Starbucks
BUSINESS ETHICS COURSEWORK
While discussing about the business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) of any business organization, it is necessary to mention that although both the concepts might overlap each other as far as their operations are concerned, yet their goals remain the same for the organization. While ethics involve the individual actions within an organization, the CSR constitutes the organization’s performances and activities as a whole that have direct influence on its stakeholders, customers as well as on the environment. In the present times, organizations are found to have become more concerned about CSR and thus several measures can be found to be considered in this regard (Mullerat, 2010, p.48). The present study focuses on learning about the CSR activities of Starbucks Company and the different issues that the organization addresses.
Starbucks and their CSR Efforts:
The Starbucks Company was initiated in the year 1971 in Seattle when three friends Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker had opened up a small coffee shop. However there have been several changes over these years where the company experienced selling out and expansion processes before the position where it has reached now (Garza). Starbucks had always considered the fact that communities should be served at their best and hence such corporate social responsibilities were performed by the company ever since their coffee shop initiated (Being a Responsible Company, 2011). The company is committed to provide “good governance, ethical conduct and social responsibility” along with maintaining relationships with the stakeholders of the company (My Starbucks, n.d., p.10).
The recent reports of CSR efforts of Starbucks Company reflect their progress in several areas of work. The company’s recent commitments also include assisting the coffee farmers, and supporting communities and environments. Other commitments
While discussing about the business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) of any business organization, it is necessary to mention that although both the concepts might overlap each other as far as their operations are concerned, yet their goals remain the same for the organization. While ethics involve the individual actions within an organization, the CSR constitutes the organization’s performances and activities as a whole that have direct influence on its stakeholders, customers as well as on the environment. In the present times, organizations are found to have become more concerned about CSR and thus several measures can be found to be considered in this regard (Mullerat, 2010, p.48). The present study focuses on learning about the CSR activities of Starbucks Company and the different issues that the organization addresses.
Starbucks and their CSR Efforts:
The Starbucks Company was initiated in the year 1971 in Seattle when three friends Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker had opened up a small coffee shop. However there have been several changes over these years where the company experienced selling out and expansion processes before the position where it has reached now (Garza). Starbucks had always considered the fact that communities should be served at their best and hence such corporate social responsibilities were performed by the company ever since their coffee shop initiated (Being a Responsible Company, 2011). The company is committed to provide “good governance, ethical conduct and social responsibility” along with maintaining relationships with the stakeholders of the company (My Starbucks, n.d., p.10).
The recent reports of CSR efforts of Starbucks Company reflect their progress in several areas of work. The company’s recent commitments also include assisting the coffee farmers, and supporting communities and environments. Other commitments
References: Being a Responsible Company (2011), starbucks, available at: http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility (accessed on October 29, 2012) Bruhn-Hansen, S. (2012), Corporate Social Responsibility – A case study of Starbucks’ CSR communication through its corporate website, au, available at: http://pure.au.dk/portal-asb-student/files/45282206/BA_Thesis.pdf (accessed on October 31, 2012) Garza, George, The history of Starbucks, Catalogs, 2012, available at: http://www.catalogs.com/info/food/the-history-of-starbucks.html (accessed on October 29, 2012) Mullerat, R. (2010), International Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Corporations in the Economic Order of the 21st Century, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International My Starbucks (n.d.), starbucks, available at: http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/4dd6216d0fd0400f8689eceba0497e04.pdf (accessed on October 30, 2012) Reid, D.L. (2006), Starbucks, socialedge, available at: http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/reid-on-marketing/topics/Starbucks (accessed on October 31, 2012)