What baffles me about this whole situation is McDonald’s (corporate) role in perpetuating it. It doesn’t make sense as a way to squeeze money from the franchises, because the extracted rents¹ don’t go to corporate; it goes to Taylor. It’s a loss to the franchisee, and no benefit to McDonald’s central.
This smells of graft. Someone at McDonald’s corporate is getting paid off illicitly.
¹ In the political-economy sense of “rent”, not the one that means “lease payment”.
Someone at McDonald’s corporate is getting paid off illicitly.
By the values of Corpmurica, that executive is just acting out of rational self-interest.
Isn’t our society in favor of fucking over anyone we can for individual profit? Isn’t that what we’re taught by example to do, lest we be considered an un-American commie?
You can bribe our politicians legally with infinite sums of money to PACs since Citizens United, you think anyone gives a shit about bribing a McDonald’s executive?
Huh? By the rules and values of Corporate America, breaching your employer’s trust by taking kickbacks from a contractor would be solidly against the rules.
My suspicion is that McDonald’s corporate is not making as much money as it could be, because franchisees are paying Taylor for fake repairs instead of buying more shitty ice cream mix from corporate.
This is not a matter of Good vs Evil. It’s one Lawful Evil group getting ripped off by another.
Oh yes, harumph I say! Multinational corporations are as honorable as they are trustworthy, and demand that very same honor and integrity from their executive team in their scrupulous business practices, I say!
Honestly though, do you think sociopathic multinationals like McDonald’s have a leg to stand on expecting not to attract people that reflect their lack of values? Garbage attracts garbage. Unrepentant Garbage deserves to suffer garbage.
I don’t claim to have a solution but one thing that has always bugged me about this. When I award contracts or buy pretty much anything I can’t take a bribe of money, but I can take a bribe of effort. It is acceptable for me (I did have this conversation more than once) to straight off tell a salesperson I can go higher on price if they agree to keep prices constant so I don’t have to constantly look at them. Or if they agree to do some other time saving measure.
I upvoted you because I don’t award contracts, so I have no idea if that’s common practice but I hope your comment gets some visibility and discussion. It’s quite interesting to think about the value of our time or effort and how maximizing those isn’t a bribe, it’s just common sense.
Your boss asks you to go to the store to buy something, I don’t know a flashlight. You can go to the store that is further away and get a lower price of the store very close and pay more.
For some reason this is different than if a flashlight sales person offereded you money to buy their flashlight.
the acquisition of money, gain, or advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, especially through the abuse of one’s position or influence in politics, business, etc.
a particular instance, method, or means of thus acquiring gain or advantage.
No, graft is used as a term for things like police demanding weekly payments in exchange for protection, acting like a local gang or mafia, or politicians soliciting bribes. It’s when anyone in an official position abuses their authority in such a way.
What baffles me about this whole situation is McDonald’s (corporate) role in perpetuating it. It doesn’t make sense as a way to squeeze money from the franchises, because the extracted rents¹ don’t go to corporate; it goes to Taylor. It’s a loss to the franchisee, and no benefit to McDonald’s central.
This smells of graft. Someone at McDonald’s corporate is getting paid off illicitly.
¹ In the political-economy sense of “rent”, not the one that means “lease payment”.
By the values of Corpmurica, that executive is just acting out of rational self-interest.
Isn’t our society in favor of fucking over anyone we can for individual profit? Isn’t that what we’re taught by example to do, lest we be considered an un-American commie?
You can bribe our politicians legally with infinite sums of money to PACs since Citizens United, you think anyone gives a shit about bribing a McDonald’s executive?
Huh? By the rules and values of Corporate America, breaching your employer’s trust by taking kickbacks from a contractor would be solidly against the rules.
My suspicion is that McDonald’s corporate is not making as much money as it could be, because franchisees are paying Taylor for fake repairs instead of buying more shitty ice cream mix from corporate.
This is not a matter of Good vs Evil. It’s one Lawful Evil group getting ripped off by another.
Oh yes, harumph I say! Multinational corporations are as honorable as they are trustworthy, and demand that very same honor and integrity from their executive team in their scrupulous business practices, I say!
Honestly though, do you think sociopathic multinationals like McDonald’s have a leg to stand on expecting not to attract people that reflect their lack of values? Garbage attracts garbage. Unrepentant Garbage deserves to suffer garbage.
I don’t claim to have a solution but one thing that has always bugged me about this. When I award contracts or buy pretty much anything I can’t take a bribe of money, but I can take a bribe of effort. It is acceptable for me (I did have this conversation more than once) to straight off tell a salesperson I can go higher on price if they agree to keep prices constant so I don’t have to constantly look at them. Or if they agree to do some other time saving measure.
I upvoted you because I don’t award contracts, so I have no idea if that’s common practice but I hope your comment gets some visibility and discussion. It’s quite interesting to think about the value of our time or effort and how maximizing those isn’t a bribe, it’s just common sense.
Your boss asks you to go to the store to buy something, I don’t know a flashlight. You can go to the store that is further away and get a lower price of the store very close and pay more.
For some reason this is different than if a flashlight sales person offereded you money to buy their flashlight.
Bribes of time are fine bribes of money aren’t.
I think it smells more of grift.
Graft means hard, honest work. Maybe you mean grift.
graft [ graft, grahft ]
the acquisition of money, gain, or advantage by dishonest, unfair, or illegal means, especially through the abuse of one’s position or influence in politics, business, etc.
a particular instance, method, or means of thus acquiring gain or advantage.
Well I’ll be. TIL!
No, graft is used as a term for things like police demanding weekly payments in exchange for protection, acting like a local gang or mafia, or politicians soliciting bribes. It’s when anyone in an official position abuses their authority in such a way.