Complete Name: Unit 1 Student Name: Dover, Jason
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1. Unit 1: An Overview of Business Ethics
Case Study: Starbucks ' Mission: Social Responsibility and Brand Strength (located at the end of Unit 1 READ)
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2. Case Summary:
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3. In a narrative format, discuss the key facts and critical issues presented in the case. Using valid peer-reviewed sources on the Internet, update any dated facts in this case with more current information.
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They do this through several channels including, using responsible purchasing practices, and supporting farmer loans and through forest conservation programs. When using ethical sourcing and a holistic approach it helps to foster a better future for farmers, a more stable climate for the environment, and creates a long term supply of high quality beans that is used in making the company’s products.
Through environmental stewardship the company has a commitment to the environment. Starbucks believes in the importance of caring for the planet and being environmentally friendly and encourages customers and other companies to do the same. Starbucks claims to work to significantly reduce their environmental footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling and using green construction.
Starbuck’s also believes in community involvement. They believe in fostering thriving communities and their goal was to contribute one million volunteer hours each year to their communities by 2015. (I live about 15 miles from a Starbucks and have never heard of them being active in the
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If I was the CEO of Starbucks I would look at different things. One thing I noticed on Starbucks page was that they implemented a Starbucks Rewards system that is free and offers certain things after so many purchases spent at Starbucks. Free refills, free drinks after so many visits and some other perks were part of their newest rewards programs. Starbucks has great growth potential and should expand their tea and fresh juice products.In addition consumer tastes and lifestyles shift towards more snacks and beverages options, Starbucks should tailor its menu’s and expand to give more healthy product offerings. Starbucks should make significant investments in advertising and marketing initiatives in the face of increased competition in their market. I do not recall ever seeing a commercial or hearing a radio ad for Starbucks or their products. I have heard of Tim Hortons, a coffee chain and a Starbucks competitor, in the Northern areas of the United States. Another factor would be costs of products. With competitors like McDonalds and other coffee shops offering similar products cheaper customers may switch to the lower priced products due to the current economy. (Geereddy, N. (n.d.).
References:
Geereddy, N. (n.d.). Strategic Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/nithingeereddy/files/starbucks_case_analysis.pdf
Correct Answer: n/a
In 2002, unexpected findings of a market research showed problems regarding customer satisfaction and brand meaning for Starbucks customers. The situation was unacceptable for a company whose overall objective is to build the most recognized and respected brand in the world. Starbucks was supposed to represent a new and different place where any man would relax and enjoy quality time, alone or with others. But the market research showed that in the mind of the consumers, Starbucks brand is viewed as corporative, trying to expand endlessly and looking to make lots of money. This huge gap between customers' perception and Starbucks' values and goals called for immediate action.
Starbucks primary business is that of selling high premium coffee. They have been able to cater a specific product to a specific demographic. Specialization allows for the Starbucks company to deliver great quality and continue to maintain their customer base. Although there is a great amount of coffee flavors the coffee bean is still the constant ingredient in the great tasting coffee.
The main stakeholders of Starbucks include the employees, customers, suppliers, investors, environment and the government (Thompson, 2015). Starbucks gives priority to their staff and ensures that they are happy with the provision of better working conditions, job security, and higher wages. Thus, the company builds the community, facilitating the growth of the employees. The company listens to their customers to improve the quality of service and products. For instance, Starbucks creates a warm and friendly relation with customers to satisfy their social responsibility with this stakeholder. By ensuring their suppliers are properly paid through their Coffee and Farmer Equity (CAFÉ) program, Starbucks fulfills their commitment to the suppliers through awareness. The company creates eco-conscious stores (Starbucks Corporation, 2016) and ensures to follow environmentally sound business practices using their foresight. Starbucks supports the emergency relief services. In 2005, they helped rebuild the Hurricane Katrina struck areas (Adams, 2007). Through their high financial performance in the industry, the company meets the interests of the investors proving the ability to conceptualize. Being an international company, Starbucks remains respectful of the people’s perspectives from the respective governments. Thus, they satisfy their commitment and
The importance of economic indicators to the strategic planning process in any organization is the ability to benchmark economic conditions that contribute to improve profitability, business growth and market size. Leadership sets up the mission “to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world.” In doing so, they have created a set of industry-leading, comprehensive coffee-buying guidelines addressing coffee quality, financial transparency, social and environmental responsibility. Starbucks strategy is also expanding market in globally to provide high quality coffee in convenient and visibility locations. They are continuing to innovate and extend the business with imaginative new ready-to-drink beverages and expanded packaged coffee offerings (Starbucks Corporation, 2007).
Starbucks not only shapes a defined importance on its product, the coffee, but also the relationships on its partners, its customers and its shareholders to create diversity, “to create a place where each of us can be ourselves” (Starbucks Coffee), to treat all related partners with dignity and respect at the greatest corporate level. In this sense, Starbucks involves its customers, its neighbors and is shareholders to participate in the community to “be a force for positive action—bringing together [its] partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day (Starbucks Coffee).
There are a few risks facing the company. One of which Starbucks is already attacking and trying to overcome. The expansion of Starbucks is coinciding with one of the worst economic surges in history. It has become unaffordable for the average person to go to Starbucks for a coffee seeing that a coffee costs as much as a gallon of gas. If you drink one coffee a day for a week, that’s almost a tank of gas! This is why Starbucks is now offering a less expensive cup of coffee with a completely different label and all.
