Starbucks And The American Dream

* Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2008. The company is a respected employer that values its workforce.

The smell of fresh-brewed Starbucks coffee is one of those things that makes my heart beat faster than usuakprobably because it promises other good things in the air: lively conversation, pleasant thoughts and inspiring music. When I go to Starbucks I usually stand in a long line waiting for people to finish their complicated orders, and then when it’s my turn I order a short (small) Iced Single Venti Mocha. Just the taste of the Mocha in my mouth shows that I’m a happy costumer. Starbucks coffee has become an important part of our lives. Its logo, known as Siren, is widely recognized and can be found in places from California to China. It is used in movies, and celebrities are often pictured with this coffee in their hands. This product placement has become a form of free advertising for Starbucks and the popularity of this brand has benefited drastically from it. Starbucks has become more than just a symbol of a great cup of coffee; it is a product that symbolizes the global success of the Starbucks brand and the importance of the social nature of coffee drinking all over the world. [Nice thesis statement!]

Amanda Ripley’s article concerning Starbucks and Arizona State University’s collaboration to assist more workers pay for college is one with heavy support for the program. Through telling the story by using personal accounts from many of Starbucks’ employees who had gone through with the program, the reader is able to enjoy a more up close and personal experience.

starbucks Corp., an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington, has expanded rapidly since its opening in 1971. These outrageous success was due to its well-developed strategy vision which lay out the company's strategic course in developing and strengthening its business. Starbucks is a global corporation that sells authentic coffee in 30 countries, reporting revenues of nearly $5.1 billion in 2006. The main goal of Starbucks is to embrace diversity by applying the highest standards of excellence. Starbucks strives to perfect the relationship with the working class by making the service as fast as possible because they believe that every customer has their own personal rate. One

What I learned in Chapter Five is that willpower is recognized as one of the utmost important keystone habits for individuals to be successful. Willpower can be strengthened by mapping it out into a habit. Consequently, willpower is similar to a muscle, the more you work it the stronger it gets and it spills into other areas of your life. Once you get into that willpower frequency, your brain come to be trained at helping you focus on goals, as a result reach success.

Starbucks was originally a small waterfront coffee shop located in Seattle that opened in 1971 (starbucks.com- Our Heritage). It is extremely convenient and now has over 24,000 stores in the 70 countries it is located in, which is one of the reasons that it is so well known today (starbucks.com- Starbucks Coffee International). There is a large variety of coffees you could get, however, they do not focus solely on coffee. They also sell teas, smoothies, pastries, and more. Their mission is to “inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time,” (starbucks.com- Our Heritage). It is a place that people can work on computers, study, or hang out at, so it is constantly in business.

The main concept of the American Dream has been altered and changed due to self pleasing over-riding self reliance. Many people do not know what hard work is anymore. They do simple things and expect more of an outcome.

With over 20,000 locations worldwide, people are willing to pay over five dollars per cup for the bit of luxury (Horovitz, 2014). Not to mention the fact that Starbucks prides itself in using ingredients from exotic locations, produced by farmers, rather than corporations. Additionally, Starbucks takes a personal sense of pride in the personal and professional growth of their employees. First of all, Starbucks changed the title of their employees from Counter Help to Barista (Horovitz, 2014). Secondly, Starbucks offers a fully paid tuition assistance program to Arizona State University to all of its employees (Rooney, 2015). With this program, Starbucks is acknowledging the benefit of a well-educated workforce, while helping to improve the individual quality of life for all

People in North American countries are privileged enough to be able to express their religions in public places such as a coffee shop. Some of them are ignorant enough to think that a coffee shop not putting Christmas decorations on a cup is war on Christianity.

As previously mentioned Starbucks has numerous initiatives in social responsibility. Examining each exposes the company’s values revealing why Starbucks is a leader in business ethics, and why it continues to thrive in an economic down-turn. First, is how Starbucks treats its partners; partners is the term used throughout Starbucks to refer to its employees. Each partner, full or part time is eligible for health care benefits. In 2008 when Schultz resumed his role as CEO, multiple institutional investors called asking Schultz to reduce partner healthcare coverage, which cost the company $250 million annually. Schultz refused the calls. He believed not paying the premiums would be inconsistent with the goal of turning profit (Kaplan, 2011). In addition to health care, partners can participate in the company’s Bean Stock program. The program offers Starbucks stock at 85% of its fair market value, four times a year. Starbucks partners also enjoy a 401(k), where the company matches 25% of the partners’ contribution. These benefits lead to extremely loyal employees. Food industry turnover rates are about 400% per year, while Starbucks’ is only 50% (Reis, 2010).

Please answer all the following questions as they relate to the case. Please utilize as much outside resources as you deem necessary to reinforce your answers—especially the last question. Remember that this case is over 10 years old and Starbucks has changed since then.

During the past three years Starbucks has experienced yearly revenue growth approaching one billion. We have maintained a clear and concise mission, “to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world” (SEC Annual Report, 2005). In addition, we have developed an aggressive strategy that leverages core competencies with a working business model and growth plan to accomplish our mission. However, in order to continue to maintain our growth indefinitely, we must continually evaluate our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to ensure that our business model and strategies are robust and can sustain future growth in a constantly changing competitive environment.

The students receive tuition discounts at the City University of Seattle and at Strayer University. Partners also get tuition reimbursement for partners who are already qualified to receive benefits and who have offered their services for one continuous year. The company offers vacation benefits, which are dependent on a partner’s position, place of work, and length of service. Partners who choose to work during holidays are paid one and a half times their base hourly rate. All the partners who have worked in the company for at least ninety days are eligible for a 401(k) program. The company matches the workers contribution by adding 100% of what the partners pay on the first 4% of the eligible pay. In addition, the company has an equity reward program and a discounted stock purchase plan. Partners get tuition assistance, education benefits, and paid vacations. Starbucks has a recognition program. The company recognizes the contributions made by workers at all levels of achievement. It offers discounts for in-store merchandise. Partners do not have to pay for the beverages they take while on their work breaks (Starbucks,

7. SHERYL SANDBERG, 39, has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Inc., an online social utility company, since March 2008. From 2001 to March 2008, Ms. Sandberg was the Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations for Google Inc., an Internet search engine company.

Starbucks is one of the world’s largest success stories when it comes to the business world. What began as a little shop in Seattle has turned into more than a house hold name; it’s a name that everyone everywhere can associate with. Even if you have never stepped foot in a store, or don’t drink coffee at all you know the name. Starbucks has spread into global markets in the last few years, and with its U.S. ventures has been received very well, even in cities that weren’t forecasted to have open arms for the corporate giant. There really is nowhere for the company to go but up, especially at this time, Starbucks survived the recession, and along with a few other businesses all across the