Quote by Starbucks' ex-CEO saying he ‘never worked past 6 pm’ goes viral after ouster
In a recent interview, Laxman Narasimhan had claimed that he winds up work at 6 pm to be able to spend time with his family
Amid rumours that Laxman Narasimhan, the Indian-origin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starbucks, did not step down but was fired by the company, a recent quote by the 57-year-old is circulating on social media to justify the same.
‘Almost never worked past 6 pm’
In a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, Narasimhan claimed that he ‘almost never’ worked past 6 pm to ensure that he spends the rest of the day with his family.
“I am very disciplined about balance. If there’s anything after 6 pm and I am in town, it’s got to be a pretty high bar to keep me away from the family. Anybody who gets a minute of time after that better be sure that it’s important…Because if not it will wait for another day,” he had said.
While Narasimhan’s sudden stepdown came as a surprise, netizens have been circulating the very quote from his July 7 interview to claim that he was in fact fired from his job for not working after 6 pm.
Work-life balance debate
The development comes at a time when a raging debate on work-life balance has taken centre stage in the corporate world. While several top professionals have advised youngsters to work beyond the stipulated eight-hour shift if they want to make it big in life, others have vehemently criticised it.
Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy too found himself in the midst of controversy after he said that youngsters should work for 12 hours a day so that India can compete with bigger economies. His comment withdrew widespread criticism with many industry leaders and professionals opining that by asking people to work for 70 hours a week, Murthy was not only asking them to sacrifice mental health and personal life, but also pushing women out of the workforce as they have additional responsibilities of housekeeping, caregiving and childrearing with which men seldom help.
Narasimhan replaced by Chipotle CEO
Starbucks on Tuesday said Narasimhan will step down from his role as CEO and as a member of the Starbucks board with immediate effect and will be replaced by Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol.
Lauding Narasimhan’s contribution to the company, Starbucks in a statement said that he improved the coffee chain’s partner experience, drove significant innovation in the supply chain and enhanced store operations during his tenure.
“On behalf of the board, I want to sincerely thank Laxman for his contributions to Starbucks, and his dedication to our people and brand,” said Mellody Hobson, Starbucks’ new lead independent director.
Narasimhan took over Starbucks in March 2023 and has seen the coffee chain largely struggle under his purview. Most recently, the chain’s sales dropped 3 per cent globally at stores open for at least a year, including a 2 per cent drop in its home North America market.
What’s behind his dismissal?
While Starbucks has not revealed the reason behind Narasimhan’s dismissal, reports say his exit was triggered by the company’s poor global performance, especially its operational hiccups in the US and China and the CEO’s recent controversies.
Reports said that there was considerable pressure on the coffee chain from activist investors Elliott Investment Management and Starboard Value, which own a chunk of stakes, to improve its performance and stock price.
The coffee chain was also at the receiving end of criticisms over the Israel-Palestine conflict last year after Starbucks Workers United posted messages of solidarity with Palestine on X following Hamas’ attack on Israel. This led to protests and call to boycott the coffee chain in the US.
