Western Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Culture - Essay Example Centuries ago, the culture of a country was modified by wars and invasions. But now cultures are influenced by the corporate scenario in the country. Whenever a corporate giant enters a country’s local markets, it inevitably introduces a few subtle variations in the existing cultural practices. At the same time, the company has to respect local sensibilities and make certain changes in their strategies. A company’s success in the local markets depends immensely on how skillfully they negotiate the culture of that country, and in turn use it to their advantage. Once the company strikes the right balance, there is an intermingling of cultures, which introduces western cultural influences to the already existing local norms. A failure on the part of the company to adapt to local practices can prove to be a business disaster. For instance, the retail giant Wal-Mart was forced to completely shut down its operations in Germany and South Korea, when the local public did not approve of their characteristic working styles. (Schaefer, 2009) It would be beneficial to study an example to facilitate a better understanding of the influences of western culture brought about by corporate giants. McDonald’s, the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants has more than 30,000 restaurants in nearly a 100 countries and serves approximately 52 million people daily (Bhushan, 2002). McDonald’s was one of the first corporations to pioneer the field of quick service restaurants. It’s franchise in India is owned and managed locally, employing local staff and product suppliers. Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited owns and manages McDonalds restaurants in the western region of India, while the northern territory restaurants are owned and managed by Vikram Bakshi’s Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited. The first Mc Donald’s outlet was opened in India’s capital, New Delhi in October, 1996 and currently there are a total of 132 restaurants in the whole of