Starbucks Social Responsibility

8/26/2012

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY

Starbucks a Corporate Citizen | Amen Mukhlis

Abstract

The paper takes a closer look at the Social responsibility and corporate citizen definitions illustrating Starbucks Coffee Company as an example and investigating the company and the reaction it receives from the different stakeholders towards their Social responsibility efforts The choice of Starbucks came from the fact the company is well known for their Social responsibility program and are classified as a corporate citizen too many of their stakeholders.

Introduction

What is social responsibility? In order to be able to understand the role Starbucks plays in the social responsible new corporate world we need to understand the social responsibility first and what does it mean to us Social responsibility is achieved when people and organizations must behave ethically and with sensitivity toward social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. Striving for social responsibility helps individuals, organizations and governments have a positive impact on development, business and society with a positive contribution to bottom-line results. (Enevoldson, 2012) While a corporate citizen is defined as businesses are socially responsible for meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. (investopedia.corporatecitizenship, 2012); Which means any organization that is socially responsible is a corporate citizen.

Social responsibility and being a corporate citizen has many benefits to the different stake holders and many to the organization itself among those benefits are (businesslink, 2012): A good reputation makes it easier to recruit employees. Employees may stay longer, reducing the costs and disruption of recruitment and retraining. Employees are better motivated and more productive. CSR helps ensure you comply with regulatory requirements. Activities such as involvement with the local community are ideal opportunities to generate positive press coverage. Good relationships with local authorities make doing business easier. See the page in this guide on how to work with the local community. Understanding the wider impact of your business can help you develop new products and services. CSR can make you more competitive and reduces the risk of sudden damage to your reputation (and sales). Investors recognize this and are more willing to finance you.

Starbucks Starbucks is the largest coffee house in the world the company whom base is in Seattle WA. The company grown in the eighties of the last century buying the peats local brewer and expanding until the company was sold to Howard Schultz how later became the chairman of the publicly traded Starbucks in 1992 with 136 stores around the states. The company is known for their socially responsible acts in various parts of their operations; Starbucks Vision was "to grow and expand with acting like a small company" While their mission statement focus on the human spirit and focused on Starbucks being part of the community setting the company and its stores as a part of every neighborhood The company has had many stories that show their social responsibility and many quick acts and responses to issues that concerns the community and the company’s stakeholders. (Starbucks.com, 2012) (wikipedia) The star bucks company is the largest coffee retailer in the world where the company has about 20,000 locations around the globe in 58 countries 13000 of them in the United States,.

Starbucks has many identified stakeholders some of them are: Investors: they govern the companies policies through the board of directors and they are the main stakeholder financially Customers: Starbucks operates in many countries with around 20,000 stores, Starbucks customers has allowed the company to witness this grow and the customers have also contributed to the company's decisions in both the operational level and the financial levels. Suppliers: they play an important role in Starbucks success as not only the supplier provide Starbucks but they also represent the company Socially and their contribution is an add value to Starbucks. Franchisees': it’s a different type of investors, those who purchased the franchise from the Seattle company; they represent the company the company's policies affect them and their policies\social acts affect the company Surrounding community: it plays an important rule as it shapes the company since the company is a smaller component of this community it also provides Starbucks with the labor. The Stakeholders Involvement Starbucks stakeholder's involvement can be seen in the company's decisions and actions throughout the course of the company's existence, the company started their business by laying out the foundation for their stakeholder's involvement throughout their mission statement and guideline principles (Starbucks, 2006) To establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising Principles as we grow. The following six Guiding Principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions: Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.

Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success. Starbucks defines their approach toward Social responsibility and the importance to include all of their stakeholders as "For us corporate social responsibility is not just a program or a donation or a press release. It’s the way we do business every day." (Starbucks, 2006) Starbucks Stakeholders and my position and opinion: Employees: "We believe it matters greatly that they feel Starbucks is a great place to work, and a company that cares not only about their well-being but also about the world we live in. Good communication is a key to all of this and helps to inspire our partners about the company they work for, the important role they play at Starbucks and the customers they serve." (Starbucks, 2006) My experience: I have known some people who works as baristas in Starbucks, where there feedback was very positive of their employer, the company communicate to the employees constantly, the company has a fun working environment, a fun job descriptions that changes the mentality and the thoughts about the particular job, a clear path for growth that is not effected by personal biases, and an understanding of the role employees play in Starbucks business as a whole. Customers: " we want our customers, shareholders, communities and others to understand how we are working together with farmers and suppliers to help create a more sustainable approach to high-quality coffee production. We also want to share what Starbucks is doing to contribute positively to local communities; minimize our environmental footprint; be responsive to our customers’ health and wellness needs; and how Starbucks is serving as a leader in both our industry and within our global society through our participation in organizations such as the United Nations Global Compact." (Starbucks, 2006) My experience as a customer and community member: my experience with Starbucks has been a positive one, the company provides their products and services as promised to the highest standard, and the way they communicate to their employees has affected their business as you can feel the passion the employees have for doing the work at the company even with a single cup of coffee, as a community member I have been following their efforts and involvement with rebuilding what was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and it makes me happy to see companies do for the community, as well as their involvement in their partners everyday life, for example their recent political involvement by cutting the donations

