OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Choosing an Organization Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Identify an organization and situation you want to study over the remainder of the course.
2. Describe the organization and the 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) Name and describe your organization.

Starbucks is a multi-million dollar coffee company that has made a name for itself within
the past 50 years. They strived to be a home away from home for their customers and
partners and have been successful in creating this comforting atmosphere. While this
atmosphere has been one of their main focuses, a few other ways that they have stayed
successful is by keeping the same aesthetic in all stores by using the same color pallete.
Also, focusing on beverage quality by setting standards to maintain consistency of every
drink, no matter the location. Another way they have stayed successful is by keeping up
with current trends and being a part of pop culture.

2) Describe your role in the organization (it can be an internal or external role).

Currently, I am a shift supervisor with Starbucks. I help maintain team morale, uphold
standards, and help set the store up for success by aiding the store manager. Some of the
tasks that I have to complete are, keeping up with inventory, maintaining cash flow, and
using conflict resolution skills between customers and baristas. Also, being a shift
supervisor, I help mentor baristas that want to improve their skills to have the potential to
promote.

3) Describe the situation, including information you think the will help the reader
understand the most important elements of the situation. (This will require
selectivity: part of the art of case writing is separating the essential facts from the
mass of information that might be included).

Recently, my store had a detrimental remodel. Before our remodel, we had 5 indoor
tables and outside patio seating for our customers to sit and enjoy their beverages while
they studied or met with potential employers. This helped create the atmosphere that
Starbucks was wanting to focus on, in their words “the third place.” The third place was

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 one that accepted everyone, no matter their background, to come in and enjoy hand
crafted beverages. Unfortunately, after our remodel, they removed all seating including
our outdoor tables and chairs. We have been branded as a drive forward store, although
we are next to a university that benefited from our seating options. We have received a
lot of negative feedback from this decision and it has removed the culture that Starbucks
has worked hard to maintain. We have also lost half of our customer base, so we are
seeing a drop in sales. Overall, this was not the right decision for my store due to the
location of it.

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 Reference or References
(Choose appropriate Title if Applicable and Delete the Rest)