Step 1: Read the case, Starbucks Corporation: Building a Sustainable Supply Chain, found in your HBR Coursepack.

Step 2: Read the article, A Framework for Ethical Decision Making (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Step 3: Imagine it is 2007, and you are on the team at Starbucks responsible for implementing C.A.F.E. Practices. You’re well on your way to building a sustainable supply chain through the work, but you are facing both internal and external challenges. Your boss asks your team to make a recommendation on how to move forward as a company. Based on your readings in Steps 1 & 2, answer the questions below:

1. Which ethical approach do you believe best aligns with Starbucks’ C.A.F.E. Practices? Explain your choice, using knowledge gained through the case narrative and/or exhibits.
2. If you were to continue adhering to this approach:
   • What decision(s) would you make regarding Starbucks’ continued participation in or expansion of C.A.F.E. Practices? Why?
   • What action(s) would you take to begin addressing the challenges with implementation outlined in the case?
3. Following the path you set out, where do you envision Starbucks being today, 12 years later?

Do not jump on the internet and start googling what Starbucks actually did or where they are at today. Your answers should be based solely on what you read in Steps 1 & 2 above.

Step 4: After having the opportunity to discuss the case during Week 5’s class, answer the following questions:

1. Consider the experience of working on an older case where you easily can look up what the company decided to do. What value does it bring to you to be able to compare your recommendations with the action(s) the company actually took?
2. Consider the experience of working on a very current case where you do not have the ability to look up “what happened” – simply because it hasn’t happened yet! What challenges do you think this would pose to your team?