Business Ethics – Case Study #5
Meet Me at Starbucks
On April 12, 2018, at a Starbucks location in Philadelphia, two black males, Rashon Nelson and
Donte Robinson, have been ready for a buddy, Andrew Yaffe. Nelson and Robinson have been
entrepreneurs and have been going to debate enterprise funding alternatives with Yaffe, a white
actual property developer. As they waited, an worker requested if she may Help them. They stated
“no,” that they have been simply ready for a enterprise assembly. Then a supervisor advised Nelson that he
couldn’t use the restroom as a result of he was not a paying buyer.
As a result of the 2 males had not bought something but, a retailer supervisor known as police, even
although Robinson had been a buyer on the retailer for nearly a decade and each males had used
the shop location for enterprise conferences earlier than. No less than six Philadelphia Police Division
officers arrived. The law enforcement officials didn’t ask the lads any questions; they only demanded that
they depart instantly. They declined. The law enforcement officials then proceeded to arrest the lads for
trespassing. Because the arrest occurred, Mr. Yaffe arrived. He stated: “Why would they be requested to
depart? Does anybody else suppose that is ridiculous? It’s absolute discrimination.” The 2 males
have been taken out in handcuffs. They have been taken to the police station, photographed, and
fingerprinted. They have been held for nearly 9 hours earlier than being launched from custody.
Prosecutors determined that there was inadequate proof to cost the lads with a criminal offense.
After a video of the arrest went viral, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson launched an announcement: “We
apologize to the 2 people and our clients and are disenchanted this led to an arrest.
We take these issues severely and clearly have extra work to do relating to how we
deal with incidents in our shops. We’re reviewing our insurance policies and can proceed to have interaction with
the group and the police division to strive to make sure all these conditions by no means
occur in any of our shops.”
Johnson then introduced that each firm-owned Starbucks location within the nation would
shut on Could 29, 2018, for “racial-bias schooling.” When one buyer complained on
Fb that closing the shops due to only one incident appeared overkill, Starbucks
responded: “There are numerous examples of implicit bias leading to discrimination towards
individuals of coloration, each in and out of doors our shops. Addressing bias is essential in making certain that each one our
clients really feel protected and welcome in our shops.” The same grievance about closing 1000’s of
shops due to the actions of a handful of staff prompted this response from
Starbucks: “Our purpose is to make our shops a protected and welcoming place for everybody, and we
have failed. This coaching is essential in ensuring we meet our purpose.”
Dialogue Questions
1. Do you suppose the supervisor of the Starbucks in Philadelphia considered herself as racist?
2. Do you suppose that what occurred to Nelson and Robinson would have occurred had they
been white?
three. What stereotypes have been invoked on this case and by whom?
four. How did stereotyping affect and/or body the state of affairs for the supervisor? For the police?
For bystanders?
5. What’s your opinion about Starbucks’ response to the arrest of Nelson and Robinson?
6. Will Starbucks’ coaching session on implicit bias have a helpful affect?

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