OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Choosing an Organization Worksheet

1) Name and describe your organization.

The organization I am choosing to analyze throughout this course is Starbucks. This

organization was formed in 1971 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with the
mission that “with every cup, with every conversation, with every community – we
nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection” (About us: Starbucks Coffee
Company). The company is committed to social justice issues and environmental
sustainability, while additionally providing competitive benefits for their partners. The
company has over 36,000 locations in 84 different countries, while remaining focused on
enriching the communities surrounding each individual store (About us: Starbucks Coffee
Company). The retail stores are built up from the barista level, to shift supervisors, store
managers, district managers and regional managers.

2) Describe your role in the organization

My role in this organization is a shift supervisor (store leader). I have been in this role at
this location for a year now and have worked for the company for four years across three
different locations. As a supervisor for Starbucks, I oversee deploying baristas into the
various store roles, delegating tasks, and running their breaks. I am responsible for both
the customer and partner experience, while simultaneously driving results, cash handling,
product inventory, and opening/closing the store.

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).

Within the last few months, Starbucks put a new labor algorithm into place to limit hours
during different dayparts. In my experience, this has taken a significant toll on the store’s
cleanliness, partner burn out, speed of service and quality of service. In our recent partner
development conversations, ten out of twenty of the baristas mentioned lack of labor
being a significant obstacle in their work and wearing them too thin. The company
continues to push greater results from us, while not supporting us with the labor to do the
work required.

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About us: Starbucks Coffee Company. About Us: Starbucks Coffee Company. (2023).
https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/