Douglas MacKellar

The Starbucks Coffee Company has been ranked as the most ethical Restaurant and Cafe by EnvironmentalLeader.com, amongst 38 other ethically leading companies operating today. The achievement awarded to the Seattle based company not only for it’s contributions to advancing and promoting the “Fair Trade” campaign, an organisation aimed at encouraging bargaining rights for producers in developing nations, but also for honouring its employees, the community & environment, and consumers at large. The company boasts it’s commitment to seeking out profitable business endeavours whilst remaining socially aware. Starbucks practices great ethics from behind the cash register by creating a strong ethical climate primarily through their Standards of Business Contract which details the companies accepted norms and values in an attempt to unite the goals of the employees with that of the companies.

In conjunction with their human resource department, Starbucks honours their employees with competitive based pay, opportunities for advancement, and extremely competitive benefits. Starbucks promotes a number of charities and community care programs through their Global Month of Service campaign, a program aiming to achieve 1 million community service hours by the year 2015 via the efforts of their employees and customer volunteers. This initiative adds value and a sense of true social responsibility from within the company. By engaging employees and customers with stakeholder aligned goals an ethical climate can thrive. Beyond the internal responsibilities of the company, Starbucks share an interest in their customers health and well being. By offering products that contain no artificial flavours or ingredients, high levels of fructose or corn syrup and no trans fats as well as advocating for the national menu labelling standard so that customers can make informed choices with regards to what they eat.

See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnEBixTe4ZI

Sources:

http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/eecd184d6d2141d58966319744393d1f.pdf

http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/wellness

http://www.starbucks.com/career-center

http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/2.2754/starbucks-founder-speaks-on-ethics-1.262031#.UPiYsaWlnKE

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/03/17/ford-starbucks-among-most-ethical-companies/

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/default.aspx