Team Paper

Starbucks Ethics and Compliance Paper

Team D

Elise Trevisan

Melissa Gonzales

Amy Criviolio

Steve Wagner

David Quintana

FIN/370

August 19, 2013

Lakesha Lundy

Starbucks is well known for its program of business ethics and compliance. It supports the mission to help protect the company, and its reputation by providing the resources to help keep their employees on an ethical path while making decisions at work. The program consists of the standards of business conduct, which is basically a brochure on the company’s current reputation and goals for the future. It holds an overview of its coffee, partners (employees), customers, stores neighborhoods, and shareholders. The standards of business also consists of “Look Inside,” which takes you inside the workplace environment, and gives you an idea on how Starbucks is ran, and wants to be portrayed. Starbucks empowers its partners to make ethical decisions that will impact the company’s reputation.

Starbucks also has core values which require compliance with the law, as well as ethical conduct. There is an anti-retaliation policy which does not tolerate retaliation against or towards any partners who raise concerns or questions regarding a potential violation of the standards of business conduct. Starbucks keeps a stern focus on how its employees treat one another. They promote equal opportunity among each new hire, and make recruiting decisions based solely on job related criteria. Starbucks believes that any form of unwelcome remarks, gestures or physical contact is harassment, and will have an immediate correction.

In addition to the standards of business conduct there are other important guidelines to Starbucks ethics and compliance program. The development and distribution of awareness materials also include compliance and ethics training, provides additional channels for partners to voice concerns, and also investigates sensitive issues such as potential conflicts of interest....