1.
Souji Gopalakrishna Pillai
2.
Kavitha Haldorai
3.
G.ravindran
4.
R.prabhu
Abstract
It is important to understand social and environmental
factors related to fast food consumption because they
influence eating habits. The globalization taking place
across the world increase the global connectivity and
integration in the economic, social, technological,
cultural, political and ecological spheres. As a part
of this, the social aspect of fast food behaviour
influences the eating habits of people globally. The
globalization convergence of patterns of production
and consumption is resulting in speedy service system
even at door steps. A fast food restaurant also
known as Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) is a
specific type of restaurant characterized both by its
fast food cuisine and by minimal table. The fast food
industry spends over million dollars a year on catchy
slogans to lure customers past the door of the
competition. This enables the cultural food habits of
different countries to meet on a common platform.
McDonaldization is a term used by sociologist George
(1993) which explains when a society takes on the
characteristics of fast food restaurants. The
multinational food giants like Burger King, McDonald,
KFC, Domino’s Pizza, Baskin and Robbins, Sushi
King, Star Bucks, Pizza Hut, Merry Brown conquered
the hearts of people. The Malaysian food market is
influenced by these fast food chains resulting in
changing consumption choices.
The New Straits Times(2008) recently highlighted
the government’s action on banning fast food ads in
the wake of it’s prioritized concern over the alarming
decline of the population’s health, while the
consumption of fast food products being the main
suspecting factor of this uprising calamity. Mirandah
(2008).Many working parents feeling guilty about
spending less time with their kids, started spending
money on them. The country’s farms are replaced
by gigantic corporate farms with absentee
ownership. The study says that the people are socially
influenced to fast foods the due to micro and macro
environment factors. The micro environment consists
of family, schools, neighborhood where as the macro
environment consists of economical, political and
cultural people are influenced by the environments
both being socially influenced by peers choices, social
norms, health care, media, faith and religion etc. in
selecting the brands. From the study it was found
out that the brand name has the highest influence
while choosing the fast food. The respondents
consuming these food products to a greater extent
fall under the age group 15 to 22. The study will
highlight the views of Malaysians on multinational
fast food companies and the reasons for accepting
them.
Key Words: Fast foods, McDonaldization,
Consumption, Food Habits, Micro and macro
environments