to presidential campaigns until there is a real vision to help the nation to get back on its feet and not only competing for the place just for wining on the other part. Another experience is the paper itself, as I can feel the open\transparent way of communicating that makes you understand clearly and easily what the company does and what are their ideas On SR The company has had many initiatives to measure their stakeholder's satisfaction and get their feedback In 2005 the company reflected on their 2004 Annual SR report by holding meetings with many groups measuring their understanding for the previous year, recording their feedback and input to further develop and do what is right "Starbucks engaged a variety of stakeholder groups for feedback and input on the previous year's CSR Annual Report. The diverse group of stakeholders included non-governmental and governmental organizations representing human rights and environmental concerns, socially responsible investors, academics, CSR business leaders, Starbucks partners (employees) and customers. Through this feedback, which incorporated direct concerns and questions from some of Starbucks toughest critics, this year's CSR Annual Report provides a more candid and in-depth account of the Company's CSR successes and challenges especially with regard to its coffee buying practices, the impacts of its rapid growth on local communities and its approach to being an environmentally responsible company. "We are gratified that Starbucks has actively sought our input on their coffee buying practices," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President, and Oxfam America. "We commend Starbucks for disclosing exactly how much Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffee it has bought and its goal to purchase 10 million pounds in fiscal 2005, as well as its commitment to small-scale farmers through its progressive low-interest loan program."" (Starbucks, 2004) The company has had many discussions with the different stakeholders, suppliers, customers, environment groups and was successful in creating a direct communication and responded fast to their stakeholders in order to maintain their image and model of business

Me and Starbucks I am as an individual is identified by Starbucks as a stakeholder in two manners A customer Part of the community where the company is one of its components.

The Three Spheres in Starbucks social responsibility efforts Economics Starbucks has been identified by many sources as one of the main players of Social responsibility citizen cooperates, where the company realizes that being part of the community has great rewards to the economics of the company and the bottom line of profit To develop economic sustainability, all companies have to rely on ethnic businesses that they cannot run businesses without responsible stakeholders such as their staffs, customers or societies who affect directly to companies such as losing image, profits of companies and so on. (Sornchai Harnrungchalotorn). The company's behavior as a SRC plays an important part min the economical sphere for both star bucks and the economy as a whole. All coffee purchases must include transparency to the level of the farmer so that contracts clearly reveal what share of the price goes to the farmer and what share goes to other “middlemen” such as exporters. In 2007, Starbucks paid an average $1.43 per pound for its coffee, which was 29 cents over the “C” market price paid on the traditional coffee market. (Think2100.com, 2008) Starbucks has included independent stakeholders in the development of the standards and their application in the field. They contracted with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), an independent certification and auditing service for agricultural products. In order to create C.A.F.E. standards, SCS got input from coffee suppliers, Fair Trade, the Rainforest Alliance, and Conservation International. However, SCS does not directly verify or inspect plantations to determine whether they are in compliance with C.A.F.E. standards. (Think2100.com, 2008) (starbucks.com, 2012) The company has identified many opportunities that are rewarding economically and align with their efforts to maintain a socially responsible company examples where the going green and the recycled cups along with enhancing the efficiency of their machines which should have less waste, less energy consumption and cleaner environment which has helped the company in reducing many of their financial obligations. The company has employed many Americans helping the economy where the estimates says that the unemployment rate won't drop from the 8% making this the longest stretch of such high percentage in over 70 Years the company plays its role in helping the economy with their program of (lets create jobs) and the donations the company has made to save lots of jobs across the nation. (Responsibility, 2012)

