Introduction Coffeehouses, and more specifically Starbucks, have increasingly become an essential part of many people’s daily life. So I was interested in how the culture within Starbucks is a reflection of natural human interaction. I chose to observe the environment and interaction of people within a suburban neighborhood Starbucks for one hour. Methodology Most ethnography is done using inductive methodology, also known as grounded theory, meaning that the theory will arise out of the collected data. I did not go in to the Starbucks with the mindset of testing a hypothesis. During my research, I utilized full field notes because it is common practice for people to work on their laptops in a coffeehouse. One might even argue that it is unusual to see someone without a tablet or laptop or other electronic device. The environment of Starbucks is such that it allowed me to utilize full immersion techniques including the research role of a complete participant. By taking on the role of a complete participant I kept my identity covert but I participated fully in what is the normal behavior of visitors of coffeehouses. In this situation I don’t really think there were ethical issues involved in being a complete participant, because I was not in the setting for more than an hour and I did not hold an extensive interviews. I also think that if I had disclosed my identity of a researcher, then I would be risking the Hawthorne Effect, in that the customers present would act differently than normal because they knew I was observing them. Additionally, often times we conduct informal research, because we analyze our surroundings and those within that surrounding, so it does not raise ethical concerns when I am just conducting formal ... ... middle of paper ... ... increase • there is a guy sitting at a table next to Joe (lets call him Mike) • Mike does not seem like the typical Starbucks goer; he was wearing only a sweatshirt and slightly sagging pants with a long ponytail • reminded me of a bum • Mike is telling Joe of a time when his car skid on ice • Jim actually has headphones in that i couldn't see at first glance • now is he talking to someone (using the headphones) about the weather • one of the girls behind the counter is wearing a santa hat o why is it that she is the only one working that is wearing a santa hat? • as weather is becoming worse outside, increasing amount of people are leaving, and those that have not left yet are increasingly comfortable talking to strangers about the weather o seems like as soon as people realize they share a commonality, they are much more receptive to socializing in a public area
The ethnographic study took place at McDonalds’ shop, Leeds, local market in the afternoon of Monday, 17th January 2011. From away I could observe the huge logo of McDonalds. I stood at the entrance and stared at the shop for few seconds. The shop was far more elegant than the average McDonald’s. The interior has a minimal style with posh chairs, tables, black art deco fixtures, beautiful paintings and attractive lights and draperies. There were large windows so it was impossible for customers to see into the Harvey Nichols store. Also, outside were window boxed filled with flowers or greenery. I could hear some relaxing music. At first glance, I noticed that customers were people with different age groups, genders, ethnic classes, social classes and cultural backgrounds. The language which was more spoken was English. [Without thinking, I was moving towards the counter, I faced] the girl behind the counter [; she] was wearing a red t-shirt with a cap and a hut. She seemed to be in a rush to handle the orders. Despite that, she was friendly and with a smile on the face to welcome the customers. The most co...
I conducted my experiment earlier this week while at the new Chick-fil-a for roughly forty-five minutes. It was a busy lunch rush so many customers or employees didn't bother to notice me while they enjoyed their visit. There seemed to be a common theme amongst the employees and the store as well as the customer’s interactions with each other. Each person’s life is as deep and complex as my own and their actions represented interesting results.
This Starbucks is relatively small there are about 5-6 tables along the wall with the counter on the opposite wall with a small seating area at the front of the coffee shop. I was sitting at the table closest to the door with my back to the door facing the back of the shop. The two people I was observing were sitting two tables down and facing my direction. The woman sat in the chair nearest the wall while the man
Visit Starbucks.com and you enter a virtual world of delight. Consumers can “sample” over 30 blends of coffee; find Starbucks coffeehouse locations, or learn about Starbucks Hear Music®, where customers can “burn personalized CDs, use listening stations to explore musical recommendations, enjoy a handcrafted Starbucks® beverage, or surf the web at (a) T-Mobile Wi-Fi enabled coffee bar” (Starbucks, 2008). Starbucks uses their website to communicate with their consumers about their company’s mission, social responsibility, business ethnic and compliance, diversity relations and press releases. Consumers can even read about the latest “rumor responses” that Starbucks wants to clarify about misinformation regarding the company. From the “click” of a button you can shop for Starbucks merchandise or check the balance on your Starbucks Card, the Starbucks website has got their customers needs in mind.
