Observation Journal Entry: KFC

Observation Journal Entry: KFC

A. Describe the organization that you will be studying this term. What is the history of the organization? What does the organization do (purpose)?

The organization I will be studying is Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). It is a chain of restaurants that specialize in deep-fried chicken. During the Great Depression, Colonel Harland Sanders established KFC as a small business to provide tasty meals on the road. KFC revolutionized the fast-food industry by introducing chicken to a market dominated by burgers. KFC because the first fast-food restaurant in the US to expand abroad, opening branches in England, Mexico, and Jamaica by the mid-1960s. In the United States, The Restaurant’s fortunes fluctuated throughout the 1970s and 1980s as it passed through a series of ownership changes with no prior food-industry experience. On the other hand, KFC expanded across the globe in the 1980s and became the first Western restaurant to open in China in 1987. KFC’s first original product was Pressure-frying chicken, which was seasoned with Sanders’ 11 herbs when combined with other spices. The recipe comprises the ingredients of a well-kept secret. KFC’s signature dish, fried chicken, comes in a cardboard “bucket,” a well-known element of the chain since franchisee Pete Harman first introduced it in 1957. The slogans “finger-lickin” good” and “Nobody does chicken like KFC” are associated with the brand.

B. Describe your involvement with the organization. Describe the job performance dimensions in task performance, citizenship behavior, and counterproductive behavior. Provide an example of each.

KFC does not currently employ me. However, I have been a customer on multiple occasions. In terms of task performance, the employees seem to be efficient in taking orders and getting the food out quickly. They are also polite and seem to enjoy their job, which creates a positive customer experience. An example of citizenship behavior would be an employee going above and beyond to help a customer, such as giving them extra napkins or ketchup without being asked. An example of counterproductive behavior would be if an employee was rude to a customer or didn’t do their job properly, resulting in the customer having a negative experience.

C. Describe the type of organizational commitment (continuance, normative, affective) that you feel most members think is most important? Which model of responsibility do you feel best describes the behavior?

The type of organizational commitment that I feel most members think is essential is continuance commitment. They are likely only working at KFC for the money and benefits and not because they are passionate about the company or its mission. The model of commitment that best describes this behavior is the rational choice model, which states that employees decide to stay with a company based on the cost of leaving versus the benefits of staying. So, for instance, employees may stay at KFC because they receive good pay and benefits, even if they don’t necessarily enjoy their job. But, on the other hand, they may leave if they are offered a better job with another company or if the cost of staying (such as having to work long hours) becomes too high.

D. Describe a time when members have reacted to a negative events with voice, exit, loyalty and neglect.

A time when members have reacted to a negative event with voice would be if an employee was unhappy with a new company policy and decided to speak up to their manager about it. A time when members have reacted to a negative event with exit would be if an employee was laid off and chose to leave the company instead of staying and trying to work through the negative event. A time when members have reacted to a negative event with loyalty would be if an employee stayed with the company even after experiencing an adverse event, such as a pay cut. Finally, a time when members have reacted to an adverse event with neglect would be if an employee was unhappy with their job but chose to do nothing about it and keep working.