OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:

PCA-Choosing an Organization Worksheet

Worksheet Objectives:
1. Identify an organization and situation you want to study over the remainder of the course.
2. Describe the organization and situation.

Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.

1) Describe your organization.

Sometimes when a door unexpectedly closes, another door opens to something we were

not expecting. This is what I experienced in December of 2016. I was let go of my first

job for a failure on my part. I made a phone call to a previous boss about getting a job at

her new place- Starbucks. Fast forward nearly 7 years later and I am still at this coffee

company. Founded in 1971, Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world and one of

the most recognized organizations around the globe. Starbucks shines through their focus

on handcrafted beverages and fresh food amongst 65 different nations (Working at

Starbucks: Employee Reviews and Culture, 2020). The $32.2B company has been at the

forefront of being progressive in their political and social stances, while also providing

top-tier employee opportunities, benefits, and pay. This doesn’t mean Starbucks hasn’t

faced their fair share of scrutiny. They are constantly ridiculed for their prices, labor

practices, as well as their recent history of labor union busting (Hsu, 2022). This doesn’t

detract from the juggernaut Starbucks has became in the coffee industry.

2) Describe how Describe your role in the organization (it can be internal or external).
I possess an internal role at Starbucks. I am a nearly 7-year partner of the company, including

being a Shift Supervisor for the past 2 years. I oversee the day-to-day activities of my store,

including handling cash, promoting a positive work environment, keeping track of inventory,

creating orders, mentoring partners, and delegating tasks to my fellow partners. I report to my

Store Manager as well as my Assistant Store Manager.

3) Describe the situation. (see the Canvas instructions for details, especially about how
your situation will be analyzed from five different perspectives over the next five
modules)

In 2018, two African-American males were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks location.

The two men came to the location to hang out and wait for a third friend to discuss

business. The men asked to us the restroom, to which an employee told them that they

must buy something or leave. Police then showed up and told the men that they would be

arrested for trespassing if they did not leave because the manager did not want them there

(Clemens, 2018). They were given no reason as to why the manager wanted them gone.

This caused a national outrage that stretched both internally and externally. These men

were arrested, not for anything they did or said, but rather, because of the color of their

skin. Starbucks had to do something and do it fast.

This type of incident was national news and caused a multitude of protests. Starbucks

issued a statement, which included an apology as well as a promise to not only say they

will do better, but act upon this. A month later, the coffee company closed every store in

the United States in order for each employee to participate in an 8-hour racial equity

training. In this training, we learned about and had discussions about racial bias. The

training was very informative, however the discussions were where I found the most to
gain. This didn’t come without scrutiny. One employee in Northern California

contemplated quitting not only for the incident, but for the training. She found it to be

ridiculous that Starbucks had to educate people on how to not be racist (Calfas, 2018).

While I understand where she was coming from, I also believe this was the best course of

action for the company. Through this case study, I will examine and analyze the situation

through the structure, human resources, politics, symbolism, as well as the ethics.
 Reference or References

Calfas, J. (2018, May 30). Was Starbucks’ Racial Bias Training Effective? Here’s What These

Employees Thought. Time; Time. https://time.com/5294343/starbucks-employees-racial-

bias-training/

Clemens, D. (2018, April 14). Philadelphia Starbucks arrests: What a witness says happened.

6abc Philadelphia.

https://6abc.com/philadelphia-starbucks-arrest-police-department/3342444/

Hsu, A. (2022, October 2). Starbucks workers have unionized at record speed; many fear

retaliation now. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/10/02/1124680518/starbucks-union-

busting-howard-schultz-nlrb

Working At Starbucks: Employee Reviews and Culture. (2020, May 18). Www.zippia.com.

https://www.zippia.com/starbucks-careers-10803/