Control is achieved when behavior and work procedures conform to standards and goals are accomplished. By contrast, control loss occurs when behavior and work procedures do not conform to standards. To determine whether control is worthwhile, managers need to carefully assess regulation costs, that is, whether the costs and unintended consequences of control exceed its benefits.
Consider this scenario as you complete your assignment:
Starbucks has always strived to take leadership in environmental issues, whether it was by encouraging customers to compost used coffee grounds or by offering free drinks to customers who brought in their own reusable mugs. But the company faces a major problem that has few solutions: cups. Across all of its stores, Starbucks uses more than 3 billion paper cups every year, most of which end up in the trash. Though the company would love to recycle these cups, it can't, since most processors don't recycle paper cups that are lined with plastic, as the Starbucks cups are. The plastic lining also prevents the cups from being composted.
Develop an essay answering the following questions:
- How can Starbucks maintain its commitment to reducing waste as it keeps sending paper cups to landfills?
- What steps in the control process will be important as Starbucks tries to reduce the number of paper cups it uses?
- What benefits does Starbucks gain by controlling this outcome?