Going as far back in history as Mesopotamia, espionage has existed. For example, the hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt “reveal the presence of court spies” (Espionage in the Ancient World). However, not everyone can be spy in the CIA or M1-6. As a result of that, “people watching” was born. People watching is the act of observing people, usually without their knowledge. For my assignment, I chose to observe (people watch) inside Starbucks. I chose Starbucks for a couple of reasons. The first reason being that since there is only one Starbucks in town, it is going to be heavily populated. Furthermore, with the temperature dropping at night (which was the time of my observation), Starbucks is packed to the walls with everyone wanting a hot
Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice opened its first store in April 1971 in the Pike Place Market in Seattle, by owners who had a passion for dark-roasted coffee that was popular in Europe, but hard to find in the U.S. (Harrison et al., 2005; Venkatraman & Nelson, 2008). The company’s mission was to provide Seattle with the best access to dark-roasted coffee, and sought to educated customers about the product. As a matter of customer education and acceptance of the product, Starbucks grew and expanded into the successful domestic market it is today. Much of this success can be attributed to a focus on the total customer experience and s...
Sitting in Korouva on a Sunday night is an almost awkward experience for me as I am the only “customer” in there with the barista and her friend. But the jazz music is good and my almond milk/pumpkin spice latte is tasty. Every wall in the tiny building is covered in art. Korouva Milk Bar on 2005 Maple Street is a unique space for students to come drink coffee, tea, milkshakes, and creatively named smoothies. It is not a place where I would take my mother. After having been in Korouva during various times in my first semester at Southwestern, I decided to write my ethnography with the aim of figuring out just who Korouva is for. So I spent several more days there over the course of a week to see who walked through the door, or rather, one of two doors. The front door, facing the street, features princess Leia smoking a cigarette saying “be like me, don’t buy ExxonMobil” and “Come back soon… or
Starbucks is a company in which purchases and roasts high quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment (starbucks.com). During my environmental scan in which took place at the Starbucks on the corner of Fair and Newport across the street from vanguard, I noticed many things in which where never brought to my attention in prior stays and visits at Starbucks; such as the many social groups in which choose to have their meetings at Starbucks. Thus in this essay we will discuss things in which many people do not really notice when going to Starbucks.
A company's understanding and use of organizational behavior concepts can make or break it. Just as important, if a company ignores these same concepts, it can easily spell disaster.
I also observed a group of 2 females and one male that were most likely under 18. After getting dropped off, they came inside and pushed 2 tables together to sit down. Immediately after sitting down, they became rather obnoxious. They were very loud, considering how small the Starbucks was, and were also cursing. One group sitting at the table behind them gets up and leaves. As they were walking out, I can clearly see that they were annoyed. However, it is possible they were getting ready to leave soon anyway. After a few minutes, the baristas began to look at them too, however they did not say anything. Eventually, one of the female’s phones ring and they all leave the store. A little while after they left, two teenage females enter the store and sit down. Like the last group, they begin looking at
One of my favorite places located along Fifth Avenue is Starbucks, a coffee shop offering many different types of coffees, teas, and snacks. I frequently find my way down to this coffee shop after school meetings, on weekends, or on days when I just ne...
A person can’t go anywhere today without seeing Starbucks. There are coffee stores all over the world, Starbucks inside Target’s and military installations, to Frappuccino’s and teas sold in grocery stores and gas stations.
The coffee shop I decided to do my observation was the well known Starbucks just a couple blocks away. The reason I chose this coffee shop was because of it 's style inside, it attracted me. For example, one side of the wall has a glass top, and the lower part of the wall, made of wood and painted in a bright red color, which was one thing that attracted me and stood out. Outside of the shop people can actually see through the glass wall and get to see what’s happening inside of the coffeeshop. By the entrance you see these two red ceiling lamps which were shaped in a flower bud and these two tall green plants. Once you were in, on the right of the shop there was a counter with food and things to put in your drinks such as milk, sugar, chocolate, etc and the colors and how the food was displayed and served was appealing to my eyes. Behind that counter there was a long table with different electronic devices plugged into the wall. On the middle of the those there is a fridge just for ice and when I turned to the other side and I noticed a big menu on the wall. Further more into the shop, there was an area filled with tables, chairs, and sofas. The tables were in different shapes, one was round and the others rectangular, also there was four bamboo baskets and I looked around and noticed that the walls in that area were decorated with paintings.
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).
Preliminary Starbucks – one of the fastest growing companies in the US and in the world - has built its position on the market by connecting with its customers, and creating a “third place” beside home and work, where people can relax and enjoy themselves. It was the motto of Starbucks’ owner Howard Schultz and, mostly thanks to his philosophy, the company has become the biggest coffee drink retailer in the world. However, within the new customer satisfaction report, there are shown some concerns, that the company has lost the connection with customers and it must be taken some steps to help Starbucks to go back on the right path regarding customer satisfaction. I will briefly summarize and examine issues facing Starbucks. Starting from there, I will pick the most important issue and study it from different positions.