I chose Starbucks for this weeks discussion because Starbucks is a strong company recognized as a strong brand. They started as a local coffee shop and have expanded to a global coffee company. Starbucks leads innovation and change, holds thousands of stores in North America, resides in over 50 countries worldwide, and continues to hold demand for further expansion in five additional countries (Lemus, et al. 2015). Starbucks remained consistent with its philosophy throughout the global development and engaged with all employees. A SWOT analysis is a technique that can be used to strategically plan the best method to achieve progressive goals (Basset, et al., 2018). After completing the SWOT Template for Starbucks, I believe their most distinctive competence is their corporate and social responsibility commitment. Starbucks delivers good customer experiences at the front-line level, helping farmers and suppliers at the executive level (Xuyan, L 2022). As an organization, Starbucks values inclusion and diversity. Their mission is to create a sense of belonging through human connection. External factors are socially related, as Starbucks capitalizes on brand recognition and quality customer experiences that equate to Customer Loyalty and their Starbucks Rewards program that encourages and incentivizes repeat customers to return. Even throughout the global endemic, Starbucks shifted its internal practices to support social distancing and even discontinued refilling customer-purchased tumblers. Although Starbucks showcased its strength and adversity, the organization faces a challenge and threat as they continue to rely on coffee beans and their single main ingredient, in addition to disruptions to distribution with quality ingredients. Understanding what business Starbucks is in, is the first step to strategic planning for a successful and sustainable business in the future. Internal factors that contribute to their inclusive mission is top-down training and leading by example. For front-line employees to demonstrate consistent satisfactory customer service, it shows how well the employees are not only trained but also how they are treated internally. An organization's outcomes are predicated on people and their organizational social environment (Baack, et al. 2014).

Question1: Respond to at least two of your classmates. In each response, address the following:

Compare the skills they selected to focus on and their benefits for the future applications to the skills and benefits that you described in your post. Point out a connection to your own post by referencing similar experiences, or program of study and career choice. Your responses should each be about 100 words. Please read all your classmates posts, whether you are responding or not. You may respond to more than two classmates in this discussion.