Starbucks organizational structure case study analysis and review

Starbucks Barista Job Description

to provide a high level of customer service while taking orders and preparing food and beverages to the customer's specifications (Logario, 2010).

Task Performance -- operating cash register, taking orders, operating different beverage production machines, light food preparation, cleaning as required. All tasks must be performed to specifications.

Service Performance -- All tasks must be performed with a high level of energy and enthusiasm. Customer requests must be addressed in a courteous, professional and timely manner, so product knowledge must be high. The Starbucks Experience must be delivered at all times. Baristas do not require previous experience, as all training will be provided, but they should love coffee, working in a team environment, and love serving customers in a fast-paced retail environment.

Starbucks should use departmentalization by geography, for example by store. Within a store, there should not be much departmentalization at all. The tasks performed by in-store staff are relatively simple, so there is no benefit to specialization. In order to meet customer service needs, all staff members should be able to perform all tasks. This way the customer is always going to have his or her needs met quickly and effectively. There should be designations for leaders within the team. The form of departmentalization should not be changed in stores that serve food products. Legally, even workers serving beverages need to uphold food safety standards, so all will need to have this basic training. Beyond that, Starbucks is not a restaurant -- preparing food typically means re-heating, as opposed to cooking. Thus, the task can be performed by any staff member, again without the need for specialization of task.

3. The leadership should have centralized decision-making. The company's success is built on its ability to deliver a high level of standardization. The Starbucks experience changes little from Miami to Nuremburg to Kuala Lumpur. The model of success, therefore, is that local-level managers execute on plans and strategies that are developed centrally. Therefore, the company's response to ensure that decision-making is centralized is an appropriate response to crisis. The company has never experienced particular success with decentralized decision-making and the company's managers have not traditionally been empowered to freelance. Thus, Starbucks is built with a highly-decentralized decision-making structure in mind, and reinforcing that is critical to success.