Organizational Behavior and Communication
Starbucks Corporation, named after the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, averages more than $35 million customer visits each week, has stores in over 37 countries and has loyal patrons who typically return 18 times a month (Michelli, 2007). Not bad for a coffee shop founded in 1971 in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Starbucks stores can be found in urban and suburban areas, across this country as well as in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. According to Michelli (2007), Starbucks is more than just a story – its culture, brand and product excellence continues to win glowing accolades. In 2007, Starbucks was recognized by Fortune as one of America’s best companies to work for (Fortune, 2008).
In the early 1990s, Starbucks’ senior executive team, lead by Howard Schultz, and its partners (Starbucks-speak for employees) contributed to defining and shaping the company’s core values, principles and culture when they penned the company’s mission statement laying out the guiding principles behind the company. Starbucks’ (2008) mission is to establish itself as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining uncompromising principles as they grow. In order to achieve this, Starbucks includes six guiding principles that helps measure the appropriateness of their decisions. The six principles are (1) provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity; (2) embrace diversity as an essential component in the way they do business; (3) apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of coffee; (4) develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time; (5) contribute positively to the communities and environment and (6) recognize that profitability is essential to future success.
The first principle in Starbucks’ mission statement is to provide a great work environment and treat each...