Think Abt It

Starbucks Case Study

1. Starbucks has some specific goals it wants to achieve. Given this, do you think managers would be more likely to make rational decisions, bounded rationality decisions, or intuitive decisions? Explain.

Managers that work for Starbucks are able/allowed to make rational decisions when they are at work. This allows managers to react to what they think is the best way to approach a situation. Also, this can make the managers of the store feel as if they are more in charge because they can make bold decisions within the companies rules. This is what puts Starbucks about everybody else in the coffee house business, with their unique way of running a business; Starbucks can have trust in their employees to make the right decisions. This doesn't just apply to managers, employees also have the authority to make decisions on their own. This makes working a whole lot better when your allowed to make decisions on your own and not get in trouble for it. There is also some risk with allowing employees to make rational decisions, because their are some people out their that don't have any common sense to make decisions that are rational. So what this means is that they have to be very careful when hiring and new employee, they have to have that "it" factor about them. Honestly when you walk into Starbucks anywhere in the world you are greeted with respect and you always feel welcome. When you have employees that make their customers feel like that you don't have to make rational decisions that often, but when employees do have to make decisions they are bright enough to do so.

3. Make a list of Starbucks goals. Describe what type of goal each is. Then describe how that stated goal might affect how the following employees do their jobs: (a) a part-time store employee in Winnipeg; (b) a quality assurance technician at one of the company's roasting plants; © a Regional sales...