Starbucks Coffee Company: Transformation and Renewal analyzes the
turnaround and reconstruction of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2008 to
2014 as led by CEO and co-founder Howard Schultz. The case offers
executives and students an opportunity to examine in depth how Schultz
and his team saved Starbucks from near-collapse, by both executing a
deep, comprehensive return to its core values and, at the same time,
investing in a range of new products, customer experiences and
organizational capabilities designed to make the company fit for
enduring success in a turbulent global economy. Set against the backdrop
of the Great Recession, the case also considers the impact of
unprecedented important shifts in consumer spending and confidence as
well as new competitive forces on Starbucks' transformation. The case
concludes by examining Schultz's own leadership journey, the lessons he
learned personally during Starbucks transformation, and how he is using
these lessons-within Starbucks and on the national stage-to redefine the
roles and responsibilities of a public corporation in the 21st century.
Based on extensive interviews conducted with Schultz and other
Starbucks executives conducted from 2011 to 2014, the case offers a
range of vital lessons on leadership, organizational transformation,
restructuring, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurial vision, and
customer service.