Starbucks was purchased by current CEO Howard Schultz in 1987. Since then, Andrew Harrer (2012) reports that the company has grown to operate "17,244 stores in all the world" (para 1). Fortune (nd) reports in its annual 100 Best Companies to Work for that Starbucks employs “approximately 95,000 employees.” From just a handful of stores in 1987 to a billion-dollar franchise today, Starbucks' success is due in large part to their corporate culture, particularly how they treat their employees, or as Starbucks calls them, the partner. Joseph Michelli (2007) echoes this sentiment: “A great cup of coffee is only part of the equation for Starbucks success” (p. 767). Starbucks corporate culture is not easily summarized because it is multidimensional. However, Starbucks leadership regularly reiterates several key words; “everything matters”, “playful”, “human connection”, “respect”, “dignity” and “care”. In fact, many of these words can be found in their mission statement. The Starbucks Partner Mission Statement reads: We're called partners, because it's not just a job, it's our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold ourselves to this standard. (Starbucks.com, n.d., para. 2). Starbucks strives to be the place between home and work for its customers and is committed to creating a workplace where productivity shines above any differences between colleagues. The hiring process begins with the interview. Online forums often reveal the same types of questions asked during interviews. These questions generally relate to how an individual handles conflicts with colleagues, requests for information about how they may have disappointed a customer, why… half of the document… leadership and a fair performance evaluation system. It works Cited Aguins, H. (2009). Performance Management (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.CNN Money (2012). 100 best companies to work for. Fortune magazine. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/snapshots/73.htmlHarrer, A (2012, January 26). Starbucks Corporation. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/starbucks_corporation/index.htmlMichelli, J. A. (2007). The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Transforming the Ordinary into the Extraordinary. New York, New York: McGraw Hill. Kindle edition.Schultz, H. (2011). After you. New York, New York: Rodale. Kindle edition.Weber, G. (2005, February 1). Preserving the Starbucks counterculture. Workforce.com. Retrieved from http://www.workforce.com/article/20050201/NEWS02/302019989