Strategic thinking and Sustainable Systems
- Apply systems and sustainability principles to develop a sustainability strategy.
- Identify three actions that the organization you chosen(Starbucks Organization) for SSP can take to
3.implement a more sustainable business strategy. Explain the potential systemic benefits of each action
included in the sustainability strategy. - Explain the relationships between sustainability and other organizational goals, such as managing
quality, building learning organizations, and improving adaptability.
5.Explain the benefits of the organization exploiting those relationships. - Explain the ethical implications of implementing a strategy for improving sustainability for that
organization.
7.Extend the conversation by identifying implications for practice or research, as well as for your own
research agenda, where appropriate. - Be sure to integrate one or two new related and engaging questions that will extend the discussion
about your post in constructive ways. Try to think of a question(s
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Reference 3-4 reference APA strictly Adhered and.at least one scholarly peer-reviewed resource in your
recommendation.
Our sustainability strategy
At Starbucks Organization, we believe that sustainability is not stagnant, but rather it is a
dynamic process in the society. We believe that all the issues that concern our staff, the
customers and the community at large shall keep evolving with time. The response to those
issues that affect the groups mentioned above shall also keep evolving.
Actions for a more sustainable business strategy
The process of implementing business strategy within an organization may be affected by
certain factors. Every company presents a unique case, and this makes it necessary that each
company carries out a review of the strategy. There is no critical path that has been put in place
that makes it possible for companies to put in place the right business strategy (Baumgartner, &
Korhonen, 2010). There are measures however that makes it possible for organizations to
integrate sustainability into the business strategy.
There is the need for Starbucks to engage the stakeholders. Starbucks needs to associate
with the most influential people in the organization. The stakeholders are kept close by use of
dialogue and the use of close ties. The favorable engagement with the stakeholders makes it
possible the benefits of the programs that are to be put in place. Starbucks shall also benefit from
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the criticism from the stakeholders making it possible to push the programs to a more beneficial
scale.
Starbucks Organization is also supposed to track the progress level, communicate the
actions and meet the expectations. The performance level towards the achievement of each goal
is supposed to be assessed. The set goals are tracked through the process to make an assessment
on if they shall be achieved or not. The process also makes it possible to take the necessary to
take improvement measures within the strategies.
The management, employees and the stakeholders need to understand sustainability and
what its importance is to the organization (Martin, 2008). The coffee industry is facing different
changes that may impact on the performance of Starbucks on the market. Sustainability,
therefore, becomes a key component is the structure and functioning of the company.
The ranges of actions that shape the sustainability strategy of Starbucks include the need
to conserve the environment, global responsibility, and social responsibility. The actions have
different benefits towards the sustainability strategy. The global responsibility shapes the
association of Starbucks with the members of the community. Starbucks needs to be at the front
of providing the best quality products to its available customers. It is equally important that the
company puts in place the right environmental conservation measures. Environmental
sustainability becomes essential where the company strives to eliminate the cases of pollution in
carrying out its functions. Social responsibility governs the association that exists between the
company and the customers. It concerns the efforts that are put in by the company to meet the
needs of the range of customers available to the company. It makes it possible for the company
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to gain a competitive edge over the other players that are in the market (Nag, Hambrick, &
Chen, 2007).
Relationship between sustainability and other organizational goals
Sustainability management within an organization is essential because of the effect it has
on the other components within the organization. The relationship it has with other components
that include management of quality, improving adaptability and building learning organizations
is to be assessed. Sustainability is important in quality management as it makes it possible to find
out the hidden costs to the organization. Both quality management and sustainability are the sole
responsibilities of the management. The two concepts all notice the importance that is associated
with the empowerment of the employees within the organization. Organizations are in a position
to meet the quality of the product that the consumers as the employees shall be committed
towards the production of the concerned product. High-quality products availed to the consumers
makes it possible for organizations to create high customer relationships.
A learning organization is one that places priority on the creation, acquisition, and the
transfer of knowledge that aims at influencing its behavior to show the new insights and the
knowledge gained. One of the relationships between sustainability and building of a learning
organization is in increasing the knowledge and skills that are possessed by the employees. New
methods and technologies are to be introduced to the employees that make it possible to attain
the different objectives of the organization. Organizations are placed at the edge of the different
changes that occur within the environment. Sustainability is also related to adaptability as
organizations aim at adapting to the changes that occur in the external environment. It makes it
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possible that effective strategies are put in place by organizations to align the sustainability
strategy with the changes that occur in the environment (Sroufe, & Sarkis, 2007).
Benefits to the organization as it exploit the relationships
Identification of the hidden costs is one of the means that the company shall use to assess
the profitability of the operations it is undertaking. The cost variables are to be controlled by the
organization making the operations both efficient and effective. It also makes it possible for the
empowerment of the employees. Employees shall be free to fill in the decision-making process
of the organizations. Operations in the organization shall be structured, and duplication of
function in the organization is eliminated. The quality of products to the consumers shall be
improved, and this leads to high customer satisfaction levels. The learning that is encouraged in
organizations makes it possible for employees to carry out business processes by the use of the
most improved techniques. Efficiency is improved by the whole system, and this has an effect of
increasing the profit margins of organizations.
Ethical implications
Sustainability efforts geared towards environmental conservation by Starbucks makes it
possible to reduce the effects that are associated with processing factories to the environment.
The clean environment is essential for healthy human living. The recycling programs make it
possible for reduction of the waste that is to be released in the environment. Efforts that are to be
put in energy and water conservation do not only reduce the wastage of the natural resources but
is the means through which companies can use to ensure the sustainability of the available
natural resources. The resources that are available need to be used bearing in mind the demands
of the future generations. The increasing case of climate change also needs to be mitigated
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through the adoption of the right agricultural practices and the right processing operations by the
manufacturing firms (Binder, 2007).
It becomes evident that sustainability issues are critical to the operation of firms. The
evolving nature of the sector leaves Starbuck in a need to increase the efforts that shall make it
possible to come up with the right sustainability issues. There is the need for the organization to
build an impact with the farmers. The sector forms one of the facets that the company is
supposed to put in the right sustainability strategies. There is also the need to pioneer green retail
on the markets. The company is also supposed to create a pathway for the youth that have been
showing an increased bubble.
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References
Baumgartner, R. J., & Korhonen, J. (2010). Strategic thinking for sustainable development.
Sustainable Development, 18(2), 71-75.
Binder, C. R. (2007). From material flow analysis to material flow management Part II: the role
of structural agent analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 15(17), 1605-1617.
Martin, S. (2008). Sustainable Development, Systems Thinking and Professional Practice.
Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 2(1), 31-40.
Nag, R., Hambrick, D. C., & Chen, M. (2007). What is strategic management, really? Inductive
derivation of a consensus definition of the field. Strat. Mgmt. J, 28(9), 935-955.
Sroufe, R. P., & Sarkis, J. (2007). Strategic sustainability: The state of the art in corporate
environmental management systems. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Pub.