Political sphere Starbucks operates in all states and US territories as well as in many countries part of their effort to maintain a top SRC status Starbucks has developed a code of conduct and ethics that aligns with the Law and they maintain every effort to never brake any rules or the Law, the company has been subjected to law suits and to proceeding on labor charges, the fight with craft over the packages coffee unit but the company kept their image of a leader in social responsibility. Even though Starbucks is known as a business the company has had interference with the world of politics as the company as one of the largest corporations in US and the world their involvement in the political sphere came from their imitative to build a SRC and to be part of the community, the company often distant themselves from any conflict that might have a racial, religion or ideology and focused on their diversity but the company vouched to be part of the community and to have their political view when it comes to people's lives The company has had donated to politicians whenever those politicians promoted programs and promises that help the economy and the environment and they have supported politicians who appeared to share views of social responsibility But recently the company decided to stop donating to politicians in DC as a message that they need less campaigns and more doing and to reduce the deficit for the nation (TODAY, 2011)

Civic sphere Starbucks plays in important role when it comes to their involvement in the community Aside from supporting the local communities with donations, scholarships and creating jobs, Starbucks helps local communities when they are needed as the company is one of the largest players in the effort of the reconstruction in Louisiana after the Katrina tragedy. The company has many programs to support the civil life when in which they implanted their transparent buying program along with other programs to help the environment The company is often close to the community with the issues that arises as the company supports some of the proposed rights that the community ask for as their comments and support for gay marriage, gun position and other involvements in the civil life of the surrounding community. (Responsibility, 2012)

Starbucks Coffee Mission Statement (Starbucks.com, 2012): "Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time." To accomplish its mission, Starbucks has principles that guide all of its employees as they go about their daily business (Starbucks.com, 2012):

Our Coffee – It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Our Partners – We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard. Our Customers – When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers – even if just for a few moments. Our Stores – It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life – sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. Our Neighborhood – We can be a force for positive action – bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Our Shareholders - We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks – and everyone it touches – can endure and thrive.

Starbucks and Social responsibility Starbucks pride itself as a pioneer in Social responsibility efforts and the company as discussed has many programs and initiatives, the company is one of few that publishes Social responsibility Report and Have a real division that work on the company's Social Responsibility and their place as a Corporate Citizen. (starbucks, 2010) "I have always felt that we must balance our responsibility to create value for shareholders with a social conscience. Our fiscal 2010 global responsibility report reflects our commitment to transparency in these efforts and our intent is to openly share the challenges we encounter as well as the progress we are making in our efforts to live up to our responsibilities as a global corporate citizen and a neighbor next-door." (starbucks, 2010) "We believe that our strong commitment to CSR helps us to attract and retain our partners (employees), and it also leads to higher than usual levels of satisfaction and engagement.

This is especially valuable and crucial in our sector – quick-serve restaurants – typically characterized by high turnover. We are also seeing customer loyalty – studies have revealed that customers prefer to do business with a company they believe to be socially responsible when their other key buying criteria are met. We believe customer loyalty has been a driving force behind Starbucks’ phenomenal growth and long-term success. Another way of looking at it is that our commitment to CSR reduces operating costs – many environmental measures, such as energy-efficient equipment or lighting, involve initial investments but deliver long-term environmental and cost-saving benefits. CSR also strengthens our supply chain – to have a sustainable business, we need a reliable and responsible supplier base that can keep pace with our growth. Starbucks invests in measures to ensure our suppliers have the opportunity to do so. A great example of this is C.A.F.E. Practices, which gives preference to verified suppliers by paying premium prices and potentially signing long-term contracts. And, of course, our commitment to CSR gives us license to operate. Having a strong reputation as a socially responsible company makes it more likely that we will be welcomed into a local community." (Taylor, 2009) Starbucks manages their reputation by their hard work and fair treatment to all of their stakeholders; the company takes their rule as a corporate Citizen and an each community as a neighbor The company defines the reason behind their social responsibility continues work as "Social consciousness has always been at the core of our business. In general, I think the main driving force behind corporate social responsibility is consumer awareness, which we see as a very positive development. Over the past few years, the public has become more educated on concepts such as global warming, poverty alleviation, human rights, and the broader concept of sustainability. Sustainability is certainly important to agricultural commodities, such as coffee, tea, cocoa, and water, and permeates every aspect of our business" (Taylor, 2009) Starbucks has been a listener, and a quick responder to their consumer s which has played a significant role in the relationship with the consumers and helped with the maintaining profit even with the most difficult economical situation, The company has been praised in the news, social media and within consumer circles for their Social responsibility commitment in addition to their rule as a corporate citizen.

