Analyzing Starbucks' Ethical Compliance and CSR in Global Business

This report provides an overview of Starbucks' business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. It details the company's history, structure, and culture, emphasizing its mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit. The report highlights Starbucks' ethical business practices, including ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship, and community involvement, all underpinned by the concept of the Triple Bottom Line. It explores the company's offensive and defensive strategies related to ethical branding and corporate reputation, as well as its commitment to transparency and accountability through TBL reporting. The report also addresses the challenges and considerations for Starbucks in international business, such as labor laws, cultural diversity, and tax regulations. Recommendations include adapting to diversified cultures in product offerings and refreshing the brand image. The report concludes that Starbucks operates on the basis of the Triple Bottom Line and aligns its activities with set objectives, while maintaining ethical compliance.

BUSINESS ETHICS: STARBUCKS

Overview of the organisation
History, Structure &culture
•Established in 1917
•CEO Kevin Johnson
• Multinational company around 22,519* (as of June
28, 2015) in 75 Locations worldwide
• The company operates around the world with the
help of partnerships
•The idea of the company is to
provide good quality coffee along
with a good time with friends or

Overview of the organisation
Mission & Vision
The mission of the company is “to inspire and nurture
the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one
neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks.com 2018).
The vision of the company is stated as
“to provide the highest quality
coffee in the world, to the way we
engage with customers and
communities to do business
responsibly” (Starbucks.com 2018)

Overview of the organisation
Ethical Business Practices
• Follows the concept of Triple Bottom Line
•Ethical Sourcing
•Environmental Stewardship
•Community Involvement
• Apart form these aspects the
company has a range of CSR
activities (Starbucks.com 2018)

Ethical Strategies
Corporate Social Responsibility of
Starbucks

Offensive/defensive
Strategies
Ethical branding and corporate
reputation

Offensive/defensive
Strategies
Cultural/ Ethical shift
Starbucks from the
beginning was an
organisation that did not
focus only on the profit of
the business but wanted to
wanted to bring a feeling of
connection

TBL reporting
Transparency and accountability

TBL reporting
Transparency and accountability

TBL reporting

TBL reporting

TBL reporting

TBL reporting

International business
Starbucks have to abide by the following rules and
regulations:
• labour laws of the country
•Safety and security of the employees
•Acceptance of diversity and culture of the country of
operation
• Regulations regarding the CSR framework of operation
•Tax laws
• level of rigidity in trade and business in the country

Lifecycle Assessment of the
product

Recommendations
• The company has to introduce some kind of major
changes in the operations as well as in the product
line in order to make the customers excited about the
brand
•The company has the opportunity to expand the
business in the Asian market
•The company has to adapt to diversified culture in the
product as well in order to gain the attention of a
wider customer.
•The company has the scope of
improvement in the brand image as well
to refresh the brand’s value and
principles

Ethical Compliance
The value of the company is to conduct business
ethically by a determined drive to do what is correct.
The organisation deems this principle to be significant
in the path of its success (starbucks.com 2018).
The company has a business ethics and compliance
program

Ethical Compliance

Conclusion
• Starbucks is an organisation that runs on the basis of
the concept of triple bottom line
•The company issues their yearly CSR report on the
official website for all the stakeholders to review
•This report is issued in several languages owing to
the fact that the company is operating in more than
75 countries
• The company aligns the activities with the set
objective• Starbucks also complies with ethical
business

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