Leading Business Organisations Report: KJ's Leadership Style

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership within leading business organizations, specifically focusing on Starbucks and the leadership style of Kevin Johnson. It begins with an overview of servant leadership, its practices, and associated challenges, followed by a critical evaluation of KJ's leadership, identifying his leadership style, positive and negative aspects, and the impact on employee engagement. The report then identifies key stakeholders of Starbucks and assesses KJ's personal brand, highlighting his transformational and calculative approach. Finally, it offers recommendations for improving leadership and concludes with a summary of the key findings, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder perspectives and servant leadership in achieving organizational goals. The report is a student submission for the MSc Management with Streams Leading Business Organisations course, and more resources can be found on Desklib.

Leading Business
Organisations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
Covered in PPT...........................................................................................................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................1
SERVANT LEADERSHIP.........................................................................................................1
Overview.....................................................................................................................................1
Example of good practice............................................................................................................1
Difficulties and challenges..........................................................................................................2
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF KJ'S LEADERSHIP....................................................................2
Identify of leadership style..........................................................................................................2
Positive elements.........................................................................................................................2
Negative aspects..........................................................................................................................4
Identifying Key Stakeholder of Starbucks..................................................................................4
KJ's PERSONAL BRAND..............................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
The term leadership is explicated as an act to guide, motivate, encourage and lead the
engaged workforce to accomplish organisational goals and objectives in an appropriate manner.
Leadership is defined as an effective activity by which management ensure the methods for
formulating competitive-edge in market. Apart form this, the report highlights on reflection part
of leadership to inspire leaders and it also include the methods that demonstrate why systematic
understanding is essential for leadership theory and organisation. Moreover, the ability for
evaluating the contribution of leaders and stakeholders for formulating vision of organisation and
achieving them with implement of leadership style and motivational theory.
PART 1
Covered in PPT.
PART 2
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Overview
Leadership work with the motive of accomplishing success and in aspect of servant
leadership. Leaders who perform their work with the motive of traditional leadership style
complete their task with the motive of managing task that allow leaders for performing work in
serving the organisation. This also allow leaders and manager to perform work which motivate
individuals to perform task effectively (Aljuwaiber, 2016). Moreover, servant leadership style
also contribute for development of prominent working environment that motivate individuals to
work in an appropriate manner.
Example of good practice
Several organisation perform their work with the adoption of servant leadership style that
leads individuals to manage work in an appropriate manner. Moreover, organisation also benefit
the persons to work with an appropriate structure and function in order to improve company
productivity and profitability. Along with this organisation that is leading individuals with right
training methods help to obtain better position in market. The foundations which is implemented
by Bill among Marriot helps for managing work with servant leadership style. Moreover,
organisation work with the (spirit to serve) so it helps in performing work with effective business
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model (Antony, 2015). Like, organisation trained the workforce to complete their action
according to high profitability leads persons and business for achieving task in minimum time
period.
Difficulties and challenges
There are various challenges faced by the organisation that work as a barrier at the time
of implementing servant leadership style at workplace. Some difficulties which are faced as per
(VUCA) are mention as follow:
 Motivation issue- One of the key challenge that relates with an appropriate environment
define the challenges as it is associate with motivation factor. It is related with the factors
that make leaders to assist individual for minimising the scope of competence. The
challenges also reflect on leaders which might not practice with authoritative
management in order to complete work with growth aspect of company workforce.
 Implement of practice- Another challenge that associate with servant leadership relates
with implement of minimised and immersed aspects of introspection. Along with this the
bottom line of business leads to suffer due to encouragement of employee's for
completing work according to decided practices (Bapuji and Neville, 2015). Example-
leaders motivate workforce to work with existing business environment.
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF KJ'S LEADERSHIP
Identify of leadership style
Organisation such as Starbucks, perform and manage their work with the evaluation of
business aspects in order to highlight positive as well as negative aspects of leadership. Kevin
Johnson among Starbucks is effectively engage to work according to servant leadership style as
it is already given among case study. This is also used to critically evaluate all approaches
decided and followed by Kevin Johnson for managing Starbucks works in an appropriate
manner.
Positive elements
With the analyse of case study and viewpoint of the previous CEO Howard Schultz and
Kevin Johnson leads the organisation to work with constructive approach and also reflects on
current practices associate with development of a effective business model. There are various
positive elements is also analysed and associate with KJ's leadership style.
