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Module 12 Discussion
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Module 12 Discussion 2
Johnson based his decision making on the Starbucks shared values. For instance, the
decision to visit the community shareholders and learn what would have been done better was in
line with the company’s shared value of creating a culture of warmth and belonging where
everyone is welcome. The decision to visit the community was a reconciliatory move, a way of
apologizing that the incident would never happen again. The decision to close the stores for
unbiased training was very much aligned with the Starbucks mission and goals. The company’s
mission is to inspire and nature human spirit-one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a
time. The company aims to meet this goal through development of a culture that embraces
acceptance. The training would chip in to rejuvenate the dying spirit of acceptance. The way
Johnson handled this case did not only improve the relationship between employees and the
customers but also encouraged the spirit of connectedness and shared values.
Johnson did not openly acknowledge that his decision was based on ethics and morality
but his apology and actions did promote the awareness of ethical issue. Johnson did this by
acknowledging that his employees needed more training especially on ethical issues. Johnson
actions created a positive difference in the community it serves since the meeting done with the
community stakeholders improved their relationships. The decision to close the stores for
training displayed the Company’s commitment to ensure that the incident do not happen again
which improved the customers confidence with the stores. Johnson did not shift the blame to the
employees but instead offered training to improve employees experience with their customers
Johnson did explicitly accept the responsibility for the incident and provided the
necessary direction for the course correction. According to the case study, “Johnson took full
responsibility of the actions of his employees.” Johnson identified various ways to collaborate
Module 12 Discussion 3
with others including, meeting with community stakeholders, meeting with the victims of the
arrests and involving the employees in a training program. From a distance everyone can see that
Johnson clarified his personal values as well as the company’s values when he stated that
the video shot by the customers was hard for him to watch and the actions did not represent the
company’s mission and values. His decision to meet the community stakeholders, victims and
advocate for employees training were all aimed at upholding Starbuck’s mission and core values.
According to Johnson, there was no need to call the police if a customer did not make order
which represented a gap between the stated and actual values. Johnson’s apology helped the
employees figure out whether their personal values aligned with the company values. Johnson
believed that the company shared values should guide the employee values in all their actions.
Johnson’s action went beyond Starbucks, since it acted as a guide for other companies to
follow. The incident generated a conversation about unconscious bias in the workplace since the
person who took the video had not made any order and yet he was not subjected to the same
treatment. Johnson’s apology and his subsequent actions were one of their kind. Earlier last year,
Nike faced accusations of toxic corporate culture where some employees felt excluded and the
management did not take the issues seriously. Nike CEO Mark Parker apologized to the
employees and promised to address the corporate culture to fit the company’s vision. Just like the
hotline for employees to raise concerns and provided mandatory training for 10,000 managers.