The document proposes creating an internal employee network at Starbucks to improve communication and lower costs. It discusses Starbucks' principles of diversity and customer service. Currently, communication is outdated and inefficient. The proposed network would incorporate systems theory and cultural approaches to create strong connections within the company. This would increase information flow, productivity, and loyalty while reducing communication expenses.

1. By Valentina T. Dumitrache
eksamensnr. 413084
Arhus Universitet,
ASB, BAMMC class U02

2. AGENDA
• StarBucks – history and principles
• Problem
• Planning
• Solutions
• Anticipated Result
• Summary

4. Principles

5. “What is Brewing?”
• "we view the richness of our diverse workforce as
an asset that encourages creativity and
innovation, helps us recruit and retain top talent
and makes us more attractive as an inclusive
employer, ultimately enhancing our success."-
view on diversity
• “StarBucks doesn't see itself as a company of
people serving coffee. We're a coffee company
that serves people.”

6. PROBLEM
How can internal communication
become both up-to-date and cost
efficient?
The problem :- “current communication with
employees is very obsolete”
-the internal communication program was
developed in 2000 and is out of date.
Recent surveys show very high rates of employee
dissatisfaction with the current communication
channels used within the company.
-the current internal communication channels (the
bi-weekly newsletter –”What is Brewing?”) are
both inefficient and expensive

7. Changes in the world today
• Globalization
• Technology
• Innovation
• Interdependency
We belong to an internet generation. We
all pay more attention to emails and
memos, thus as a company we must
adapt to our employees needs.

8. PLANNING
Systems Theory
Environment
Coordination
Collaboration
Adaptability
Importance of the whole
Communication helps organizations in these
processes.

9. • System metaphor( Farace, Monge and Russell’s
“Communicating & Organizing” ,1977)
• Hierarchical ordering,
• Interdependence
• Permeability
Network links (Monge & Contractor 2001, p 442)
• strength( good information flow)
• symmetry (same goal, same community)
• multiplexity (different kind of content (innovation , work ,
social ideas) that flow through a particular link

10. Cultural Approach
• Communication and social interaction contribute to create
organizational culture.
• Organizational Culture - the emerging and fragmented values,
practices, narratives and artifacts that make a particular
organization “what it is”
• “Each organization has its own ways of doing what it does and
its own way of talking about what it is doing” O’Donnell-Trujillo
(1984).
• Cultures are emergent - develop and shift over time depending
on multiple environmental factors.
Miller (2012)

11. Models

12. Maslow’s Pyramid
Human Relations
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Communication is a 2 way
process
From top management
downwards and from the
employees upwards

13. Media Richness Model
-used to rank and evaluate the
richness of certain communication
mediums, such as phone calls,
video conferencing, and email.
Based on contingency theory and
information processing theory, it
explains that richer, personal
communication means are
generally more effective for
communication of equivocal issues
than leaner, less rich media.
Information richness is defined by
Daft and Lengel as "the ability of
information to change
understanding within a time
interval"
Richard L. Daft and Robert H. Lengel

14. The dual capacity model
(Sitkin, Sutcliffe & Barrios-Choplin, 1992)

15. Change within a company is a long
process, and change is needed in
order to remain one of “The Best “.
Thus the model from
Organizational Change and
Leadership Processes (Milller,
2009) fully explains how important
is to take everything into
consideration while trying to
induce change within an
organization .
The first Model from Cultural
Approaches (Miller 2009), provides
us information o how to proceed
and what factors to take into
consideration , while considering
solutions.

16. Solutions
employee network= organizational culture+ new
science system theory & technology processes
( which includes parts of the assimilation theory for new employees)
A network would have more layers:
• Management section- organizing and monitoring it,
establishing meeting and setting their dates, etc.
• Employee section- electronic e-mail newsletter,
personalized work email and work number to access
the database, talk to the upper management,forum
etc.

17. Coffee Break:
Starbucks Secret
Menu

18. A strong interconnected culture
Result: the flow of information
and awareness within the
company is increased
Ensures productivity and loyalty
towards the brand
Guarantees information being
delivered time efficiently and
ensures face to face interaction
when desired.
Costs will be noticeably become
lower due to the change from
printing (other means )to
upgraded software which would
keep all the StarBucks
companies interrelated giving it
a sense of community.

19. Summary
• Problem : How to increase the internal
communication and to lower expenses?
• Solution: An employee network that will have
more facilities for employees and that will
reduce expenses within the company.
• Result?

20. This
NOT
This