Starbucks Organizational Behavior
Starbucks Organizational Behavior
October 5, 2008
Starbucks Organizational Behavior Starbucks began selling coffee in Seattle, Washington in 1971, and has revolutionized the coffee industry with its trendy coffeehouses and delectable products. The company has become an international sensation as the “premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world” (Starbucks Takes, 2008, p. 5). Due in part to Starbucks success, coffee has moved beyond ‘light and sweet’ and is not just for dunking doughnuts into anymore. How did a unified team of professionals transform a timeless breakfast drink into a desired upscale specialty product that is double or triple the price of their competition? Is melding social responsibility and environmental awareness among employees, customers, and competitors alike the key to the company’s phenomenal growth, and if so, is it enough to keep them in the lead worldwide? Here we will analyze how Starbucks uses organizational behavioral concepts such as communication, organizational culture and human resources practices to further their business, with varying results. Starbucks primarily uses communication methods to disseminate information that is both positive and negative regarding the inner workings of management, finance, and interpersonal dealings. Their website, www.starbucks.com, includes press releases, detailed investor relations information with financial and stock analyses, as well as a comprehensive section that reports on their extensive programs and contributions to environmental practices and social responsibility. Human Resources are addressed by an online career center that is accessible from the main website. Here, individuals who are interested in joining the Starbucks family are provided with access to worldwide job opportunities. This section provides includes details about the benefit options and career paths that are available to employees, ‘partners’ as the company prefers to
October 5, 2008
Starbucks Organizational Behavior Starbucks began selling coffee in Seattle, Washington in 1971, and has revolutionized the coffee industry with its trendy coffeehouses and delectable products. The company has become an international sensation as the “premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world” (Starbucks Takes, 2008, p. 5). Due in part to Starbucks success, coffee has moved beyond ‘light and sweet’ and is not just for dunking doughnuts into anymore. How did a unified team of professionals transform a timeless breakfast drink into a desired upscale specialty product that is double or triple the price of their competition? Is melding social responsibility and environmental awareness among employees, customers, and competitors alike the key to the company’s phenomenal growth, and if so, is it enough to keep them in the lead worldwide? Here we will analyze how Starbucks uses organizational behavioral concepts such as communication, organizational culture and human resources practices to further their business, with varying results. Starbucks primarily uses communication methods to disseminate information that is both positive and negative regarding the inner workings of management, finance, and interpersonal dealings. Their website, www.starbucks.com, includes press releases, detailed investor relations information with financial and stock analyses, as well as a comprehensive section that reports on their extensive programs and contributions to environmental practices and social responsibility. Human Resources are addressed by an online career center that is accessible from the main website. Here, individuals who are interested in joining the Starbucks family are provided with access to worldwide job opportunities. This section provides includes details about the benefit options and career paths that are available to employees, ‘partners’ as the company prefers to
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