The company does a great job addressing their stakeholder's notes and concerns examples were mentioned before like the Re-usable cups, the automatic water faucets and their recycling operations. The company has been responsive and using new technologies in their benefits as the company has embraces the social media and internet power, where consumers and other stakeholders can communicate with the company and get heard easily which impact the Social responsibility operations derived from the stakeholders in the first place. "Regardless of the CSR pressures in newer, emerging markets, Starbucks’ business philosophy stays the same. The bottom line is that we put people before products". (Taylor, 2009) What does the company need to do more or different? The company has been doing great and they are associated with SR as the first in mind when SR is mentioned and this shows the worth of the work Starbucks has put in this approach that has proved beneficial, the company need to work for the day that SR is not driven by a department and operations but to be imbedded in the company and drives more responsible acts from within the company and more ideas that gives the company in addition to add a more attractiveness side. "Don’t just look to become more active, start to think more holistically on how your company participates as a global citizen. This doesn’t just come about through one or two projects – it is a mindset." (Taylor, 2009) Starbucks is a global company and since their business is not solely in the US the company works hard on aligning their goals with those for the nations they operates in, those goals of development are shared between all the countries through the united nations but their impact and reality depends on the countries themselves.

As part of the Social responsibility that Starbucks adapted the company realize the UN multidimensional poverty index (MPI). Which is defined as: access to good cooking fuel, schooling, electricity, nutrition and sanitation? (Guardian, 2011) Millennium Declaration by the UN and its commitment to poverty eradication, Development and protecting the environment. The eight MDGs listed below guide the efforts of virtually all organizations working in development and have been commonly accepted as a framework for measuring development progress (worldbank): 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Starbucks has been a key player in the modern SR where the company shares their goals with those Of the Globe, those goals are supported by the organization, as the company supports many educational programs in the US and outside, in addition to their fair trade act regarding coffee beans where it was intended to fight poverty and hunger and be fair to the farmers in the countries Starbucks import from or operate in The company is an Equal Opportunity employer where gender equality is empowered The company has also been engaged in enhancing their environmental record and help the planet, whether it was through the trash program were the company started using different methods to dispose trash to be more environmentally cautions or through the save the water campaign that helped the company respond to fears from all the wasted water. Starbucks has adapted the SR and is aligning their operations with their goals to be a corporate citizen and to be recognized as a pioneer in Social responsibility where the company does not miss any chance to prove they are part of the community through many programs in the US and outside the North American continent

Examples are the efforts and donations to rebuild what was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and their multi educational programs around the worlds as well as their commitment to their employees. While Starbucks strives to be part of the community the company works hard to satisfy all of its stakeholders, the Coffee giant has had mixed reactions but the general reaction was good towards the Seattle based company. The company has had many programs that has lots of affect on the communities they operate within, those programs has made Starbucks a more attractive company and the company gained the trust in many communities as well as many more participating in Starbucks many initiatives (Starbucks, 2012) Investments and Assessments

Starbucks Company invest heavily in their Social Responsibility track where the company as mentioned before have many programs and initiatives that focuses on serving the communities and providing the company with the image they need as a corporate citizen, Starbucks has a partnership with Adam Moss Company that identifies and verifies Starbuck's SR and help the company monitor and control their work in addition to help preparing the Social Responsibility report annually Some of Starbucks investments in the community programs are (starbucks\responsibility, 2012) (starbucks\comcommunity-involvemen, 2012): 

Engagement of partners (employees) with organizations they feel passionate about. Starbucks encourages partners to get involved in organizations they have an interest in and feel passionate about. Partners can submit Community Service and Partner Match requests to the Starbucks Foundation to match their volunteer hours and personal

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contributions they make to nonprofit organizations. Collaborating on projects that support social investments in coffee-, tea- and cocoaproducing communities. Starbucks supports sustainable programs that meet these communities’ specific needs. Projects have included improving access to education and agricultural training, microfinance and microcredit services, improving biodiversity conservation, and

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increasing levels of health, nutrition and water sanitation. The Starbucks Foundation also makes contributions from the Ethos Water Fund to water projects in coffee, tea and cocoa communities. Supporting our retail communities through Youth Action Grants.

