Running head: MODULE THREE WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Module Three Writing Assignment

Dyan Babbitt
Arizona State University
OGL 350: Diversity in Organizations
Dr. Kermit Brown
April 3, 2023
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Culture within a corporation is described as being a shared set of workplace values,

beliefs, attitudes and standards (Perucci, 2023). It is within these boundaries that corporations
thrive and grow. Poor organizational culture can lead to unproductive employees and a space
where employees aren’t able to speak up. There might also be a lack of diversity which can lead
to a low breadth of ideas and a lack of information from experiences. I would say there also
would be little room for growth as favoritism and biases can run rampant. Starbucks Coffee
Company has been clear in their efforts to create a diverse and safe culture where everyone is
heard and valued. Although no business is perfect, I intend to evaluate the efforts of Starbucks in
areas of their mission and values, diversity, cohesiveness within the company’s daily activities,
and what steps they are taking to constantly improve.

Starbucks Coffee Company is a fast growing and well-known establishment that provides
retail food and beverages as well as packaged coffee and beverages in other retailers. As of
February 2023, Starbucks employed 245,000 partners (employees) in the United States (Forbes,
n.d.). Starbucks mission statement is “To inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one
cup and one neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks mission and values, 2015). Their values are
clear in wanting to provide a culture of belonging where everyone is welcome, acting with
courage, being present and acting with transparency and respect, and holding themselves
accountable for results by delivering the very best in all they do (Starbucks mission and values,
2015). In a company of this size, how can we tell if their mission and values are being
presented? In-store leaders set the expectations for their employees by leading them by example
and being alert to any misconduct in the workplace (Living our values, n.d.). Outside of the retail
store, suppliers and contractors are expected to abide by high standards of ethical conduct.
Starbucks does not tolerate retaliation against partners who raise concerns and offers a personal
line to initiate violations and investigation (Living our values, n.d.).

Diversity in an organization can add to more experiences where they can draw inspiration
and insight from. Organizational diversity can also lead to better productivity and a healthier,
happier workforce. Starbucks prides itself on being open with their statistics and even disclosing
their EEO-1 data (Workforce diversity at Starbucks, 2022). In 2020, Starbucks diversity in the
US stats are as follows; Black 8%, Hispanic or Latinx 26.9%, 53.5% White, American Indian or
Alaskan Native 0.6%, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.6%, multiracial 4.7%, and the
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company was 69.2% female and 30.8% male (Workforce diversity at Starbucks, 2022). In 2021,
Hispanic or Latinx was up to 28.5% while Black was down to 7.7%. White also decreased to
51.8% while American Indian or Alaskan native remained the same. The gender diversity was
described as 71.3% female and 28.7% male (Workforce diversity at Starbucks, 2022). Starbucks
also has a history of being an ally for the LGBTQIA2+ community. In 2022 Starbucks joined the
human rights campaign urging the senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act (Peiper, 2022).
Starbucks also awards grants to nonprofit organizations supporting the efforts of the
LGBTQIA2+ community (Peiper, 2022). This work being done is to ensure everyone is welcome
and to challenge the status quo. While there is still work that needs to be done, it seems
Starbucks is heading in the right direction to maintain momentum.

Accounting for the thoughts and ideas of an organization is also heavily dependent on
its’ ability to listen to its employees. One can say this is a challenging experience to receive
praise and criticism. Even in a large organization, being heard can make the work have more
meaning. Starbucks provides listening sessions as well as surveys that are sent out on a weekly
basis to its partners. I am unable to cite this information because it comes from inside
knowledge, but Starbucks has recently been making updates to its technology like adding credit
card tipping and also an easier process to fix tech issues in store. These improvements were
made after many employees used the surveys to let their opinions be heard. In the store, we are
able to communicate with other partners and the manager if we think something could be done
better. As a supervisor in the store, I am able to constantly make adjustments based on feedback
from baristas and also take suggestions for the leaders to discuss. This type of open environment
helps us live the values at work. In my experience, a lot of partners are happy in their store and
with their leaders. There are also instances where employees aren’t happy, and lately they have
been calling for unionization. The former chief executive, Howard Shultz, has used over 200
listening sessions to see what his partners see and to hear what they need and feel (Schniderman,
2022). These sessions are his way of offsetting the unions because he feels they can do better as
a company if employees’ voices are heard.

Being in a state of constant improvement is necessary in a growing and advancing

workplace. With the standards set high, what can be done to make sure there are improvements
in diversity and local communities? Starbucks has laid out a plan for developing an inclusive
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workforce. This plan includes mentoring partners, providing anti-bias courses through Arizona
State University, and 100% pay equity (Inclusion & Diversity, 2022). Starbucks has also made
clear they intend to achieve racial diversity of at least 30% at corporate level and 40% at retail
level by the year 2025 (Inclusion & Diversity, 2022). The final item listed consists of
assessments that are publicly available that evaluate Starbucks’ commitment to civil rights
(Inclusion & Diversity, 2022).

Overall, Starbucks is working towards creating and maintaining a rich culture consisting
of diverse and empowered people. There are many aspects to creating a culture of warmth and
belonging and I feel they are doing just that. Again, there is a lot of work to be done, and many
barriers to overcome in the communities Starbucks serves, but knowing they are actively helping
and being involved is gratifying. In the day-to-day operations, partners’ voices are being heard
and channels are open for communication for improvements and concerns that need to be raised.
I would also add that while there is a productive environment, change management is a hard
concept to grasp. While creating an environment where people can be heard and seen, changes
must be made, and new policies and procedures are likely to follow those conversations.
Starbucks Coffee Company is an ever-evolving workplace, and that is what is helping to make it
an organization full of diverse partners and stand out as having exceptional adherence to living
their mission and values.
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References

Forbes Magazine. (n.d.). Starbucks | SBUX Stock Price, company Overview & News. Forbes.
Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/companies/starbucks/?
sh=29a772eb28ac

Inclusion & Diversity. Starbucks Stories. (2022, July 28). Retrieved April 2, 2023, from
https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/inclusion-diversity/

Living our values. Starbucks Coffee Company. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2023, from
https://livingourvalues.starbucks.com/en-us/living-our-values

Peiper, H. (2022, May 16). Timeline: Starbucks history of LGBTQ inclusion. Starbucks Stories.
Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-pride-a-
long-legacy-of-lgbtq-inclusion/

Perucci, D. (2023, March 13). What is company culture? (plus 10 expert tips for improvement).
HR Software with a heart. Focus on people, not process. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from
https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/what-is-company-culture#:~:text=It%20reflects%20both
%20the%20written,BambooHR

Schniderman, S. (2022, October 14). Opinion | listening to employees is good business practice,
even at Starbucks. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/10/14/listening-employees-is-good-
business-practice-even-starbucks/

Starbucks mission and values. Starbucks Stories. (2015, December 15). Retrieved April 2, 2023,
from https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2015/starbucks-mission-and-values/

Workforce diversity at Starbucks. Starbucks Stories. (2022, January 11). Retrieved April 2, 2023,
from https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/workforce-diversity-at-starbucks/