Starbucks Corporation: Leading Innovation in the 21st Century

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review recent trends related to Starbucks Corporation and the characteristics of innovation and change in the global coffee industry. Starbucks has 5,415 licensed stores in the Americas; 1,143 licensed stores in Europe/Middle East/Africa; 3,000 licensed stores in China/Asia Pacific; and 66 in all other segments (See Appendix A). There is strong global consumer market demand for Starbucks in Brazil, China, India, South Korea, and Vietnam. This demand presents challenges related to ethics and responsibilities within social norms, innovative organizational principles and practices, and application to the system theory of the organization. Starbucks Corporation, in the 21st century, has begun to explore new core aspects of leadership, hindrances to leading innovation and change, and the effects of leadership ethics. Starbucks Corporation remains a top leader in the coffee industry by conceptualizing globalization from a broader international context and investing $8.1 million in Costa Rica.

Keywords: International Trade, Innovation, Leadership, Globalization