Starbucks Who Mission Is Social Responsibility Whilst Term Paper

Starbucks who mission is social responsibility whilst it attempts to build the strength of its brand. Starbucks had been going strong in both areas until the 2008-2009 recession when it had to close various of its stores and pull back some of its products. The recession has also compelled it to innovate, such as with its Value Meals as well as to refocus on its customer service as one of its key brand identities.

The Starbucks culture has always been: "people first; profits last.' And Starbucks aims to treat others with respect and dignity. Howard Schultz, Starbucks's founder, has placed ethics first and foremost to the Starbucks's culture. A key prerogative of Starbucks is its involvement with sustainability where it works with various international organizations and programs in working towards amelioration of relief for poverty-ridden countries as well as for improvement of environment. Their attitude towards sustainability, towards their staff, and towards community (where Starbucks' coffee houses have become "gathering spots" have burnished Starbuck's reputation and given them an attractive brand image.

Starbucks, however, has had to overcome its share of condemnations and it has worked to do so by introducing strategies such as Fair Trade certification on its coffee.

The 2008-2009 recessions, however, really impacted Starbucks where the company had to make some drastic changes, reduce its price, and cut back on its expansion. This included closing hundreds of underperforming stores in the U.S. And in Australia.

Starbuck's objective is to focus on its core strengths and amplify these until the global economy betters itself. Emphasis of its efforts then lies on focusing on such things as community involvement, outreach work, and on improving its overall image and offerings.

1. What are the ethical issues that need to be addressed (be specific; cite examples)?

The key ethical issue that comes across in this case history is the fact that Starbucks has closed many hundreds of stores causing people to lose their jobs. Many of these people, moreover, have long worked for Starbucks and been dedicated employees who may have had it hard to find another and have dedicated their lives to Starbucks. Furthermore,…