This isn’t the first time Starbucks has been the center of a racially-charged protest. A few years ago, the company dealt with backlash following their “Race Together” initiative and today they are facing a growing controversy in Philadelphia following the arrest of two black men at one of their stores. As the company scrambles to maintain its inclusive image, research may provide some insight into the company’s true beliefs.
from UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business and her co-author Meryln A. Griffiths from the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, in a paper titled, “,” published the Journal of Service Research, addressed the very issue at the heart of the most recent Starbucks controversy.
“We found in our research that Starbucks’ managers are reluctant to ask people to leave if they aren’t consuming, even if it is crowded and paying customers can’t find tables,” said Mary Gilly, senior associate dean and professor of Marketing at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business. “Thus, it was surprising that the Starbuck’s manager in Philadelphia asked the men to leave, and as I understand it, the place was not crowded.”
Professor Gilly’s study examines customer territorial behaviors and consumer interaction conflicts.
About Professor Mary Gilly
Mary Gilly is a senior associate dean and professor of marketing at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business. She is an accomplished scholar in the area of marketing, with expertise in consumer behavior, focusing her research on the indirect and often unintended consequences of marketing actions. She conducts her research in a variety of organizations, such as hospitals, quick-service restaurants, high-tech firms, and small retailers.
Gilly has served on the editorial review boards of Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising. Her work has appeared in Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and others. She is currently academic director for the Association for Consumer Research, and is a member of the American Academy of Advertising. Gilly received her PhD from University of Houston, MBA, from Southern Methodist University and BA from Trinity University.
Professor Gilly can be reached at 949.824.5664 or by email at [email protected].
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