Complete 6 page APA formatted essay: The New Business Political Activist: Behind the Scenes Less Visible.Download file to see previous pages... Only recently has it become necessary to consider more p

Complete 6 page APA formatted essay: The New Business Political Activist: Behind the Scenes Less Visible.

Only recently has it become necessary to consider more political involvement in order to gain certain protections for their ever-expanding domestic and international business. It is important, however, to remain in line with corporate policy and to proceed cautiously. By examining key areas, one can make recommendations and postulate about the future political involvement that Starbucks will embark upon. The New Business Political Activist: Behind the Scenes Less Visible Question 1 In our modern era of increasingly big government, it is growing difficult for businesses to remain on the political sidelines. This is due in large part to the reality that so much of a businesses long-term success is dependent upon various financial and cultural issues that truly affect the bottom line. This becomes even more significant for companies with an international presence, due to the presences of trade barriers, tariff regulations, and production and manufacturing laws, just to name a few. For these reasons alone, if Starbucks is truly focused on long-term growth and expansion, both domestically and internationally, it is probably not a realist goal to stay entirely out of the American political arena. At some level, they will need to lobby the government in an effort to protect their company vision and to look out for the well being of their employees and shareholders. As mentioned in the first section of the reading, Starbucks is currently expanding their operations into Southeast Asia. In order for their business model to be effective, however, they depend on certain tax and trade benefits that mutually benefit themselves, America, and the target country. Ordinary small businesses likely do not have much political clout to speak of, so they would be at the mercy of whatever political arrangements are in effect at the time. Starbucks, however, is in a unique position given their size and their ability to impact the local economy of any region in which they operate (Slavoj, 2011). In addition, they are a major source of employment, and they possess the ability to greatly impact to coffee bean growth and production industry. Because of this, they need to be vocal in the political system in order to make their desires known and to receive preferential treatment based on their size alone. Were they to remain silent, on the political sidelines, they could likely find it difficult to support their current expansion efforts, affecting everyone involved with the corporation, either directly or indirectly. Question 2 There are countless political strategies available to Starbucks, any of which could prove impacting to their long-term economic outlook. Figure 9.2 mentions three main areas by which the company can begin to make their voices known to Congress and other affected government agencies (Goldsmith, 2010). These include lobbying efforts, direct communication, and expert witness testimony. As was mentioned in the article, the CEO and other members of the Board for Starbucks already have the direct voice of many influential political insiders. This is largely due to the size of the company and the positive business image they have built up over the years. They can use this to their advantage by communicating directly with members of the legislative body on items of interest to them.