Table of Contents
0 GENERAL PURPOSES AND OVERVIEW 4
1 RESEARCH METHODS TO EXPLORE A CULTURAL TOPIC 6
1.1 OUTLINING CULTURAL STUDIES RESEARCH 6
1.1.1 FreeMind 7
1.1.2 Complete Outline 9
1.2 CONDUCTING CULTURAL RESEARCH 12
1.2.1 Web Search Engines 12
1.2.2 Image and Video Search Engines 14
1.3 ORGANIZING AND EDITING RESEARCH RESULTS 16
1.3.1 Web Research Professional 16
1.3.2 Google Maps 19
1.4 OPTIMIZING RESEARCH RESULTS 21
1.4.1 Wendy’s International Inc. 21
1.4.2 Consumer Experience 23
2 UNDERLYING ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PRINCIPLES 24
2.1 FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS 24
2.1.1 Marketing 24
2.1.2 Franchising 28
2.1.3 Globalization 31
2.2 OBSERVATIONS ABOUT CULTURE 33
2.2.1 U.S. Dining Culture 34
2.2.2 U.S. Fast Food Chains 38
2.2.3 The Side Effects of Fast Food 43
3 WENDY’S AND ITS ROOTS 46
3.1 FOUNDER R. DAVID THOMAS – THE PERSON BEHIND THE BUSINESS 46
3.1.1 Made for the Restaurant Business – Early Years 46
3.1.2 Gaining First Work Experience 49
3.1.3 Relating Military Service and the Restaurant Business 52
3.1.4 Making the American Dream Come True – From Rags to Riches in 35 Years 55
3.2 STARTING THE HAMBURGER BUSINESS IN 1969 57
3.2.1 Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers – The Beginnings of a Family Business 58
3.2.2 Columbus, Ohio – the Cradle of Wendy’s Success 60
4 WENDY’S – AMERICA’S “OTHER” HAMBURGER EMPIRE 63
4.1 “COMPETING THE WENDY’S WAY” 63
4.1.1 Wendy’s Philosophy Reflected by Its Logo 64
4.1.2 Introduction to Wendy’s Operating System 66
4.2 WENDY’S FAMILY 68
4.2.1 What makes Wendy’s Winning Leader 70
4.2.2 The Relationship between Franchisor and Franchisees 73
4.2.3 Employees 75
4.2.4 Customers 78
4.3 PRODUCT RANGE 79
4.3.1 Made-to-Order Food 80
4.3.2 Fresh Products Served in a Pleasant Atmosphere 83
4.4 Profits 86
4.4.1 Facts and Figures 87
4.4.2 Caring for others 90
5 A GLOBAL VIEW OF WENDY’S 94
5.1 MARKETING EFFORTS 94
5.1.1 The Development of Wendy’s Advertising 94
5.1.2 Promotion and Product Placement 100
5.2 COMING OF AGE 102
5.2.1 Wendy’s Worldwide 104
5.2.2 Wendy’s Operations in Germany during the 1980s 107
6 WENDY’S FROM THE CUSTOMERS’ POINT OF VIEW 112
6.1 MARKET RESEARCH STUDIES 112
6.2 CUSTOMER OPINIONS 113
7 WENDY’S: HAPPILY EVER AFTER? 120
8 BUSINESS AND FOOD GLOSSARY 122
8.1 CONTENT AND STRUCTURE 122
8.2 GLOSSARY ENGLISH – GERMAN 124
SOURCES 156
LITERATURE 156
WEB PAGES 158
TABLE OF IMAGES 175
APPENDIX 181
CONVERSATION PROTOCOL 181
QUESTIONNAIRES 184
SUMMARY OF RESULTS 232
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