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Starbucks Youth Action Grants are dedicated to supporting young people to make change in their local communities. Support Centers

Starbucks has established Farmer Support Centers in Costa Rica and Rwanda to provide local farmers with the resources and expertise that help lower the cost of production, reduce fungus infections, improve coffee quality and increase the yield of premium coffees 

Loan Programs

During the growing and harvest cycles, many coffee farmers dip into their modest reserves to cover expenses until they can sell their crops. Some farmers may even experience a cash shortage, prompting them to sell their crops early – and for less – to local buyers. The Starbucks Farmer Loans program is an alternative for co-ops that cannot access traditional funding channels. It aims to provide financial resources to cooperatives to fulfill their cash flow needs during harvest time, and to make infrastructure investments that result in better competitiveness. 

In 2011 Starbucks Corporation gave $30.5 million in cash, including $25 million to the Starbucks Foundation. Corporate giving also included $17.3 million in in-kind contributions toward community-building programs – including the Global Fund through our partnership with (RED) ™ and other efforts.

Starbucks have had a lot of success in their social responsibility efforts and achievements, since 2009 the company has been known for their social responsibility and the term SR almost branded as Starbucks where most people will think Starbucks when Social responsibility is mentioned. Reading through reviews, books and reports can indicate the general feeling from many stakeholders towards the company and can give an indication of where the company stands on the Social responsibility issues.

Assessing the company's position and the effectiveness of their efforts and work is little bit difficult since Social responsibility is yet to have a well defined measure and a reference that can measure companies' work against, the company itself is almost branded as a reference and an example that others should gauge against. Stakeholders are many they include the partners, customers, surrounding communities, farmers, suppliers, investors and even the media. The company works hard to satisfy all stakeholders and put equal emphasis on the importance of its stakeholders, in addition to developing quick responses to any concern by the stakeholders Some of the Media quotes those asses Starbucks work on SR: " Whether one likes or dislikes Starbucks or its philanthropy, the Starbucks CSR model looks like a recipe that many corporations recognize as a solid formula for social responsibility—a mix of environmental sensitivity, global development, disaster relief, employee community service, and small grants through retail outlets" (Cohen, 2011) "Time was when companies that face the consumer could pick one of the three and have a perfectly defensible position. But since 2008, give or take consumer expectations of what constitutes meaningful corporate social responsibility have changed. By which I mean, they’ve gotten a good deal stiffer. Part of this is due to outstanding examples of corporate social responsibility like Starbucks, which has had the effect of altering consumer expectations and redefining terms. Starbucks pays its employees fairly and offers full health care benefits, even to part-timers. It sells fairtrade coffee to benefit its farmer-suppliers. It works to lessen its environmental footprint. And it does smart cause marketing and corporate philanthropy. Like no other large company, Starbucks practices what I call the “holy trinity” of corporate social responsibility. Starbucks, along with Coke, Amazon, FedEx, Apple, Target, Ford, Nike, Southwest and Nordstrom all made the April 2012 cover of Entrepreneur magazine as the “10 most trusted brands” today." (Jones, 2012)

Starbucks and sustainability domestically and globally Governments push toward healthy eating in western countries due to concerns regarding obesity might influence companies such as Starbucks to update its menu in terms of introducing new lines and healthy alternatives to be sold together with coffee. This in other words means that Social Influences is favorable and can provide an opportunity for Starbucks.(School, 2011) Starbucks Coffee embraces sustainability as a strategy in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Sustainability is a framework for ecological, economic, and social policies and programs that continues to grow in importance and is finding application in an ever wider range of circumstances. (Charles J. Kibert) They have thoroughly examined their supply chain to ensure that throughout the entire process, the farmers, workers, and communities with whom they deal are treated fairly and justly and that the environmental responsibility is a key aspect of their approach. Companies engaged in the CSR framework accrue significant benefits such as a better brand identity, lower levels of regulatory scrutiny, reduced liability, a better reputation among prospective employees, and a far greater probability of gaining a ‘license to operate’ in communities where they propose to establish operations. (Charles J. Kibert) Starbucks talks about their sustainability in their yearly reports whether it was the SR report or even the annual report or their year in review which is an article that highlights the year for Starbucks "When it comes to environmental sustainability, our experience has proven the power of collaboration. By working with non-governmental organizations, policymakers, competitors and others, we can tackle common challenges. Together we are advancing a number of meaningful initiatives and taking bold actions that we believe are having a significant impact on the entire foodservice industry." (Inc, 2011) The company that operates in many countries has had many issues prior to 2005 when the company started their fair trading program that the company addresses in their annual reports; this program was one of the first steps towards a global Starbucks with global sustainability Some of the programs Starbucks does from within the fair trade program is listed in the below paragraph from the company which featured in their annual report

