LEADERSHIP
“ WHAT IS THE role and responsibility of all of us , as citizens ?”
This is the question that Starbucks CEO and chairman Howard Schultz put forth to his employees and partners in late March , at the company ’ s 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders . It ’ s a question that expands on one he put forth at the 2014 meeting , in which he asked employees to consider the role and responsibility of a for-profit company on the global stage .
As a brand , Starbucks is no stranger to good citizenship . This year The Ethisphere Institute named Starbucks among its annual list of the World ’ s Most Ethical Companies for the tenth year in a row — one of only 14 to receive the recognition every year since the program started publishing its list . Now with this evolution of his question , Schultz is advocating that it ’ s not only about the overarching mission statement of the brand itself , but also the daily actions of each and every person — from baristas to the executive team — which determines where a business stands in the world of citizenship and ethics .
Howard Schultz in the Starbucks 201
THE PATH FORWARD It is one thing to ask employees to simply consider these issues in their daily lives , but during the same shareholders meeting Schultz and COO Kevin Johnson discussed several concrete plans to enhance the company ’ s efforts to create meaningful social impact and build
16 April 2016