OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource 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.

During the 2007/2008 economic meltdown, Starbucks struggled to maintain positive business.
According to leadership prior to Howard Schultz, dairy prices and the meltdown were major
causes of Starbucks’ decline in performance. My name is Oshea Mailo and I work as a barista at
Starbucks in La Habra, California.

2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.

As mentioned by Bolman and Deal (2017), the human resource frame originated from pioneers
who questioned an assumption that employees were only entitled to a paycheck and nothing
more. Today, many organizations go beyond a paycheck because they understand that money is
not always the only incentive; there exist other needs that must be satisfied. With hundreds of
stores closing and thousands of employees getting fired, times became uncertain for many
partners during the meltdown. In order to turn around a failing company, it starts with the people
who make up they company. When Howard Schultz returned to leadership in 2008, he
recognized that even though revenue was dropping, money had to still be invested but into the
right places.

Investing in employees is important because when done properly, it can create a skillful and
motivated workforce (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Prior to the meltdown, the customer connection
aspect of Starbucks was lacking because of a large focus on expansion. In addition to customers,
partners were not able to experience the core values of Starbucks either. With the closure of
stores, more money was available for investment in different areas. Schultz chose to focus on the
partners through things such as health benefits and special training focused on espresso beverage
crafting abilities (Hana, 2014). Changes that focus on skills and motivation proved beneficial to
Starbucks as it regained lossess and became more popular on a global stage. As Leinwand and
Davidson (2016) mention in their article about Starbucks’ HR practices, when the world was

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facing global financial crisis, many corporations were cutting HR costs wherever possible, but
not Starbucks.

3) Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of action
regarding your case.

Starbucks’ approach is one worth recognizing. HR practices have a great effect on the people of
the organization and the people have a great effect on the performance of the organization. With
that, I would put more focus on the partners. A problem I have noticed in my district is
sometimes new hires do not always align with the culture of the organization. When this
happens, those who do align with the organization have to pick up the slack. From experience, a
bad hire can cost a lot of money and time.

In addition to investing more into the hiring process, whether it be time or money, I would try to
invest into a communication line for partners to voice their concerns to leadership. The partners
know the customers the best and the customers are the main source of revenue. Since partners
connect with customers, they are more likely to share what they like and what they do not like. If
partners are heard, needs can be met on both ends.

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

From what I learned about Starbucks, I would do the same thing and avoid neglecting human
resources. Human resources are essential to many organizations that care about their employees
because it provides its employees with benefits other than money. For example, Starbucks offers
many perks such as music subscriptions and complementary mental therapy sessions. By
investing into the people that drive the organization, it creates a more competitive and happier
workforce.

What I would have not done was add more points of sale. Currently at my store we have four
different points of sale: mobile, café, drive-thru, and delivery. There are other companies that do
this but it takes away from the core values of Starbucks. When we are busy fulfilling orders from
four different places without the proper resources, we are not able to display those values. These
points of sale do bring in revenue but it can be stressful and damaging to one’s wellbeing over
time.

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 Reference or References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and

Leadership (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass. https://app.perusall.com/courses/ogl-481-org-

leadership-pro-seminar-i-2021-spring-a-346085745/_/dashboard

How Starbucks’s Culture Brings Its Strategy to Life. (2016, December 30). Harvard Business

Review. https://hbr.org/2016/12/how-starbuckss-culture-brings-its-strategy-to-life

Starbucks Reinvented. (2014, August 25). HBS Working Knowledge.

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/starbucks-reinvented