Starbucks - an Analysis of Their Social and Ethical Responsibility

“Starbucks:  An Analysis of Their Social and Ethical Responsibility”

Ethical Responsibility:

        For ten years in a row, Starbucks has been included on the listing at the Ethisphere Institute for the World’s Most Ethical Company.  With  that  said, Starbucks takes pride in how they treat their customers as well as their associates.  They are associated with a Business Ethics and Compliance program which provides knowledgeable information regarding ethics.  They conduct ethics training for their associates.  Starbucks also has legal counsel? Advisors? for such cases that might be a potential issue and may need investigation.  Starbucks encourages their associates and customers to voice their opinion on any concerns they feel directed toward themselves or anyone they know.  

With openly displaying their mission statement and values each day, Starbucks takes pride in showing what an ethical company they are.  Not only do they have their mission statement displayed over many of the walls in the different stores and cafes, but they also print ethical facts on their coffee cups.  This strategic move makes  apparent the pride that Starbucks has in showing the commitment they are making to ensure the ethical side of the business.

        “The growth of specialty coffee is unprecedented and the pressure this puts on the global coffee industry is both a challenge and an opportunity.  Reaching our ethical sourcing milestone shows that it can be done and coupling this with our research advancements, we believe we are defining a sustainable way forward for our industry.  We have been committed to farmers for over forty years and will continue to find ways to bring social, environmental and economic advancements to them so that we can ensure that there is a future for farmers and our industry.” said Craig Russell, executive vice president of Global Coffee for Starbucks. CITE?

Social Responsibility:

        Starbucks was hit hard and fought for survival when our economy hit its recession in 2008.  For the first time ever in Starbucks existence, sales plummeted and the future of Starbucks was uncertain.  Hard choices were made in the company with stores being closed and associates being let go.  Given these challenges, Starbucks was committed to their responsibility to the community and set striving goals in bouncing back.  They set a seven-year goal in achieving this mission.   By 2015, Starbucks has nearly doubled their venture in substitute loan programs from $12.5 million in 2008 to $21.3 million in 2015, amongst many other improvements they have accomplished.  

As part of Starbucks belief and vision, they are committed to developing positive changes in the community and environment.  As a company, they believe in providing top-notch, ethically obtained and conscientiously made goods. They are also devoted to providing opportunities for growth in areas of training, employment and education.  Starbucks believes in protecting the environment and encourages everyone to do the same.  It also provides a great opportunity to bring people together.  Starbucks encourages the formation of groups to help society with many great opportunities in serving their communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Healthy Kids Day and Spring clean-up, just to name a few.