Business English

ENG 201

Fall 17-18

Importance of Proper Communication at Work

Case Study: Starbucks

Submitted to
Dr.Marwan Alsaifi
Submitted by
Mohamed Ayoub Abdulla Khatem Alhosani
S0000001412
Introduction

“Workplace communication is very important to companies because it

allows companies to be productive and operate effectively. Employees can

experience an increase in morale, productivity and commitment if they are able to

communicate up and down the communication chain in an

organization.”[ CITATION Lom17 \l 1033 ]

In this report we discuss we discuss the importance of proper

communication in Starbucks
Importance of proper communication in Starbucks

“The main functions of communication within an organization are to

control, motivate, express emotion, and to relay information to. Upper

management not only communicates to their employees what needs to be done,

how well they are performing, and how they can improve their performance but

they also listen to their employees and encourage feedback from employees and

customers. Communication is the key to building trust and understanding as well

as to empower and motivate employees.”[ CITATION hus16 \l 1033 ]

“The Starbucks leadership has worked hard to create an environment

where communication can flow freely between upper management, its

employees, and its customers. In such a large organization, this can be difficult to

achieve with numerous possibilities of breakdown in communications but

Starbucks works hard to ensure their cross functional employees are not just

heard, but listened to as well. This is partly done by allowing employees to report

to multiple supervisors. This type of structure can allow for effective

communication throughout the organization.”[ CITATION hus16 \l 1033 ]

“Misalignment between espoused values and enacted values affect the

perception within an organization and can decrease motivation among its

employees, which can then expand out and cause the company to lose their loyal
customers. Starbucks has a strong culture and they value their employees and

customers. This can be seen through their faithful customers who are satisfied

with the services they receive. Customer service is important to Starbucks.

According to the Starbucks Coffee Company website, its stress will be on the

quality of coffee, calling its employees its partners, connecting with its customers,

creating a sense of belonging with its customers and taking its responsibility to its

neighborhood seriously. Starbucks not only says what they do but they show

what they say and do what they say. This is seen through how they source their

products ethically through the support of their farmers, they recycle and reduce

waste by providing reusable cups and environmentally friendly products and

through the establishment of local youth programs, community service programs,

and other foundations within the neighborhoods in which they are

located.”[ CITATION hus16 \l 1033 ]

“Effective communication helps manage the conflict. Starbucks encourages

their employees to communicate feedback and Starbucks uses this feedback to

improve performance, their products, and their customer service.”[ CITATION

hus16 \l 1033 ]

“Open communication aids the feedback of innovative ideas, problems, and

solutions to those problems and is heard on a regular basis. The decision making
process within Starbucks considers every opinion of every employee from every

level of the organization, including the opinions of their customers. Starbucks also

considers ethics to be the another important aspect in their decision making

process and has based their mission statement on ethics as well.”[ CITATION hus16

\l 1033 ]

“A company such as Starbucks Coffee Company values its employees,

customers, products, and community. Showing respect to their employees, giving

effective communication, tapping into their customer needs and giving back to

their community are the keys to success for any organization, and Starbucks has

proven their success through these methods. Starbucks mission statements

coincide with their values and practices. Their success is largely due to their

policies, innovations, and the quality of their partners (employees) from the CEO

down to the baristas as well as the loyalty of their customers.”[ CITATION hus16 \l

1033 ]
Conclusion

“The benefits to the employees enhance the upward communication.

Employees get the motivation through the benefits, give the feedback to upward

and provide better service to the customers. The Starbucks’ effort to involve the

employees in the success of the business paid off. The Frappuccino idea came

from the store managers in California. They tested the idea of cold blended

beverage with different ingredients and tried with the customers. With customers’

approval, the company reversed its initial refusal and came around. Since then,

Frappuccino became an instant hit and drove the store sales and represents the

Starbucks as a successful drink item. Seasonal products such as a strawberry and

cream Frappuccino and gingerbread latte also came from the stores with

employee initiative.”[ CITATION Cho11 \l 1033 ]

Works Cited
Choi, Y. (2011, February 1). Effective communication of the Starbucks I. Retrieved November 17, 2017,
from http://yuschoi.blogspot.ae: http://yuschoi.blogspot.ae/2011/02/effective-communication-
of-starbucks.html

huskergirl. (2016, April 28). Organizational Behavior & Communication - Starbucks. Retrieved November
2017, 17, from https://ar.scribd.com:
https://ar.scribd.com/document/310800445/Organizational-Behavior-Communication-Starbucks
Lombardo, J. (2017). Workplace Communication: Importance, Strategies & Examples. Retrieved
November 17, 2017, from http://study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/workplace-
communication-importance-strategies-examples.html