Org 581

ORG 581 Facilitating Change Paper Timothy Kirk ORG/581 William Gillis, PhD December 22, 2012 * * * * Introduction Starbucks Facilitating Change to China Starbucks current structure is categorized as a mechanistic organization, which is comprised of highly vertical and horizontal complexities, highly formalizations, highly centralizations, tapered lengths of control, and highly standardizations. The CEO of Starbucks, Howard Shultz, has worked to create a more efficient and streamlined structure where information can flow freely from customer and low-tier employee to the corporate level.To facilitate this process has allowed Starbucks to expand to locations like China. Starbucks divides its labor into cross functional work teams, which allows employees to report to multiple supervisors. â€Å"This structural behavior has allowed the corporation to have successful communication upward, downward and laterally with its employees† (â€Å"Successful Application of Organizational Beh avior: Starbucks,† 2009). The matrix structure seems to work for Starbucks, as they maintain effective communication, great product development, efficient production, and exemplary customer service as a result.Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz helped facilitate in the companies structure a matrix of communication that both works internal and external, this key to the primary benefits of the success of the company. On the inside, Starbucks’ reinforcement of exposed communication among workers, higher administration, and administrators permits more open innovation in ideas, correcting problems through a process of identifying, discussing, plan of action, and follow through to solutions in a timely manner. On the outside are the clients that are loyal and are given ownership in that the company solicits their input on a regular basis.For instance, Starbucks integrated a community website for networking where clients help to shape the future of Starbucks as we know it today. Th e loyalty of the customers help in developing an emotional bond that creates a family type network open to discussion, ideas, and innovation to services and merchandise. As an example of the recommendations presented to the challenges of the existing organizational design, our recommendations in this paper will assist in summarizing the need for positive changes in current strategies at Starbucks.One recommendation is to add programs that would highlight staff successes / achievements and assist in locations both locally and internationally for more exposure. In the second recommendation, social media programs would be implemented to allow broader cross training, updates on corrective actions to local issues with products, equipment issues and solutions, and selling techniques. Starbucks already has a winning situation by expanding efforts to achieve these ideas in their company services in China and also to a global market using their website as an anchor with Facebook pointing bac k more opportunities.While Starbucks is setting new standards for selling products, marketing services, and the development of new products, there are always room for improvement. Each day as the Staff and Managers begin their day there is a sense of loyalty that permeates throughout the organization that is in the air. While the last recommendation that seems to have a major impact is when customers enter into the stores there is a feeling of calm and peace, but not so much interaction outside the corner. Customers are more willing to buy and linger in the store and browse.This opens of doors of opportunity if the staff is watching to see the roaming of customer in asking them if they had something in mind as they browsed the floor. Maybe when a staff member observed a customers looking at merchandise they could come from around the counter and visit and ask if there was something they may be looking for as a gift or for them personally. I can see an up in the personal experience f or customers. Social connection is key to staff interaction with customers as these services to products and merchandise just adds to the Starbucks experience.Now changing things in the structure of selling coffee is what Starbucks does best. The easy going stages of the processes are streamlined. Culturally they are very good at fitting in to provide employees with training that allows not only greater knowledge, but a chance to be a part of not just a company, but a family of teams that work very close together. The only thought that if I could influence the change would be that some of the locations selected are very hard to get access to, and cause traffic issues.Over-all Starbucks has a strong leadership team and is very focused on keeping the flow of coffee going for years to come. To improve the effectiveness of Starbucks the main item that needs more attention is a stronger sense of community with employees in the training programs. It appears that Starbucks can expand train ing by using the Starbucks website. Furthermore, these types of business pages would have to be geared towards the staffing groups at each store.Starbucks would be able to place items like training videos, current calendar events, up and coming announcements, Ads, Promos, and to have more ‘likes’ that generate exposure. As much as family and community are for Starbucks that type of account would build confidence, cultural connections, and building solid teams. The department here is the Training Center and would be directly connected to the website through an Intranet to allow uploading, changes, editing, and training through a custom based interactive website.The site would allow team members to have 24 hour access to newsletters, memos, updates, and training documentation. The site would facilitate training in all aspect of Starbucks. Recommended Changes regarding technology Strategies to China As an example of the recommendations to the Starbucks strategies the progr am would highlight staff successes and highlights at locations providing both locally and internationally. In this recommendation a social media program would allow more cross training, updates on corrective actions to local issues with products, equipment issues, and selling techniques.Starbucks has a winning situation by expanding efforts to achieve company services in China to a global market by using their website as an anchor with Facebook to point back using these media products opportunities. While Starbucks is setting new standards for selling products and services, marketing to foreign countries, and development, there is always room for improvement. Every day as the Staff and Managers begin their day there is a sense of loyalty that permeates throughout the organization that is in the air.When customers enter into the stores there is a feeling of calm and peace. Customers are more willing to buy and linger in the store and browse. This opens of doors of opportunity if the staff is watching to see the roaming of customer in asking them if they had something in mind as they browsed the floor. Maybe when a staff member observed a customers looking at merchandise they could come from around the counter and visit and ask if there was something they may be looking for as a gift or for them personally. I can see an up in the personal experience for customers.Conclusion * * Starbucks has done an exceptional job at expanding its exposure and market share. What I find disturbing is that so many employees are burned out, others do not have enough hours to keep up with the changes, and some are not happy even though Starbucks is a very good company to work for in all the aspects of the word job. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * References * * * Agence France-Presse – Starbucks plans China expansion * http://business. inquirer. net/54427/starbucks-plans-china-expansion Anthony, W.P. , Gales, L. M. , & Hodge, B. J. (20 03). Organization Theory: A Strategic Approach (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. * Efrati, A. and Gasparro, A. – (2012), Starbucks Invests in Square – The Wall Street Journal * http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10000872396390444423704577575803898185594. html * * Facebook. com. (2011). Starbucks. * Retrieved from http://www. facebook. com/#! /Starbucks? sk=wall * * Starbucks Training Technologies – (November 2011) * http://starbuckstrainingtechnology. blogspot. com/