There were praises, cheers, and stories at the last Starbucks annual shareholders meeting. This was the last meeting for one of Starbucks’ most successful executives, Orin Smith. As the 62-year old Smith retires this month as Starbuck’s CEO, he will be remembered for his leadership in the company by turning the inspiration and vision behind Starbucks into a reality. When previous CEO Howard Shultz approached Smith to join the Starbucks team in 1990, there were only approximately 45 stores in the U.S. and Canada combined (Starbucks). Today, there are around 9,000 stores occupied over 39 countries in addition to the 1,500 planned to open this year (Ouchi A1). Executive Background While studying at the University of Washington, Smith decided to take time off to work as an engineer for Boeing Enterprises. During his tenure, he recalls rows and rows of engineers sitting at their desks, reminding him of the assembly line. Seeing this unattractive future, he decided to switch to a Business orientation and eventually enrolled into Harvard Business School in pursuant of an M.B.A. (Smith). In 1987, Howard Shultz purchased the Starbucks name and assets and presided as the new CEO. Three years later, he approached Smith, who was then working at Danzas (a freight shipping company) to enlist him as the company’s CFO. Smith was able to see the vision and future potential of Starbucks. It was then, that Smith began driving Starbucks through its delicate years of raising capital, becoming a public company, and developing goals for future growth (Moix 1). Management Style “Before you can have an emotional connection with your customers, you have to have an emotional connection with your people.” (Ouchi A1). The success of Starbucks is partly due to Smith’s strong emphasis on relationships between management and lower ranked employees (also called partners). Similar to JetBlue’s CEO David Neeleman, Smith believes that a good relationship between management and employees will translate into a good relationship between the employees and the customers. In the past, both CEOs have been known to practice a ‘hands-on’ approach by stepping onto the ‘front lines’ of the business. Every quarter, Smith spends at least a couple of days behind the counter as part of their ‘Adopt a Store’ program for the senior executives. ... ... middle of paper ... ...for 30,000 stores total) (Flanigan C1). While some believe the company is growing too rapidly and repeat the mistake McDonald’s made by opening too many stores of offsetting its own profits, Starbucks still continues to remain strong. It has also been able to achieve growth in other ways by developing new products, such as the much-anticipated Starbucks Liqueur. The future of Starbucks now presides with new a CEO, James Donald. Works Cited ElBoghdady, Dina. “Pouring It On? The Starbucks Strategy? Locations, locations, locations.” The Washington Post 25 Aug. 2002: H.01. Flanigan, James. “Starbucks Sees Cup as Not Yet Full.” Business 24 Oct. 2004: C1. Moix, Laura. “Starbucks Coffee Company announces the promotion of two top executives.” PR Newswire June 1994: 1. Ouchi, Monica Soto. “Shareholders meeting raises cup to retiring Starbucks CEO who led spectacular growth.” Seattle Times 10 Feb 2005, A1+. Smith, Orin. Personal Interview. 16 October 2001. “Starbucks Honors Chief Executive Orin Smith.” Business Wire 9 Feb. 2005: 1. “Starbucks’ CEO Serves Up Tales of Global Frappuccino: Green, Tea, or Strawberries?” Wall Street Journal 15 Dec. 2003: B1+.
Visit Starbucks.com and you enter a virtual world of delight. Consumers can “sample” over 30 blends of coffee; find Starbucks coffeehouse locations, or learn about Starbucks Hear Music®, where customers can “burn personalized CDs, use listening stations to explore musical recommendations, enjoy a handcrafted Starbucks® beverage, or surf the web at (a) T-Mobile Wi-Fi enabled coffee bar” (Starbucks, 2008). Starbucks uses their website to communicate with their consumers about their company’s mission, social responsibility, business ethnic and compliance, diversity relations and press releases. Consumers can even read about the latest “rumor responses” that Starbucks wants to clarify about misinformation regarding the company. From the “click” of a button you can shop for Starbucks merchandise or check the balance on your Starbucks Card, the Starbucks website has got their customers needs in mind.
When the 1980’s rolled around, it was a thriving company, in the Seattle area. However, the co-founders began to have other interests and were involved in other careers simultaneously. Despite that, the company was about to undergo a major turnaround. A man by the name of Howard Schultz started to pursue an interest in the company. He noticed that the coffee shop had a wonderful environment.
Schultz, Howard, and Joanne Gordon. Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul. New York: Rodale, 2011. N. pag. Print.
...nal locations in the heaviest coffee drinking countries. This has to be done quickly as to get the jump on other that may also be considering this type of a move. At the same time they should be selling franchise right for the coffee carts. This will provide an increased cash flow as well. During all of this Starbucks should be looking at coffee producers who are in financial trouble or are looking at selling their farms. This has to be done discretely as not to cause unnecessary bad press. After they run a couple of these coffee producing farms for a few years they should be able to see how the whole operation works and determine its viability. Once it’s proven viable they should send out simultaneous offers to the biggest producers as to catch them and other coffee companies off guard. Starbucks also should be getting into the bottled Frappuccino as soon as possible. They should leave the introduction of the product up to Pepsi because of their past experience. They should leave their entry into the grocery store market until some of these other strategies are implemented. This will prove to be the best strategy for Starbucks being able to reach their long-term gaol.
