Organizational Change and Stress Management

Starbucks Returns to Its Roots

Questions

1. What factors are most likely to change when a company grows very rapidly, as Starbucks did? How can these changes threaten the culture of an organization?

2. Why might this type of radical change process be easier for Starbucks to implement than it would be for other companies?

3. A great deal of the return to an original culture has been credited to Howard Schultz, who acted as an idea champion. Explain how Schultz’s efforts to change the Starbucks culture fit with our discussion of culture change earlier in the chapter.

4. Schultz’s change initiative might succeed at another company that values customization and high levels of customer service, but how would it need to differ at a firm that emphasizes speed and efficiency of service?

OD Intervention Strategies

OD Application: Changing P&G

Questions

1. Of behavioral, structural, and technological change strategies, how would you describe P&G’s strategies?

2. Does P&G integrate the three change strategies ad, if so, how?

3. Based on current information, evaluate the success of P&G.