Day 046 - 04 Nov 94 - Page 69
1 out of your cross-examination: You were asked, I do not
2 know whether it was yesterday or the day before, about
3 McDonald's charitable activities, its community projects.
4 You were asked by his Lordship whether really what you were
5 saying was that these things come primarily from McDonald's
6 heart, because that is part of McDonald's personae, I think
7 was the word you used, do you remember saying that?
8 A. Yes, I do.
9
10 Q. You did not see that as being incongruous with your
11 commercial interests?
12 A. No, it is not, but it is just what we like to do and
13 what we enjoy doing as well.
14
15 Q. What I wondered was this: Does the corporation have a
16 view, so far as you are aware, about how those activities
17 affect your workforce?
18 A. Well, I think that, obviously, if you are working for a
19 caring company, and the company shows it in communication
20 with the communities that you work on, that that, in fact,
21 is something that your employees would like as well.
22
23 Q. When one of these projects is undertaken, whether it be by
24 local franchisees or whether it be on a wider regional or
25 national basis, do the employees have to give or do they
26 give of their time in -----
27 A. Well, many employees give of their time and effort not
28 only to ronald mcdonald Children's Charities, but to many
29 community groups or many community efforts. It is part of
30 the culture of McDonald's.
31
32 Q. Looked at from the point of view of your overall commercial
33 interests as a trading corporation, do you see that as a
34 useful or a deleterious use of the employees' time?
35 A. I think it is a useful use of employees' time. If they
36 are able to get some satisfaction out of it, it means that
37 they will be happy at their work. Again, it is just part
38 of the culture that McDonald's stands for.
39
40 Q. Now I want to come to something, perhaps, a little nearer
41 to the heart of the reasons why you are here, Mr. Green.
42 It has been put to you in a number of ways over the last
43 three days that the effect of your advertising to children
44 is to brain-wash them into buying or getting their parents
45 to buy your stuff so that you can make a fast buck, to put
46 it crudely. Do you remember that suggestion being made?
47 A. Something similar to that.
48
49 Q. We can give you the exact reference. The word "brain-wash"
50 was certainly used, so were the words "hidden agenda", do
51 you remember that?
52 A. Yes.
53
54 Q. What I want to ask you is this: If there were a general
55 wave, continuous wave, of discontent amongst parents of
56 children who go to McDonald's in the United States, would
57 you and your department be aware of it, do you think?
58 A. Absolutely.
59
60 Q. You told us, I think, that you do get complaints by letter,
