local competition conditions. In addition, some studies mentioned that a franchise system is the most common solution to the problem of asymmetric information between headquarters and restaurants for the fast-food industry. Although competition and franchising issues are significant in the Taiwanese fast-food industry, most empirical studies focus on cases in Europe and America. This study fills that gap by exploring empirically the unique features of this industry in Taiwan. The results show that more fast-food outlets are concentrated in more crowded districts or those where the population is averagely younger. The analyses also indicate that MOS Burger tends to move away from McDonald’s when the market size is large or when proportion of children in the district is high. Finally, McDonald’s in Taiwan tends to franchise the outlets in districts which are less populated, but have a low correlation with the auxiliary services provided by outlets.

速食食品不但在我們的生活中扮演重要的角色，在台灣，其亦是最重要的餐飲產業之一。文獻上有關於加盟總部與加盟商之間的決策背後的模型，各個因子如何影響彼此，最後加盟總部與加盟商皆能極大化他們的效用，達到一個最適加盟的平衡點。然而，未看到有使用校準分析(Calibration)的方式回推出無法觀察到變數之合理區間的文獻。本研究使用此方法及台灣麥當勞的資料來解開加盟與否決策背後模型的面紗。在最基本的經濟模型中，我們發現加盟商努力的重要性增加時會導致加盟率的下降。再者，都會區的加盟商風險趨避程度以及市場風險較非都會區高。為了針對麥當勞總部的市場策略，延續上個模型的設定，我們在生產函數中另外加入健康食品的產品線以建設出較細緻的第二種模型。此延伸模型相較於第一個模型能解釋更多資料。我們亦觀察到當健康食品佔麥當勞產能提高時，模型的適配度會下降。此現象可解釋為在其他條件不變下，當麥當勞在菜單內加入更多比重的健康食品時，加盟商與加盟主的獲利將低於現階段的水準。 關鍵字: 速食產業，委託代理理論，校準分析，加盟 / Fast food restaurants play an important role in our daily life; they are also one of the most important restaurant business types in Taiwan. The literature posits and examines models behind how franchisors and franchisees reach their franchising decisions, and how different factors affect optimal franchising rates. On that basis, they derive the optimal franchising rates, at which both franchisors and franchisees can maximize their utility. However, there is no literature on determining the reasonable range of variables in the model that we cannot observe in the real world. This study takes the initiative to unveil the model behind the franchising decision with proxies of variables by calibrating a basic economic model using data from McDonald’s Taiwan. Our finding are that a higher importance level of effort results in a higher optimal franchising rate, and the level of franchisees’ risk aversion and the market risk in metropolitan areas are higher than in non-metropolitan areas. In accordance with McDonald’s Taiwan’s strategy in the past years, we construct a more detailed model to capture the characteristics more accurately by adding a healthy food product line into the production function. The extended model can explain the real-world data better than the previous model. On the strategy side, we find that if healthy products account for a higher proportion of the production capacity, the model fitness level drops. In other words, the profit for both the franchisor and franchisees decreases when McDonald’s Taiwan introduces more healthy food to the menu. Key Words: fast-food industry, principal-agent model, calibration, franchising

Companies today are faced with competitive markets where a large number of similar products and services are offered, which leads to companies with strong brands gaining competitive advantage, as brands facilitate consumers rational decision-making. Previous studies explore the importance of a well-established brand and how to build a strong brand identity through brand identity management (BIM). The studies explain that BIM builds the foundation for wellbeing in the workplace, which in turn is reflected to the customer. Previous studies are aimed at different industries and the purpose of this study is to analyze the importance of a strong brand identity in the fast food industry to contribute more knowledge in that specific industry. The study is deductive with a qualitative approach and thus a qualitative case study has been conducted of Bastard Burgers to answer the research questions, in order to analyze how a company in the fast food industry works with BIM to deliver the brand promise and what result this has on the employees. The results show that brand identity is a crucial factor for companies in today's fast food industry as well as the quality of the food and service. To have a strong brand identity, you need a brand with a personality that is evident through the visuals such as the restaurant's appearance, clothes and logos. The results of the study show that working with BIM strengthens employees' identification with the organization. This in turn results in the employees being more likely to spread positive word-of-mouth, being satisfied with their job and are willing to do the little extra in the workplace.

Businesses nowadays are increasingly adopting new technologies to obtain competitive advantages. Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as an advanced, novel technology that has potential benefits across industries. The fast-food industry is one such industry that is highly competitive, evolving, and requires advanced technologies to cater to modern customers who increasingly demand fast, digitized services. Increased customer engagement has also become a main driving force to adopt technologies since these consumers demand quick, personalized, digitized services. The fast-food industry, compared to other industries, produces food that is perishable, and quick, which demands proper handling before, during, and after preparation, for instant consumption. Services should be quick, fast, and accessible, where adopting advanced technologies has become a necessity for the industry players' survival. Larger organizations have successfully adopted AI and have harnessed a competitive advantage. Conversely, Smaller and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have successfully adopted digital technologies, assuming it as AI. They have not yet translated to adopt AI, which could threaten their survival and competitiveness in a highly evolving, dynamic industry. On the other hand, AI is a novel technology that has much potential, yet many are unaware of where the technology is heading, specifically, SMEs have a limited understanding and exposure to this technology, demanding more research.  The main purpose of this study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how fast-food SMEs in Sweden perceive AI, the reasons for non-adoption, and the reasons influencing the behavioral intention to utilize AI for customer engagement within the organization. The study utilizes the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework to analyze how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions influence individual SMEs' behavioral intentions towards AI adoption on customer engagement by studying it from an individual, organizational context. Through qualitative interviews with fast-food SME owners, IT managers, and marketing managers, the research explored a nuanced understanding of how AI is being perceived by SMEs, challenges, barriers, and factors influencing their adoption behavior.  The research findings indicated that AI technology itself is immature and the immediate business use case is not apparent for SMEs. It was also revealed that SMEs have a misconception between AI and digital technologies. Though there is enthusiasm and willingness to adopt AI within SMEs, significant challenges remain, such as a lack of understanding about AI, resource constraints, complexity, skills, and influences from competitors and stakeholders. The research identified factors specific to SMEs that contribute to extending the UTAUT framework, such as customized payment plans, establishing technology associations, and new business models suiting SMEs. It was further evidenced that customer engagement is not an impactful mediator that influences AI adoption within SMEs. It was concluded that though SMEs have the potential to improve performance, their adoption is limited due to the immaturity of AI and due to identified challenges.

Employee turnover in the U.S. fast food industry has been high, averaging rate 150% per annum. The purpose of the correlational design study was to examine the relationships between job satisfaction factors, job dissatisfaction factors, and employee turnover intentions among fast food employees to determine whether a statistically significant relationship exists between these variables. The population for the study consisted of 144 fast food restaurant employees working in the East Coast in the United States. The theoretical framework was Herzberg's 2-factor motivation-hygiene needs theory, which describes job satisfaction factors and job dissatisfaction factors. Internet survey data of 144 participants were analyzed using Pearson-product correlation coefficients and multiple linear regressions analysis. The study findings revealed statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01), and job dissatisfaction factors and employee turnover intentions (p < .01). Among the job satisfaction factors, responsibility had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. Under job dissatisfaction factors, company policy had a stronger relationship with employee turnover intentions (-.52) compared with other factors. In addition, criterion variance of employee turnover intentions associated with combined job satisfaction factors was stronger (35%) than were the combined job dissatisfaction factors (31%). The study findings are designed to inform fast food restaurant managers in taking actions to reduce employee turnover, resulting in improved business financial sustainability and long-term growth.