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Social Responsibility at Starbucks

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1. Starbucks has worked hard to act ethically and responsibly. Has it donea good job communicating its efforts to consumers? Do consumers believe Starbucks is a responsible company? Why or why not?

2. Where does a company like Starbucks draw the line on supporting socially responsible programs? Fore xample, how much of its annual budget should go toward there programs? How much time should employees focus on them? Which programs should it support?

3. How do you measure the results of Starbucks's socially responsible programs?

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Solution Summary

This detailed solution discusses how well Starbucks has done communicating its' social and ethical responsibility actions to customers, where Starbuck's draws the line on supporting socially responsible programs, how much employees should focus on these programs, and suggests which programs to support, and also discusses how to measure results of programs. Solution includes APA formatted references.

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1. Starbucks has done a good job communicating its efforts to act responsibly to consumers. Starbucks commands a premium price for coffee, and is able to do so in part because of its ability to market to consumers that they are getting a better cup of coffee, that has been ethically sourced and served by a responsible company. Starbucks utilizes in-store promotional material-including their cups, napkins, and bags- to communicate with consumers. The organization uses this medium to let their customer know about the responsible actions. Starbucks, in their annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, notes "customers prefer to do business with a company they believe to be socially responsible" (Globalassets, 2008).

Ultimately, Starbucks delivers "shareholder value by creating value within the various communities" (Starbucks, 2011) where (the company) does business. The company participates in community service projects and donates money to local and global causes. They even named April 2012 "Global Month of Service" and used the opportunity to promote a coalition of outreach between Starbuck employees, customers, community members, and local organizations (Starbucks, 2012).

Environmentalists point out Starbuck's responsible actions in blogs and websites, such as earth911.com, which outlines Starbucks Corporate Social Responsibility report for its readers, and touts the company as socially and environmentally friendly (Dawson, 2011). To further communicate the message to consumers, Starbucks offers 10 cents off any beverage for those who bring in their own cup, and on Earth Day each year, the company celebrates by offering customers a free cup of coffee if they bring in their own cup. More than 1.2 million people took advantage of this offer in 2010 (Dawson, 2011) so the company is definitely getting the message out to consumers. In addition, Starbucks touts its message regarding ethics and social responsibility on its corporate website. Pages and pages of the site are dedicated to the company's efforts in community service, ethical sourcing, environmental work, and global responsibility.

Outside of special holiday blends, it is rare to see an advertisement for Starbucks coffee, however, the company frequently spends money on advertisements to inform and educate consumers on its ...

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Sally Baldwin, Ed.D
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  • BA, University of Southern California
  • MSS, United States Sports Academy
  • Ed.D, Boise State University
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