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 To focus on student employee's- One of the best function which is associated with
leadership style of Kevin Johnson associated with engaged workforce of Starbucks that
are at the position of study. According to the case study, more than 70% of students
among organisation are students or aspiring students (Esa Negara, Arifin and Nuralam,
2018). In the context of the Kevin Johnson leaders is concerned more about the
individuals who are at studying or learning. CEO of the leadership style provide the
range and coverage to students for completing the learning aspects with an efficient
manner. Moreover, in order to fulfil the purpose of organisation SCAP (Starbucks
College Achievement Plan) as it defines the effective method for business to support
students with their education plan. In the last, a team of expert is also available for
workforce to consider and ensure the workforce capabilities.
 Centric approach for customer's- Another appropriate and positive element for the
leadership style of Kevin Johnson is the customer centric approach. Along with this one
of an appropriate aspect of servant leadership style refers to work as per approaches of
leader. Therefore, the implementation of organisation approach is favourable to fulfil all
perspective of customers. Nutritional choices support the leaders to perform their work
with more effectiveness (Jo and Kim, 2017). Example- with the reduce of sugar and
simplifying the ingredients of Starbucks products helps to increase the variety or range
of Starbucks products. This is also associated with the diversify related aspect as it used
in managing choices as per organisation. Moreover, it also ensure that health as well as
needs of customer's is fulfilled to work with leadership style and it is also used to
enhance the scope of working for Kevin Johnson perspective to work according to desire
and needs of customer's.
 Diversification- One of the most positive element is based on the scandal that was faced
by employee's at branch because two men are arrested for managing speculations as
cultural organisation of them is different. Therefore, after this incident Kevin Johnson
come forward in order to ensure that social and diversity aspects are adopted to work as
per organisation culture. Moreover, to work with this purpose an effective training
programme was formulated in which more than 8,000 stores are closed because more
than 175,000 employee's are called for training them as per social inclusion and
diversity.
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Negative aspects
Their are various negative element is considered among the leadership style of Kevin
Johnson. Some of them are analysed as below:
 Engagement of employee's- Employee's are involved as per Kevin Style but sometimes
it work as a negative aspects for business. Example- within confidential information it is
complex to work as per employee's involvement (Maclean, Harvey and Clegg, 2017).
The emphasis of organisation also impacts on the workforce. It refers that negative aspect
of business reduce the scope to work with private information and it is also used to
convey and communicate all essential data to the workforce. This leads to manage and
reduce several insecurities which reduce performance of organisation. Thus, the area
reflects for the limitation of Kevin Johnson that reduces performance of business in the
perspective of servant leadership style.
 Time- The another negative aspect which is associated with business relates with the fact
as it take time to complete work with new leadership style. It is also reflected among case
study that previous targets improve earnings for organisation with 20% and this also
reduce the growth with 10%. Therefore, more time is required to work with aspects that
is easy to achieve.
Identifying Key Stakeholder of Starbucks
The major parties associated with businesses and in this case with Starbucks is its
stakeholders. Those individuals who have significant influence over firms decision making and
has appropriate interest in its operations (Martinho, Rijo and Nunes, 2015). Some of the major
Stakeholders of Starbucks who has varied opinions about KJ's leadership styles and patterns are
as follows:
 Business Analysts- These are the third parties who are major stakeholders of
organisation who showcases their interest in firm by reflecting upon success and failure
of company as well as by anticipating the leaders actions. Kevin Johnson's leadership is
highly positive and leading the firm towards success, this is an anticipation made by
several business analyst including former CEO. Also, the analyst believes that Kevin is
more methodological while developing strategies which is a effective approach.
 Employees- One of the major stakeholder of every firm small, large, private or public is
their workforce and employees working and executing all plans made by leaders and
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management. As per employees point of view leadership styles adopted by Kevin were
not beneficial for them and has developed several challenges for them which leads them
to unproductive results.
KJ's PERSONAL BRAND
The leadership style adopted and practised by Kevin Johnson is Servant Leadership style
in which added value to its personal brand showcasing strong leadership in international market.
Thus, some of the element which highlights the effectiveness of Kevin Johnson's leadership
styles at the time of CEO position in Starbucks is as follows:
 Transformation- From the case presented above the major characteristic or factor
which is part of leadership style of Kevin Johnson is transforming the company and
changing its whole picture by renewing business strategies and removing those which
are not benefiting. For instance, the change and transformation made in producing
coffee with low sugar content and higher nutritious value. As well as another
transformation which took place is of closure of stores which were cost consuming and
lacking in productivity in the United States.
