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*Adapted by the UAGC Writing Center from original paper by Aimee Garten. Used by permission.
What is a Case Study?
A case study analysis requires you to investigate a business problem, examine the alternative
solutions, and propose the most effective solution using supportive evidence.
A case study should include background information on the specific topic, an analysis of the case
under student showing problems or effective strategies, as well as recommendations.
A case study can focus on a business or entire industry, a specific project or program, or a person.
Format your paper according to your assignment instructions.
The following sample includes APA-style citations and references.
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An Analysis of Human Resources Practices at Starbucks Coffee Company
Organizations must perform at reliable and successful levels to stay in business.
One indicator of organizational performance is its human resources outcomes. To be
competitive in a global marketplace, a large multinational organization should manage
human resources as strategically as any other division or department. Starbucks is an
example of strong human resources strategy coupled with logistical planning and effective
management. It serves as a strong example for all large organizations to model human
resources upon.
Overall Human Resources Strategies
Human capital is a large investment for any organization. Management of this
capital is a necessary task to ensure strong return on the investment. Human resource
management requires strong strategy to effectively and efficiently achieve goals,
objectives, and – in turn – better performance. The strategy, management program, and all
other human resource activity are then required to determine relevant dimensions of
performance and the impact on the company’s success (Cania, 2014).
Starbucks, a Seattle-based global coffee company, follows a mission to “inspire and
nurture the human spirit: one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks,
2015, para. 4). The company fulfils this mission through ethical sourcing of product,
environmentally friendly processes and recycling practices, and employee service in the
community. After the era of Great Recession, the company launched a new motto: “Great
Coffee Everywhere” and grew to include international locations and at-home products
(Noe et. al, 2013). This growth also included the acquisition of the La Boulange, Seattle’s
Best Coffee, Tazo, Evolution Fresh, and Teavana brands. With large competitors like
The introduction of your case study should introduce the business, industry,
project, or person that is represented in your study.
The thesis should state the
proposed solution to the
problem you have determined or
state the general assessment of
the case being studied.
Section 1:
The first section of the case study should
discuss the background of the organization,
industry, or program.
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Dunkin’ Donuts and new start-up Joyride, Starbucks is poised to be a leader in the next
generation of coffee shops or be left behind as an outdated relic (Sacks, 2014).
Unlike most large companies, employees of Starbucks are called “partners” and
are encouraged to join young and build a career with the organization. Human resources
are handled by Starbucks’ “Partner Resources Department” with 500 employees serving
roles in staffing, learning and development, compensation and benefits, organizational
development, and partner services (Starbucks, n.d.). Researchers Korschun et al. (2014)
describe the engaged employee’s impact on the brand as follows:
Employees who identify with the organization will adopt suggested
workplace behaviors and be motivated to support the company’s products
and brands. Yet prior research also prompts us to suggest that this effect
will be mediated by the employee’s customer orientation. Identification is
known to encourage behaviors that benefit the collective. Thus, the more
an employee identifies with the organization, the more he or she will seek
opportunities to contribute to company performance. Because serving
customers’ needs is a key way that frontline employees help the company
maintain and deepen relationships with those customers, such employees
may view their own efforts to contribute to customer loyalty as helping
drive long-term organizational success (p. 24).
To remain competitive in the coffee and food-and-beverage marketplace, Starbucks needs
to keep its partners happy and the public coming back for more.
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Recruiting Practices
Recruitment processes are an important part of any human resources strategy.
Economic crisis, market booms, natural disasters, and other unforeseen occurrences should
not send the hiring and firing process into a tailspin. Instead, organizations should have
strong plans to weather any literal or metaphorical storm. Long-term vision should include
anticipation of the need for new hires, job specificity, strong candidate pools, logical
assessment of candidates, securing the best talent, integrating new hires, and reviewing
processes for efficiency and efficacy (Fernandez-Araoz et al., 2009). Though Starbucks
responded to the recent recession with slashed jobs and closed locations, later efforts
focused on long-term goals and recruitment strategy. The “Starbucks College Achievement
Plan” was recently launched, offering free college education through Arizona State
University Online to all partners, including part-time employees (Starbucks, n.d.).
Training Structure
Business failures can sometimes be solved through training to develop new skills,
refine efficiency, and instruct staff on new policies, procedures, and tools. Issues
frequently trigger training but training efforts should always trigger business results
(Castaldi, 2012). When a large mistake, error, or need for improvement arises, not every
company is prepared to make improvements. As a large successful company, Starbucks
has more resources available to take staff out of their daily work and place them in
training sessions. Investment in training needs assessment and training sessions
themselves may be daunting for small companies; however, an organization operating in
more flexible environments can reap the rewards (van Eerde, Tang, & Talbot, 2008). As
Sections 2-4:
In the following three sections, the writer
focuses on several key points or operations
about the case.
Here, the author ties her evaluations of the case to
theories or research. What theory can you use as
support to show that your case study has a problem,
or is an effective practice?
It isn’t enough to simply state what is working or
what is not working. You need to support this with
evidence from theories, experts, or examples.