Starbucks is currently the industry leader in specialty coffee. They purchased more high quality coffee beans than anyone else in the world and keep in good standings with the producers to ensure they get the best beans. Getting the best beans is only the first part, Starbucks also has a “closed loop system” that protects the beans from oxygen immediately after roasting to the time of packaging. They did this through their invention of a one-way valve which let the natural gasses escape but keeping oxygen out. This gave them the unique ability to ensure freshness and extended the shelf life to 26 weeks. Starbucks isn’t only about the coffee, it’s also about a place where people can escape to enjoy music, reflect, read, or just chat. It is a total coffee experience. The retail outlet has been responsible for much of Starbucks growth and has contributed substantially to their brand equity.
Starbucks is an international coffee house and it was created in 1971 when they opened the first store in Seattle, Newcastle. Currently, they own 21,000 stores in 65 different countries of the world, and their passion for the great coffee, excellent service and community interaction exceeds cultures and languages (Starbucks, 2014). This company is the number 1 brand coffeehouse chain in the world due to the best roaster, marketer and seller of speciality coffee. Its main slogan: “Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time” (Jurevicius, 2013).
Also, this paper will encompass a scenario when it would not make sense for Starbucks to diversify or expand into a foreign market and how the company will create a business environment conducive to ethical behavior will be assessed.
The advantage of achieving and perceiving to achieve corporate responsibility is a stringer and therefore, more rewardable reputation. Starbucks knows that strong corporate reputation can lead to more profit and defend the company in times of crisis and during public policy issue battle with environmentalist and human right activities. As Freeman and Gilbert once mention, the basic idea of corporate social responsibility is simple. Firms are social entities, and so they should play a role in the social issues of the day. They should take seriously their “obligations to society” and actively try to fulfill them. (Freeman & Gilbert,
Starbucks takes their partners very seriously as well as their well-being. This is apparent in the rewards Starbucks offers to their partners. Starbucks has what they refer to as, “Your Special Blend” which is offered to part-time and full-time partners. Starbucks offers comprehensive health coverage, a highly competitive 401(k) program with company matching, a stock equity reward program, education benefits including tuition assistance, free coffee, and paid vacation (Your Special Blend: Rewarding Our
Most obviously, community is about people. Starbucks not only connects consumers with their company, but addresses the lifecycle of community from start to finish, starting with the farmers that grow their coffee, to the customers that drink it in their stores. In my opinion, one reason for their immense success has been their ability to communicate their mission to their customers, and allow their customers to feel like they are part of the mission. For example, for every bottle of Ethos water purchased, Starbucks will donate $0.05. According to Starbucks’ website, “$12.3 million has been granted to help support water, sanitation and hygiene education programs in water-stressed countries – benefiting more than 500,000 people around the world.” In addition to developing programs to supporting communities around the world, Starbucks also engages in philanthropic community efforts locally. A variety of projects currently exist, and Starbucks encourages their customers and employees to volunteer in these programs, which includes veterans and military support, creating jobs, diversity & inclusion, and opportunity for
The strategic vision that Howard Schultz had for Starbucks was "Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow". This s...
Starbucks is a worldwide company, known for is delicious brews of coffee and seasonal varieties of tasty drinks for any occasion. Starbucks opened with two main goals, sharing great coffee with friends and to help make the world a little better. It originated in the historic Pike Place Market of Seattle, Washington in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. The creation of Starbucks’ name came from the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders and the romance evoked from Moby Dick. At the time, this individual shop specialized in the towering quality of coffee over competitors and other brewing services enabling its growth to becoming the largest coffee chain in Washington with numerous locations. In the early 1980s, the current CEO Schultz saw an opportunity for growth in the niche market. After a trip to Italy he brought back the idea of a café style environment of leisure and social meetings to the United States we now see in Starbucks locations today. Schultz ultimately left Starbucks to open his own coffee shop, Il Giornale which turned out to be a tremendous success. Fast forward a year later, Schultz got wind that Starbucks was going to sell all their components of Starbucks including their stores and factories, he immediately acquired the funds to buy Starbucks and linked both operations. Within five years he was able to open more than 125 stores starting in New England, Boston, Chicago, and gradually entered California. He wanted Starbucks to be a franchise system based on the mission of telling the truth and emphasize the quality,
When I saw this discussion, I couldn’t help but think of Starbucks and the impact they’ve made throughout their 45 years of establishment. I worked with them for about 7 years and saw how unique they were from your everyday coffee and latte spots. A retail company with thousands of coffee shops in the US as well as in other countries, this particular retailer has been able to catch the eyes of all ages as well as locations throughout the world. For example, today college students utilize Starbucks locations to study rather than go to a nearby library. Starbucks is also known for its best coffee and espresso drinks (Latte or Frappuccino) and with one of its delicious espresso 's any student or just a person stopping in to enjoy its lounge area where there is free Wi-Fi is awesome! Starbucks lifecycle has made a 360 turn around and been revamped twice to accommodated the growing market. Customizing their brand to fit more in with everything and not just one thing. By doing this they’ve created multiple product lifecycles within their own lifecycle as a corporate company.