"Our commitment to communities extends beyond our retail footprint to include the regions that supplies us with our coffee, tea and cocoa. Starbucks invests in programs designed to strengthen local economic and social development, Working collaboratively with nongovernmental organizations that have the experience and expertise to work with farming communities. In addition to our social investments, we also support communities through farmer loans and ethical sourcing programs with Conservation International and Fair trade, among others. Since fiscal 2005, Starbucks has supported the Guatemala Education Initiative, an effort with Save the Children to bring education programs to remote coffee-producing villages in the highlands of Guatemala. Indigenous Mayan communities like these are frequently marginalized from the Guatemalan economy and typically suffer the highest rates of poverty and the lowest levels of education attainment in the nation. In 2011 Starbucks launched a three-year project with a $1 million contribution to Save the Children to improve education, health and nutrition for coffee-farming families in Guatemala’s Huehuetenango region. In Indonesia’s Aceh province, Starbucks has teamed with Save the Children to improve children’s health and education in coffee-growing communities through BLEND (Better Living, Education, Nutrition, and Development). Since 2009 the three-year, $1.5 million effort has garnered significant and measurable improvements in the health and education of more than 2,200 young children in 41 communities. The initiative has improved vaccination rates, health worker capacity, health behaviors among caretakers, preschool teacher and facilitator capacity, and primary school readiness for 5- and 6-year-old children. In tea-growing regions of India and Guatemala, Starbucks has supported health and economic development programs through Tazo’s Community Health and Advancement Initiative (CHAI) project, a joint partnership with Mercy Corps. Since 2003 Starbucks and Tazo suppliers have contributed $2.6 million for CHAI. Over the next three years we hope to directly impact more than 11,000 people with water and sanitation improvements, youth engagement, education and income generation. Starbucks also supports water, sanitation and hygiene education programs in water-stressed countries through the Starbucks Foundation’s Ethos Water Fund. For each bottle of Ethos® water purchased, a contribution of US $.05 ($.10 in Canada) is made to to the Ethos Water Fund. Since 2005 $6 million has been granted, benefitting more than 420,000 people around the world." (Inc, 2011) In my experience the company has done a wonderful job with potential to do more

The company has addressed and worked with many issues concerning sustainability and operated a fully supported program through the world, were they supported all the communities they operates in. In addition to the fact that the company has been trying to address sustainability from different views, an example is the strict policies of Starbucks in Jordan a country where they have problems with drinking water being without rivers and no source of water, Starbucks has authorized their partners in Jordan to address the problem and come up with a solution The company also addresses any concerns about obesity where they provide healthier food to their customers here in the US and around the world.

My experience My experience with Starbucks has been a positive one as the company has lived to their promises with community commitments and Social responsible acts, I applaud the company for their water saving change that has cost the company a large amount of money to install the changes\faucets as a traveler I have seen so many countries where water is a hard thing to get, and they need every drop, the company not only changed their operations to save water, but started a campaign ETHO where every bottle of water sold will have a 5 cents donated towards a clean water projects for areas where no clean water is accessible. The company as an employer has had praise from friends who worked for the coffee maker and praised their flexibility, the benefits and their transparent growth system. I also have been involved through friends in the rebuilding phase in New Orleans where the company has been a great supporter, friends has praised them over and over for their Social responsibility commitment.

My experience and opinion regarding sustainability The company has done a wonderful job with potential to do more The company has addressed and worked with many issues concerning sustainability and operated a fully supported program through the world, were they supported all the communities they operates in.

In addition to the fact that the company has been trying to address sustainability from different views, an example is the strict policies of Starbucks in Jordan a country where they have problems with drinking water being without rivers and no source of water, Starbucks has authorized their partners in Jordan to address the problem and come up with a solution The company also addresses any concerns about obesity where they provide healthier food to their customers here in the US and around the world.

What does the company need to do more or different? The company has been doing great and they are associated with SR as the first in mind when SR is mentioned and this shows the worth of the work Starbucks has put in this approach that has proved beneficial, the company need to work for the day that SR is not driven by a department and operations but to be imbedded in the company and drives more responsible acts from within the company and more ideas that gives the company in addition to add a more attractiveness side. "Don’t just look to become more active, start to think more holistically on how your company participates as a global citizen. This doesn’t just come about through one or two projects – it is a mindset." (Taylor, 2009)

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