 Calculative Approach- The calculative approach is denoted as well in Kevin's
personal brand. The phenomena and methods adopted by Kevin while running the
operations as CEO of Starbucks were all calculative and ensuring effectiveness in
future business of the firm. This would be developing the firm into more competent
one and leading it to success and a unique competitive edge through higher growth and
profitability as decisions making is strong and influential (Michaelson and et. al.,
2014).
RECOMMENDATIONS
In context, to the report and examination conducted two major recommendations or
suggestions that are necessary for Kevin to consider for resolving the leakages in his leadership
styles are as follows:
 Personalised Employee Feedbacks- The first and foremost approach to improve
leadership is to take personalised opinions of employees and make higher understanding
about their perspectives. This will assist Kevin Johnson in taking more subjective
approach and listen to employees and their expectation as well as challenges the face in
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company while working (Millar, Lockett and Mahon, 2016). It will enable him in
reducing the number of dissatisfied and demoralised employees and change them into
more efficient ones.
 Monitoring- Another aspects which is related with leadership is to improve their
leadership style and approach. This is also used to ensure the constant monitoring of
company operations and it is also used to ensure that organisation perform their work
according to employee's perspective. As all aspects help the persons for managing the
task according to Kevin Johnson's leadership method to manage all task in an organised
manner. It also helps to serve organisation with Kevin Johnson's leadership that benefits
individuals to thrive company work with right model.
CONCLUSION
In the last, with analyses of above report it is concluded that leading business
organisation is recognised as an important key aspect as well as function. This is adopted through
the leader to enhance company performance. Moreover, analysis of organisation challenges and
scope are associate with servant leadership style to consider appropriate solutions for performing
organisation work by implement of effective approaches and it is used by leader to determine the
scope related with success factor. Stakeholder perspective is also required to analyse and
determine team or groups for analysing positive and negative impact of leadership style among
organisation. In the last, appropriate recommendations helps in enhancing the scope for
leadership implementation among overall workplace of organisation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aljuwaiber, A., 2016. Communities of practice as an initiative for knowledge sharing in business
organisations: a literature review. Journal of Knowledge Management. 20(4). pp.731-
748.
Antony, J., 2015. Challenges in the deployment of LSS in the higher education sector:
viewpoints from leading academics and practitioners. International Journal of
Productivity and Performance Management. 64(6). pp.893-899.
Bapuji, H. and Neville, L., 2015. Income inequality ignored? An agenda for business and
strategic organization. Strategic Organization, 13(3), pp.233-246.
Esa Negara, A.A., Arifin, Z. and Nuralam, I.P., 2018. Pengaruh Kualitas Produk dan Brand
Image Terhadap Minat Beli (Survei pada Pembeli di Gerai Starbucks di Kota
Surabaya). Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis, 61(2), pp.194-201.
Jo, A. and Kim, H.S., 2017. A comparison of Starbucks between South Korea and USA through
big data analysis. Culinary science and hospitality research, 23(8), pp.195-205.
Maclean, M., Harvey, C. and Clegg, S.R., 2017. Organization theory in business and
management history: Present status and future prospects. Business History
Review, 91(3), pp.457-481.
Martinho, R., Rijo, R. and Nunes, A., 2015. Complexity analysis of a business process
automation: case study on a healthcare organization. Procedia Computer Science, 64,
pp.1226-1231.
Michaelson, C and et. al., 2014. Meaningful work: Connecting business ethics and organization
studies. Journal of Business Ethics, 121(1), pp.77-90.
Millar, C.C., Lockett, M. and Mahon, J.F., 2016. Guest editorial: Knowledge intensive
organisations: on the frontiers of knowledge management. Journal of knowledge
management. 20(5). pp.845-857.
Olson, E.M and et. al., 2018. The application of human resource management policies within the
marketing organization: The impact on business and marketing strategy
implementation. Industrial Marketing Management, 69, pp.62-73.
Salvato, C and et. al., 2019. Coupling family business research with organization studies:
Interpretations, issues and insights. Organization Studies, 40(6), pp.775-791.
Scallon, M. and Sten, M. J., 2017. Environmental Positioning for the Future: A Review of 36
Leading Companies in the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States of America.
In Greening the Boardroom (pp. 145-163). Routledge.
Snihur, Y. and Tarzijan, J., 2018. Managing complexity in a multi-business-model
organization. Long Range Planning, 51(1), pp.50-63.
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