ABSTRACT
On the fast food frontline, Tina is constantly encouraged by her managers to smile and maintain an air of friendliness, a part of her job that she takes very seriously. The corporate management philosophy is even designed to encourage local autonomy in managing the frontline personality. The culture of the corporate service organization is often perceived by managers to be at odds with various immigrant cultures as well as with the conditions of work and home life. Some fast food managers organize staff trips to amusement parks and encourage their employees to join company-sponsored sports leagues and become involved in community events. The West Indian workers and managers in the McDonald's in downtown Brooklyn, for instance, live in the same neighborhood and hang around together when not working. Within the workplace, negative reinforcement, or discipline, is sometimes used when workers fail to suppress their real feelings.
