Shiela Wright-Taylor

OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Political Frame Worksheet
Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the political frame
2. Apply the political frame to your personal case situation

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.

 In a letter dated May 5, 2020, chief operating officer (COO) and group president
Rosalind (Roz) Brewer asked landlords for rent relief for at least 12 consecutive
months starting June 1 (Luna, 2020). Rents have been paid current up until this
point. Landlords understandably are disappointed and some downright angry
with the ask.

 I work as an Accountant I in the Accounts Payable department of Starbucks. We

handle the analysis, journal entries, and reconciliations for all outgoing payments
(including rent) for the company.

2) Describe how the politics of the organization influenced the situation.

While Starbucks Corporation has navigated the Covid-19 Pandemic a little

more successfully than others, they have not come out the other side unscathed.
To help control the spread of the virus and protect the health and safety of our
partners (employees) and customers, we began temporarily closing or modifying
operating models and hours of our retail stores in many markets both in response
to governmental requirements and voluntarily, beyond the requirements of local
authorities, during the second quarter of fiscal 2020 (Starbucks Corporation,
2020). While we have opened up 90% of our stores as of the end of May 2020,
our business has taken a severe revenue hit that is still being analyzed. Customer
traffic has changed significantly and their ordering habits have also changed.
Revenues will continue to be impacted throughout at least the end of our fiscal
year (October 2020), if not longer.

With economic uncertainty in our future, it was decided that Starbucks

would send a communication to our landlords asking for rent concessions to

1
 Shiela Wright-Taylor

support modified operations starting June 1st lasting for at least a period of 12
months. While Starbucks’ letters may not be well received, we are working with
all landlords with transparency. All rents have been paid in full as of 5/31/20.
While we are asking for concessions, other companies are withholding rent or
have closed their doors. Starbucks is a strong brand that is positioned to recover
over time and will return to negotiating new contracts once the 12 months is up.
Once economics settle and store format and models have been re-established, new
rental contracts will be fairly established and continue to be paid on time as they
always have been.

3) Recommend how you would use organizational politics for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.

Our business models have changed and will continue to change. Trends
are starting to point to a new customer base that prefers grab and go, curbside
pick-up, and mobile orders. To accommodate this new economic uncertainty, I
would go to further renegotiate contracts and possibly cancel others if stores have
the potential to close. We are currently paying rent on buildings that we may not
be occupying. If we have an opportunity to get out of those leases, we should see
what needs to be done to either cancel those contracts or see if we can sublet until
our contracts expire.

4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.

Politically, Starbucks is positioned fairly high and possess proportional

sources of power from the listing that Boleman discussess: Position
power, Control of rewards, Coercive power, Information and expertise,
Reputation, Alliances and networks, Access an control of agendas, Framing,
and Personal power. All this political power hasn’t saved us from the crippling
effects of this pandemic. Along with other businesses, we too have suffered
revenue hits and will continue to analyze and recognize new trends as we
emerge in a new economy. I agree with the route of asking for
concessions on rent and as those concessions expire, renegotiating contracts.

2
 Shiela Wright-Taylor

Reference or References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership

(6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass (ASU Bookstore Automatic Purchase-Perusall

Version Only)

Luna, N., 2020. Starbucks Asks Landlords For Rent Relief Through Summer 2021. [online]

Nation's Restaurant News. Available at: <https://www.nrn.com/quick-service/starbucks-

asks-landlords-rent-relief-through-summer-2021> [Accessed 31 May 2020].

Starbucks Corporation. (2020). 10-K Quarterly Report Period Ending March 29, 2020.

Retrieved from https://investor.starbucks.com/financial-data/quarterly-

results/default.aspx