One of the world’s largest fast food chains, McDonalds, is facing controversy after announcing two new restaurant locations in sacred religious areas in India. One site, Katra, is one of India’s four holiest Hindu shrines. The other is Amritsar, the site of the Golden Temple, a highly important area of Sikh worship.
A definition of ‘ethics’, as provided by Dictionary.com, is described as: “the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.”. It should be noted that cattle are considered sacred in the Hindu religion, and McDonalds is notoriously known for their beef products. Though the restaurants will be vegetarian to cater to the population, it raises the question of whether or not it is ethical for a company to open locations on land of extreme religious value. Especially when the religion and the company have conflicting values.
Many Hindu citizens in the community have protested against the new restaurants. This dissatisfaction in the values of McDonalds can be related to R. Edward Freeman’s video, “What is Stakeholder Theory”. Freeman states that it is the responsibility of the company to figure out how the interests of consumers, community, shareholders, employees, and employers all coincide. In the case of McDonalds, it is clear that the company has neglected to take the interests of the community into consideration.
http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/worlds-first-vegetarian-mcdonalds-open-indian-holy-sites-895961
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