Investing in Eastern Europe: Two case histories

This feature is in three parts: the first two are case histories of the contrasting experiences of two Western companies which expanded abroad for the first time in the mid-1990s, into different countries in Eastern Europe. One is so far successful, the other not. The third section draws out the implications of these experiences: although still quite risky, investment in Central and Eastern Europe can already be made to pay by firms that enter as part of a well-conceived and financed global strategy. Particular benefits are lower labour costs and access to untapped markets.     

Celebrity.com: Internet Finance and Frenzy at the Millennium

Ritzer's McDonaldization thesis holds that McDonald's, with its efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control, is a good model for the forces of modern capitalism that structure both production and consumption. This article argues that while McDonaldization represents a particular collection of forces, there also exists a rising countertrend in post-industrial societies that we call eBayization. Whereas McDonaldization produces homogeneity and predictability, eBayization provides variety, adventure, and surprise, both for better and worse. Underlying these differences in the product line and consumer experience is a difference in organizational structures wherein McDonaldization emphasizes a centrally coordinated market, while eBayization brings the freedoms and abuses of a risk society.