Stakeholder Communication: Starbucks

You will need to create two discussion threads for this
discussion. Your first thread will be about internal stakeholders, and
your second thread will be about external stakeholders. You must submit
an initial post to BOTH threads. You must also post at least two
replies: one about internal stakeholders and one about external
stakeholders. This discussion is graded with the Threaded Discussion Rubric document.

Stakeholder
management techniques and determining the most effective communication
strategies are two of the most critical components of corporate
communications. Managing and communicating with stakeholders can be
challenging, as stakeholders can be highly diverse with potentially
competing aims and objectives.

Thread 1: Internal

In your initial post, identify internal stakeholders for your
selected company (Starbucks) and explain why the illustrated stakeholders are
important, and then provide examples of communications to at least one
of these groups. If you are unable to locate suitable examples, generate
what you consider to be suitable examples of such communications.

Review
at least one classmate’s communications and explain whether you agree
with your classmate’s explanation of the importance of the stakeholders
and whether the communication example provided is appropriate for the
target audience.

Thread 2: External

In your initial post, identify external stakeholders for your selected company (Starbucks) and explain why the illustrated stakeholders are important, and then provide examples of communications to at least one of these groups. If you are unable to locate suitable examples, generate what you consider to be suitable examples of such communications.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the internal and external stakeholder groups in which the corporation communicates
• Explain the variety of methods of communication corporations use to engage with stakeholders
• Explain the process used to select the appropriate channel of communication to engage with stakeholder groups

Reading and Resources

Required Resources

Textbook

Corporate Communication: A Guide to Theory and Practice, Chapter 4
While you read, consider the following questions:

• What responsibility does the organization have to each specific stakeholder (e.g., economic, legal, ethical)?
• What are the challenges/opportunities faced by the organization regarding each stakeholder?
• What is the best communications method to use for stakeholders
  regarding the challenges/opportunities that each stakeholder presents?

eBook: Handbook of Corporate Communication and Public Relations: Pure and Applied

Differing Corporate Communication Practice in Successful and Unsuccessful Companies (pp. 167–183)

While you read, consider the following questions:

• Do successful corporations tailor their communication to specific stakeholders? If so, how and why?
• What differentiates the communication strategies of successful and unsuccessful companies?

eBook: Essentials of Corporate Communications

Chapter 8: Communicating With Key Stakeholders
While you read, consider the following questions:

• Who are some of the key stakeholder groups?
• Do all stakeholders have similar needs in terms of the information they require?
• What are some of the ways information is disseminated to internal and/or external stakeholders?