Starbucks, a responsible citizen

Authors: AL and Valérie

 “We've always believed that businesses can - and should - have a positive impact on the communities they serve.”

This sentence from the official website gives a great overview of Starbucks commitment in terms of CSR. This responsibility toward society is definitely part of the brand personality and values.

Even if there are plenty definitions of CSR with subtle differences, we can outline the following ladders from economic to philanthropic.  

 Source: The pyramid of corporate social responsibility (CSR), Carroll (1991)

From this diagram, we understand that CSR is about going further than just obeying the law. Starbucks finally, reaches the last ladder through a high involvement in local communities and the integration of CSR in all business departments: logistic, marketing, production, HR, etc.

Indeed, the company promotes its engagement in favor of local communities by encouraging young people and its employees to support their communities. Moreover, Starbucks created its own foundation in 1997.

Their action and supplying strategies oriented to ethic also participate to the improvement of suppliers working and living conditions.

Then, ecology is a key word for boutique and packaging design or recycling.

Finally, Starbucks encourages diversity among its employees, suppliers, customers and globally all its partners.

In coffee shops, you can feel this engagement and responsibility with the atmosphere the company has developed: wood, natural materials and colors, and informational signs.