Reference no: EM132400788

Case Exercise: McDonald's Corp

1. How did Ray Kroc first learn about the McDonald brothers' restaurant in southern California?

2. During Don Thompson's tenure as CEO, how did the value of the U.S. dollar in international monetary markets impact McDonald's results?

3. What evidence demonstrates that McDonald's has a different set of competitors now than it did during earlier periods of its history?

4. McDonald's traditional competitors have been successful in introducing new food items to their menus, whereas McDonald's has stumbled several times in this effort. Why have McDonald's competitors been more successful?

5. By the early 2000s, McDonald's concluded that the market place for fast food restaurants was saturated. How did it shift its strategy?

6. Why is it not surprising that Ray Kroc built a strong network of suppliers and franchisees?

7. Besides the impact of a rising dollar, what issues contributed to reductions in international sales for McDonald's?

8. Why is McDonald's currently facing more competitors now than in years past?

9. What operational impacts do many of the new menu items have on McDonald's? How are these problems exhibited?

10. Why was McDonald's so focused on opening new locations during the Ray Kroc era?

11. McDonald's faces several choices looking toward the future. If you were a McDonald's consultant and asked to choose from the following strategies, which one strategy would you prioritize? Explain your response.

a.  Attack the higher-end casual burger market and win share from firms like Five Guys and Smashburger.

b. Attack the coffee-service market and go after share from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts.

c. Attack the international markets and stabilize the U.S. share in a profitable manner to provide funds for international expansion.