Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Business Ethics - Essay Example The present study focuses on learning about the CSR activities of Starbucks Company and the different issues that the organization addresses. Starbucks and their CSR Efforts: The Starbucks Company was initiated in the year 1971 in Seattle when three friends Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker had opened up a small coffee shop. However there have been several changes over these years where the company experienced selling out and expansion processes before the position where it has reached now (Garza). Starbucks had always considered the fact that communities should be served at their best and hence such corporate social responsibilities were performed by the company ever since their coffee shop initiated (Being a Responsible Company, 2011). The company is committed to provide â€Å"good governance, ethical conduct and social responsibility† along with maintaining relationships with the stakeholders of the company (My Starbucks, n.d., p.10). The recent reports of CSR eff orts of Starbucks Company reflect their progress in several areas of work. The company’s recent commitments also include assisting the coffee farmers, and supporting communities and environments. Other commitments also include ethical sourcing of coffee, responsibility for the environments, involvement in community development, and practices in the workplaces. As studies reveal, the company is a leader in the industry as far as ethical sourcing of coffee is concerned, where the company has accomplished sustainable coffee, higher price payments, fair trade certified coffee, and Conservation International Collaboration addressing changed in climate. The company has also proved to be a leader in environmental responsibilities trying to focus on renewable energy, and green building. Relationships with customers and neighbors are also included as major responsibilities of the company (Starbucks Makes Corporate Social Responsibility Report Public, 2008). Thus the company’s e fforts on CSR can be found to be effective on maintaining the environments and communities as well as improving the image and reputation of the company. Stakeholders of Starbucks Company and Effects of the Company’s CSR on Them: The different stakeholder groups of the company that Starbucks need to consider while planning for their CSR activities include the employees of the company, the shareholders, the partner organizations, government and non government organizations, university student organizations and academic institutions, regional community groups, and the media (Reid, 2006). Strong relationships need to be built and maintained with these stakeholders thus implying the fact that the CSR activities of the company would have significant effects on these stakeholders. The Starbucks Company considers the needs and expectations of different stakeholders and accordingly communicates the CSR activities to them. For stakeholders like the NGOs, the company tries to integrate the strategies, practices and operations focusing on a holistic approach towards solving different problems. The motives are ethical, economic, and legal. For investors or shareholders, the company has always tried to connect the values of the company with its performances, the motives being economic and ethical, also attempting to create values with the