Be sure to include
an evaluation of
each key point of
the case.
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an example of a luxurious training session, Starbucks took their entire work force off the
line for a three-hour barista training event, focused on making perfect espresso, in the
middle of the economic meltdown of 2008 (MacDonald, 2008). Most retail outlets would
steer clear of a door-closing event during busy open hours. Starbucks, however, deemed
the reward to be greater than the risk.
Organizational Effectiveness
Starbucks has a strong human resources strategy and management system. This
has led to high organizational effectiveness in the industry, stemming in part from
successful employee engagement. Positive employee engagement leads to a
psychological climate, cultural attitude, and set of employee behaviors that positively
impact an organization from top to bottom (Kataria, Rastogi & Garg, 2013). Therefore, it
is safe to say that Starbucks’ Partner Resources has had positive effect on the
organization as a whole.
Solutions
In a recent article, food editor Bret Thorn (2014) described the
“starbucksification” of Dunkin’ Donuts. While a donut shop is not, specifically,
competition for a coffee shop, customers are loyal to the coffees made by each
establishment. This includes the spread of Dunkin’ Donuts to wider regions across the
United States with larger retailing of their coffee products. Like Starbucks, Dunkin’
Donuts offers K-Cup and ground coffee in supermarkets and convenience stores around
the world.
In this section, the writer is
showing a comparison of her case
study to a case study from a
competitor.
Here again, the author is presenting an
evaluation of this particular practice of
this company. The author also uses
theory or research to support her
evaluation.
Solutions
If your case study focuses on a
problem within the company or
project, you would include a section
on your proposed solution.
Be sure to both present your solution
and to also present theory or research
to support your solution.
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Like Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts (n.d.) recruits online, focusing on entry-level
employees who seek career mobility. Unlike Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts has only 7,500
storefronts in just 40 states. Each location is a franchise with unique local business
owners running daily operations. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. is the corporate entity and also
owns the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop chain. Corporate headquarters boasts free
coffee, donuts, and ice cream at corporate offices along with fitness centers, electric car
charging stations, and half-day Fridays (Dunkin’ Donuts). This cannot be said for
employees of franchised locations.
Without the central mission, homogenous culture, and overall size of Starbucks,
Dunkin’ Donuts cannot provide a bold and uniform human resources management system
for all employees. This gives Starbucks the competitive edge for recruiting from the
common pool of potential employees. With more money to spend, Starbucks has more to
offer in terms of investment in human capital. Thus, Starbucks has the edge.
Conclusion
Employers ask employees to work hard, be pleasant, and show results. The
investment of time and money into human resources can, and will, pay off in positive
organization outcomes if a strategic management system is in place and well-used.
Seattle-based Starbucks has been an example of success through strategic human
resource management through good times and bad. Its practices, though occasionally
flawed, show an overwhelmingly successful model of large company investment in
human capital.
The conclusion is where you wrap up your takeaway points for your reader. Here, you may also
present the significance of your case study. Why
is this valuable?
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References
Cania, L. (2014). The Impact of Strategic Human Resource Management on
Organizational Performance. Economia: Seria Management 17(2), 373-383.
Castaldi, J. (2012). Constructing a Business Case for Training: Cause, Coincidence, or
Correlation?. T+D, 66(6), 32-34.
Dunkin’ Donuts. (n.d.) Come Run with Dunkin’.
http://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dunkindonuts/en/ddcareers.html
Fernández-Aráoz, C., Groysberg, B., & Nohria, N. (2009). The Definitive Guide to
Recruiting in Good Times and Bad. Harvard Business Review, 87(5), 74-84.
Kataria, A., Rastogi, R., & Garg, P. (2013). Organizational Effectiveness as a Function of
Employee Engagement. South Asian Journal of Management, 20(4), 56-73.
Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Swain, S. D. (2014). Corporate Social
Responsibility, Customer Orientation, and the Job Performance of Frontline
Employees. Journal of Marketing, 78(3), 20-37.
https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0245
MacDonald, N. (2008). Starbucks goes back to coffee camp. Maclean’s, 121(10), 44.
Marler, J. H. (2012). Strategic Human Resource Management in Context: A Historical
and Global Perspective. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 26(2), 6-11.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2012.0063
Sacks, D. (2014). Brewing the perfect Cup. Fast Company, (188), 86-104.
Starbucks. (2015). Starbucks Company Profile.
http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/4286be0614af48b6bf2e17ffcede5ab7.pdf
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Starbucks. (n.d.). Supplier Diversity Program.
http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/sourcing/suppliers
Starbucks Career Center. (2015). Career Center: Working at Starbucks, Military &
Spouses – Serve with Us, Starbucks College Achievement Plan, Our Brands.
http://www.starbucks.com/careers
Thorn, B. (2014). The Starbucksification of Dunkin’ Donuts. Nation’s Restaurant News,
48(19), 110. https://www.nrn.com/blog/starbucksification-dunkin-donuts
van Eerde, W., Tang, K. S., & Talbot, G. (2008). The mediating role of training utility in
the relationship between training needs assessment and organizational
effectiveness. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(1), 63-
73. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190701763917
