The Social Responsibility of Starbucks
The Social Responsibility of Starbucks
Social Responsibility is defined as the duty of a business to make choices and direct actions that will benefit society. Because this definition is so broad, the idea is often skewed and many managers are not entirely sure which steps will take them in the “right” direction; however, right is a relative term, what’s right to the management team may not be what’s right for the company. Starbucks is a one such company whose top-level managers are actively taking the right steps for the company and accomplishing their goals the right way. As part of its social responsibility, Starbucks targets the environment and the community, accomplishing several goals at once. By buying their ingredients from countries overrun with poverty, Starbucks takes steps to support the social and economic growth of those countries by providing them with jobs and fair sources of income, most being paid more than minimum wage on average. This decision greatly affects the public’s view of the company in a positive light and was a fantastic move on management’s part. These practices provide Starbucks’ customers with a product that not only looks good and tastes good, but is also 100% organic down to the fertilizer used to grow it, all the while building a loyal customer base because of their actions. This practice of striving to build a strong brand and extend its life shows that Starbucks follows the Stakeholder model of social responsibility, meaning that Starbucks make their choices by taking into account the thoughts of the people that see worth in this company and those that they can help to better their lives. Starbucks chooses these areas as focal points for their responsibility because they are important not only for the survival of the company, but also for the survival of the planet. To this end, Starbucks does things like partner with Conservation International to maintain the ecosystems of their farms, and ensure that the families
Social Responsibility is defined as the duty of a business to make choices and direct actions that will benefit society. Because this definition is so broad, the idea is often skewed and many managers are not entirely sure which steps will take them in the “right” direction; however, right is a relative term, what’s right to the management team may not be what’s right for the company. Starbucks is a one such company whose top-level managers are actively taking the right steps for the company and accomplishing their goals the right way. As part of its social responsibility, Starbucks targets the environment and the community, accomplishing several goals at once. By buying their ingredients from countries overrun with poverty, Starbucks takes steps to support the social and economic growth of those countries by providing them with jobs and fair sources of income, most being paid more than minimum wage on average. This decision greatly affects the public’s view of the company in a positive light and was a fantastic move on management’s part. These practices provide Starbucks’ customers with a product that not only looks good and tastes good, but is also 100% organic down to the fertilizer used to grow it, all the while building a loyal customer base because of their actions. This practice of striving to build a strong brand and extend its life shows that Starbucks follows the Stakeholder model of social responsibility, meaning that Starbucks make their choices by taking into account the thoughts of the people that see worth in this company and those that they can help to better their lives. Starbucks chooses these areas as focal points for their responsibility because they are important not only for the survival of the company, but also for the survival of the planet. To this end, Starbucks does things like partner with Conservation International to maintain the ecosystems of their farms, and ensure that the families