Cory Gump
MGMT 495
Case Study: Starbucks
August 7, 2007
Before Howard Schultz joined Starbucks, they were a small company in the market of selling fine quality coffee beans. Howard Schultz's strategic vision was to modify the format of Starbucks' stores, incorporating an American version of the coffee bar culture. His vision was met with great initial resistance by Starbucks' management, which was eventually quelled by strong sales performances. Also included in Schultz's strategic vision for a new Starbucks was a plan for massive expansion.
Before Schultz implemented his vision of expansion he wanted to make sure his employees were devoted to the Starbucks brand. Schultz developed a strategy to make Starbucks a great place to work. By adding employee health benefits, a stock option plan, a stock purchase plan, and improving the overall workplace environment, Schultz executed his strategy for employee satisfaction.
In the early 90's Schultz shifted his strategic vision again, this time towards store expansion. Starbucks' strategy was to blanket major metropolitan areas with stores even if some stores cannibalized another stores business. In international markets, Starbucks had a two-pronged store expansion plan: either open company owned and company operated stores, or license a company in the host country to operate Starbucks' stores. Starbucks created a new subsidiary, Starbucks Coffee International and began to build the brand globally. Now that Starbucks has become a more established firm moving towards the mature stage in its life cycle its strategy has shifted again towards one of social responsibility. Schultz is now able to shift his focus from rapid expansion and growth to one of contributing positively to the commun ...