Starbucks and Organizational Behavior - Case Study Example

When Starbucks decided to close 600 stores, management reportedly did everything within their means to assist the employees who were terminated and who lost their jobs. In addition to those that were mentioned, Starbucks could have provided these employees with good recommendation letters for future employers to assist in finding employment. Likewise, in addition to the employee assistance programs (EAPs), Starbucks could have provided separation pays and remuneration commensurate to the length of service the retrenched employees had rendered for Starbucks and the option to be re-admitted or recalled as soon as financial condition gets better and new stores would be opened in the future.

If one is in charge of the restructuring efforts at Starbucks, rather than imposing the needed changes, which would apparently generate savings for the organization, one would first solicit inputs, comments, suggestions from the employees themselves to determine the best practices and techniques that evidently have been used and proved to be effective in facilitating exemplary service to the customers. By enjoining the employees’ participation, resistance to the proposals for change would be minimized and other suggestions could even prove to be more efficient in cost-savings and revenue maximization for the organization.

An expansion and venture in China would necessitate being more aware of the cultural facets that are being practiced by the people. A change in organizational structure for Starbucks should, therefore, incorporate a point-person or management personnel who would be in charge of overseeing cultural awareness and practices which fit the national culture of China. Likewise, if people to be employed in Starbucks stores would be predominantly of Chinese descent, then, relevant inputs should first be solicited from these people to determine which values, norms, traditions, and preferences could be channeled towards the organizational culture and which could be slowly integrated as part of the organizational culture and structure of the home country.

These are significant to avoid resistance to change and to ensure smooth transitions to a culture which is significantly different from that of the US.