2(e) Evaluate how effective the North Star initiative is in improving Starbucks’ employee relations - Edexcel - A-Level Business - Question 2 - 2019 - Paper 1

The North Star initiative aims to enhance employee relations by prioritizing customer experience and streamlining operations. However, its effectiveness seems mixed based on employee feedback.

Positive Aspects

• Clear Focus: The initiative highlights the importance of creating a good customer experience, potentially leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Opportunities for Engagement: It suggests that employees can become more invested in the brand by aligning their roles with the company's mission.

Negative Aspects

• Increased Workload: Employees express dissatisfaction due to higher workloads without sufficient support. The feeling of being overworked can lead to burnout and reduced job satisfaction.
• Management Support: With fewer management levels, there may be less support for employees, leading to confusion regarding expectations and responsibilities. This can further strain employer-employee relationships.
• Communication Gaps: Insufficient communication regarding changes can foster uncertainty and resentment among staff, negatively impacting morale.

Conclusion

While the North Star initiative aims to improve focus and potentially relationships by emphasizing customer experience, the negative feedback from employees suggests that it may have backfired by increasing workloads and decreasing support. A more balanced approach considering both operational efficiency and employee wellbeing could yield better results.