STARBUCKS CULTURE
STARBUCKS
COFFEE ’ S
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE TYPE AND FEATURES
BY : ERIKA MACLEOD
S
Starbucks Coffee ’ s organizational culture is a culture of belonging , inclusion , and diversity . The combination of the company ’ s key cultural characteristics is unique and specific to the nature of its coffeehouse chain business . The internal cultural situation is reflected in the company ’ s human resource development programs and baristas ’ interactions with customers . In this regard , the main features of Starbucks ’ corporate culture are as follows :
1 . Servant leadership (“ employees first ”) 2 . Relationship-driven approach 3 . Collaboration and communication 4 . Openness 5 . Inclusion and diversity SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Starbucks Corporation has a servant leadership approach , which characterizes the behavioral manifestation of the company ’ s organizational culture among leaders , including corporate leaders and team leaders . In this approach , leaders , managers , and supervisors emphasize support for subordinates to ensure that every employee grows in the company . This feature of
Starbucks ’ corporate culture translates to the employees-first approach . The company highlights the importance of caring for employees as a way of optimizing employee morale and customer satisfaction . Former Starbucks President Howard Behar developed this feature of the firm ’ s organizational culture because he believed that employees who are cared for are the ones who care about customers .
RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN APPROACH
Starbucks also has an organizational culture that supports warm and friendly relationships . For instance , at the company ’ s cafés , baristas exhibit warm and friendly bonds with each other . This feature of the company ’ s corporate culture extends to customers , who are also treated with warmth . Through this cultural emphasis on relationships , Starbucks develops the global coffee culture that drives consumer demand for the company ’ s specialty coffee products .
COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION
The corporate culture of Starbucks encourages collaborative efforts through effective communication . At the cafés , baristas clearly communicate with each other to fulfill orders . Also , they collaborate as teams to make the order fulfillment process efficient . Thus , Starbucks Corporation ’ s organizational culture
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