McDonaldisation of Society: Implication for Effective Healthcare Delivery in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The McDonaldisation of society as advanced by George Ritzer (1993, 2018) relates classical
sociological theory to many aspects of everyday life, including healthcare in an increasing
globalised world. It examines ways in which fast food ventures have created a system of
operation based on efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. The researchers situated
these quadruple principles of McDonalds to explain the need for effective healthcare delivery in
the era of COVID-19 pandemic. The paper is anchored on Talcott Parson’s Model of Functional
Imperatives (AGIL Schema). The review method was utilised to bear on the research problem.
Findings from the review showed that the Mcdonald principles are indeed relevant and applicable
to the organisation of healthcare delivery in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. More so, the
findings showed that advanced technology such robotics can add value to healthcare service
delivery. The researchers concluded that McDonaldisation has resulted in improved profits and an
increased availability of various goods and services to more people worldwide in an increasing
destabilised healthcare system as evident in Nigeria, these principles (efficiency, calculability,
predictability and control) can provide for effective healthcare delivery. The researchers
recommended training and retraining of healthcare personnel in line with the McDonaldisation
ethics.