kristina

Coffee is a staple for many Americans in the morning.  And over the past few years, Starbucks has grown to be the name associated with coffee and this generation’s “hangout.”  It’s relaxing inside.  You can have coffee hot or cold, or if you don’t like coffee, they have frozen fruit drinks or hot chocolate.  They also have great muffins and other sorts of treats.  People go there for all sorts of reasons as well-homework, interviews, dates, work for your job, to chill out, hang out with your friends, have a snack, and many more.  It’s everyone’s own personal space designed just for them.

Starbucks also is a great company with a sense of corporate social responsibility.  They have implemented fair trade coffee.  They know what their customers want, and many of them are concerned with the fair trade laws.  Granted there are also many customers who don’t know, but the loyal customers’ voices were heard.  Starbucks responded to their customers’ concerns and passions.  That is what corporate social responsibility is about.  Starbucks is also supporting the Rwandan farmers by buying the Fairtrade coffee.  This is about creating a global partnership between the farmers and customers all over the world.  Starbucks is offering the farmers a $9 million to help them learn to grow better coffee and sell the coffee in more places.  They are investing their money and time in these people.

Found in Starbucks’ annual report about their CSR, they have six Guiding Principles that help them measure the appropriateness of their decisions:

1. Provide a great environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.
2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.
3. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee.
4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.
5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.
6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success.