In 2000, Schultz promoted Orin Smith to the position of CEO. Schultz remained chairman for the corporation. This allowed Schultz to focus on Starbucks¡¦ global strategy. Starbucks operates and licenses more the 7,500 coffee shops in more than 30 countries.
Shah, A. J., Hawk, T. F., & A, T. A. (2011). Starbucks' Global Quest in 2006: Is the Best Yet to Come. In A. A. Marcus, Management Strategy: Achieving Sustained Competitive Advantage (pp. c468-c495). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Starbucks began its retention plan by analyzing their employees’ needs. The analysis drew variables of importance, such as positive culture, employee development, and benefits. As a result of the analysis, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, came up with a plan to start a long-term retention program in his company. Mr. Schultz made sure that “he made it a point to put himself at the top of a respect pyramid in which he would be sure to be kind to everyone in the company with whom he interacted, with them passing on the respectful treatment, right down to the pyramid’s base”(“How Starbucks retains its employees”). The company also set up an online portal for employee development. Starbucks also launched a program to help its employees to achieve a college education. This educational program sends employees to Arizona State’s online program, providing juniors with free tuition and sophomores with financial aid. As a result of this initiative, Forbes (2015) has named Starbucks as one of “America’s Best
Business was good, but it was not without its problems. There was the political upheaval in the Middle East, followed by further tension after then CEO Howard Schultz commented on growing anti-Semitism in the region. Their integrity came under fire when certain Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) accused them of purchasing coffee beans under questionable social and economic conditions. These situations, together with difficult economic times globally, meant that Starbucks was likely going to take a hit somewhere. Eventually, they shut down their Israeli operations altogether.
Overholt, A. (2007, December 29). Do You Heat What Starbucks Hears. Fast Company.com Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/84/starbucks_schultz.html
Everything centers on the organizational culture within Starbucks. While being a customer service-based company and understanding that the customer satisfaction and loyalty are what will make the company profitable, Starbucks takes a different approach to customer service than other companies. By hiring employees that fit in the organizational culture (ICFAI, 2005) and treating their employees well (Lefevere, n.d.), Starbucks brings in and retains customers through their happy employees. The qualities that Starbucks hires for are "adaptability, dependability and the ability to work in a team" (ICFAI, 2005). The culture is supportive and laid back (Montana, 2005). Howard Shultz, Starbucks president and CEO, has the theory "that if you treat your employees well, they will treat your customers well" (Starbucks, 1997).
Schultz continually sees opportunity and the ability for growth, with an increase in locations across the globe every year and the ability to keep up with the latest in technology (websites, online shopping, a Starbucks application with the ability to pay and reload loyalty cards on your smart phone), etc. It is pretty safe to say that Schultz exhibits numerous leadership traits and skills that Gary Yukl, Professor of Management and Psychology at the University at Albany (State University of New York) believes are associated with effective leaders. Schultz has been adaptable throughout the years that he has been with Starbucks, you can see this in the way he has changed Starbucks’ food items to create better quality items, his ability to keep up with technology with the Starbucks application for smart phone users, and his expansion with taking Starbucks locations globally. Starbucks takes their partners very seriously, as well as their well-being.
Starbucks is a worldwide company, known for is delicious brews of coffee and seasonal varieties of tasty drinks for any occasion. Starbucks opened with two main goals, sharing great coffee with friends and to help make the world a little better. It originated in the historic Pike Place Market of Seattle, Washington in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. The creation of Starbucks’ name came from the seafaring tradition of early coffee traders and the romance evoked from Moby Dick. At the time, this individual shop specialized in the towering quality of coffee over competitors and other brewing services enabling its growth to becoming the largest coffee chain in Washington with numerous locations. In the early 1980s, the current CEO Schultz saw an opportunity for growth in the niche market. After a trip to Italy he brought back the idea of a café style environment of leisure and social meetings to the United States we now see in Starbucks locations today. Schultz ultimately left Starbucks to open his own coffee shop, Il Giornale which turned out to be a tremendous success. Fast forward a year later, Schultz got wind that Starbucks was going to sell all their components of Starbucks including their stores and factories, he immediately acquired the funds to buy Starbucks and linked both operations. Within five years he was able to open more than 125 stores starting in New England, Boston, Chicago, and gradually entered California. He wanted Starbucks to be a franchise system based on the mission of telling the truth and emphasize the quality,
In addition to being best-known supplier of the finest coffee and promising only the highest quality products, Starbucks emphasizes firm values, provides guidelines to enhance employee self-esteem. This is to ensure continued customer satisfaction. Moreover, diversity has become a priority to providing an inviting environment to all consumers. Starbucks continues to abide by a strict, slow growth policy in which they set out to dominate a market before moving on to expand, thus history has shown this strategy to be successful for Starbucks, making them one the fastest growing companies nationwide.
In 1982 when Starbucks only had four stores, Shultz joined Starbucks as director of operations and marketing. At that time, Starbucks was only