SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis

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SWOT Analysis

Starbucks is an American global brand, and it is considered as one of the largest coffee selling company operating for more than 62 years now. The company places a high value on ethical behavior and corporate social responsibility. It is indulged heavily in the sustainability initiatives and the list of such initiatives is very long. One of these notable initiatives by the company is recycling of its materials and using products made from the recycled materials ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"G4gTygEM","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Kamenetz, 2010)","plainCitation":"(Kamenetz, 2010)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1022,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/orkqtrjP/items/MZFDQK38"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/orkqtrjP/items/MZFDQK38"],"itemData":{"id":1022,"type":"article-journal","title":"The Starbucks Cup Dilemma","container-title":"Fast Company","author":[{"family":"Kamenetz","given":"Anya"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2010"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Kamenetz, 2010). This paper is aimed at assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company’s initiative as well as that of a manager of this project eventually making an analysis of both.

SWOT Analysis of Starbucks Sustainable Initiative

The SWOT analysis reveals some of the strengths of this initiative. This initiative has enabled the company to innovate more recyclable cups and lids. In this way, the company is able to get the credit for sustainable innovation and promotion of usability of recycled products. The company has been able to earn a good reputation as an advocate of recycling programs. Sustainable businesses show the world that they understand the negative effects that they are creating, so they address the problems and make efforts to develop solutions that will help the social issues that the world is facing. When these companies adopt the sustainable business model, they establish a better way of living for human beings. In this way, the company has added to its loyal customer base. The company has been able to make considerable growth to lessen the impact of the waste generated.

Some of the weaknesses of this initiative are the cost, time and effort associated with this program. The initiative is not as simple as it seems, as it is based on multiple factors. Starbucks has customers in more than 60 countries and the customers' ability to take part in this initiative is based on access to recycling markets. Local government rules and policies also impact the recycling initiative. The difference in regulations confuses customers. The company also has to encourage customers to progress this initiative. The advocacy for model legislation and best practices can result in the uniformity of this recycling initiative. Efforts have also continued to redesign a single-use cup. The environment activists can help the company in convincing more customers towards the idea. Other companies can also adopt the idea and such initiatives can be made more prevalent. It might also generate a high demand for paper cups. The threat is the resistance of customers and the cost of Recycled fiber that is slightly higher than the original fiber from trees. Varying legislation in different locations is also a threat. Customers are not convinced in all areas where the company is operating. Lack of awareness and unavailability of recycling service are some of the hindrances.

SWOT Analysis of Manager

If I consider myself as a manager of this project, I am an advocate of sustainable business practices and I believe businesses hold the utmost responsibility of taking such initiatives that is one of my strengths. I believe in setting goals and my education and skills are in accordance with the management of this project. I am good at managing people, change and processes and I can communicate the goals and progress of this project to the relevant stakeholders. I have the ability to partner with other sustainability and environment advocates to promote the cause. Since the company is a global player, it will be hard to cope and manage with the implementation of this initiative on a global level. I will also depend on the assistance from finance manager in order to keep this innovative program within budgets since innovation is the core for sustainable companies ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"I6bzpw02","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Eccles, Perkins, & Serafeim, 2012)","plainCitation":"(Eccles, Perkins, & Serafeim, 2012)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":1024,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/orkqtrjP/items/WAJ5IGBK"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/orkqtrjP/items/WAJ5IGBK"],"itemData":{"id":1024,"type":"article-journal","title":"How to become a sustainable company","container-title":"MIT Sloan Management Review","page":"43","volume":"53","issue":"4","author":[{"family":"Eccles","given":"Robert G."},{"family":"Perkins","given":"Kathleen Miller"},{"family":"Serafeim","given":"George"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2012"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Eccles, Perkins, & Serafeim, 2012). This program cannot be completed effectively without external support. I also find a gap in my experience as this project is now in its nature and no such programs have been common prior to that.

However, taking this project as a collective effort, I believe I can attain its objectives. In addition, I can collaborate with social activists and other similar partners to enhance the effectiveness of this program. The professional contacts can be leveraged to impact the government regulations and policies to ease recycling of cups in all the locations where the company has stores (Meng, 2014). In addition, Starbucks has developed sustainability goals and it is an opportunity for me to contribute towards global environmental sustainability. As a manager, I am facing threats in the form of any other competitor competing Starbucks in its sustainability initiative.

Findings and Recommendations

A detailed analysis of the internal and external factors of the sustainability issues reveal that the sustainable initiative of using recycled, unmodified materials to make the company's products has many strengths in terms of benefits it has awarded to the company. This initiative is not merely worthwhile for the company but to the environment at large. Customers all over the world know that Starbucks is making considerable efforts in protecting the environment and profit-making is not the sole purpose of its existence. It is a good initiative and it is expected that soon other companies will jump on the bandwagon. However, it is also noticed that this initiative currently has some weaknesses as well. The company has not been able to convince all the customers towards recycling their coffee cups. One more hindrance is the difference in laws, policies, and inaccessibility of recycling services in many locations. Customer's confusions have to be addressed in order to bring them towards active participation in the good cause. A need for uniformity is pivotal.

The decisive aim of the company is to make this initiative a successful one and inspire others towards the idea of recyclable and reusable paper cups. Starbucks holds the tribute of proving the world that the possibilities of sustainable initiatives are endless. The manager of such a program can make a significant input to the success of this project by utilizing his/her strengths as a manager. The prime weakness of this project was the high cost involved along with the time constraint. The initiative is not as simple as it seems, as it is based on multiple factors, in addition, the company is functioning in many countries and the government regulations also contrast with each other. Customers are confused owing to this factor and they are not convinced in all the areas regarding the recycling of coffee cups. These weaknesses can be dispensed if the manager is taking the ultimate responsibility of making this initiative a success. For this purpose, the knowledge, skills, and abilities must be utilized in communicating the goals and strategies to all relevant stakeholders.

Furthermore, the sustainability initiative manager can use the company's supremacy to advocate for the uniformity of government policies regarding recycling and reusability. Strategies must be developed in collaboration with environmental activists to convince Starbuck's customers all over the world to participate in the success of such a program. It is the paramount duty of the manager to utilize personal strengths and available opportunities to overcome the weakness of this project. Since this initiative is the staircase to the 2022 sustainability objectives of the company, the success of this program must be the prioritized by employing various strategies.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Eccles, R. G., Perkins, K. M., & Serafeim, G. (2012). How to become a sustainable company. MIT Sloan Management Review, 53(4), 43.

Kamenetz, A. (2010). The Starbucks Cup Dilemma. Fast Company.

Meng, X. (2014). The role of facilities managers in sustainable practice in the UK and Ireland. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, 3(1), 23-34.