1. Job Description
If you are looking for a breakthrough in your retailing work career, then this is the opportunity for you! As the store manager, you will be expected to contribute to the local community. Your main job will include nurturing and sustaining strong relationships with the customers.
Responsibilities
Being calm during unexpectedly high rush of customers or when facing any uncertain situations and the ability to facilitate smoother transactions.
Must remember that the “customer always comes first” and ensuring that the relevant partners are held accountable for their outstanding customer service.
Implementing the company’s strategies and programs proactively.
Maintaining honesty, integrity and knowledge while serving the customers and fulfilling the mission of Starbucks.
Execution and Planning
Monitoring and managing the staffs at the store level and ensuring the development of partners.
Utilization of the existing tools to identify and then prioritize the communications and filtering the messages as and when required.
Qualifications
Retailing experience of at least 4 years
Supervising experience of at least 3 years.
Ability to analyze the financial reports
The current model of departmentalization of Starbucks has been a huge success and it continues to be so. The relaxing ambience and mood of each of the Starbucks store is what its loyal customers crave for. Therefore, switching from this model can be to the detriment of Starbucks. Apart from this, smoking has also been strictly banned in the stores in order to maintain the fresh aroma of brewing coffee. As such, the employees are also barred from using any cologne at work. This not only helps in eradicating any unwanted smoke but also instigates the customers to try a cup of Joe at Starbucks.
Around 16 percent of the entire product range offered by Starbucks consists of food products and the rest includes coffee and coffee related items. Therefore, changing the stores structure and departments that includes food products may not seem justifiable. Customers have always been loyal to the stores and their ambience across the globe, so changing the stores drastically may have adverse affects on Starbucks.
Centralizing power when a company faces financial strains does seem justifiable, but the implications of such a decision may depend on the circumstances as well. For instance, the top most managers and the senior executives have a better financial overview of their company than those at the lower level of the management hierarchy. So leaving the decisions at the hands of the lower level managers during a financial crisis may further deepen the problems for Starbucks. During such a situation, maintaining a centralized stance towards decision making seems like the most viable option. However, once the financial problems are over de-centralizing the decision making authority to the managers at the store level would be the most viable option.
As is mentioned in the case, the employees are asked for their insights and are also rewarded when their ideas are accepted by the authorities. Therefore, implementing this strategy can be beneficial for Starbucks, their employees will feel empowered and the ultimate decision making authority will also be safely held by the top management in the hierarchy.
The organizational configuration that best fits Starbucks is an integrated business model that combines some aspects of both a centralized and a decentralized model. Such a model, allows the top level managers to enjoy decision making author but the employees at the lower level are also invited to propose their views on a subject matter. The final decision however, depends on the top level management only. Such an approach not only works well for improving operations in the organization but also increases the motivation of the employees to perform well.
The integrated approach is not only implemented by a large burgeoning company like Starbucks but other big companies listed in the Fortune 500 also often implement this strategy to facilitate their business operations. The inclusion of the employees in motivational buy-in programs also means that employees may undergo greater productivity. The employees also undergo rigorous amount of training to ensure better services to the customers. At Starbucks, every employee is considered to be a partner in the organization starting from the cashier to the person who hands you the drinks. Starbucks has set an example for others to follow when it comes to maintaining a productive workforce, which is key for any successful business organization.
References
1. International Careers. (2012). Retrieved on 7th February 2012 from http://www.starbucks.com/career-center/international-positions
2. Starbucks & Its organizational design. (2012). Retrieved on 7th February 2012 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/starbucks-its-organizational-design-12857.html
