Starbucks, which was founded in 1971 in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, original mission statement read “To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles as we grow.” (Starbucks.com) While the company’s mission statement has since changed to “To inspire and nurture human spirit- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks.com), the same basic philosophy and principles that the company was founded on are still being practiced today. Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, purchased the company in 1987 and had a vision and a plan. He wanted to build this company on values and passion, he wanted to put people before profits, and he wanted to give back to the communities that he was involved with. The guiding principles were to provide a fantastic work environment, to embrace diversity, to maintain the highest standards of quality in both their ingredients and service, to develop satisfied customers, to contribute to the community and the environment, and to acknowledge that profitability is essential to the company’s success. My focus will be on the employees and the core values they encompass.
The organizational culture of this company is a strong culture that is focused on its partners. Howard Schultz, CEO, believes that “the most important business edge comes from the store partners (employees). Starbucks executives worked hard to build and maintain the respect and trust of the partners. In return, the partners did the same with customers.” (Green, 2007) Although Starbucks places coffee quality and service in high regard, the attitude towards the employees is laid back and supportive. They think of themselves as partners in the business and believe that their actions have a direct effect on the overall success of the company. Communication between partners and executives takes place through e-mail, suggestion cards and regular open forums. Employees are...