General Mills Organizational Analysis

In 1928 Washburn-Crosby Mill merged with 2 other mills to form General Mills (GM). General Mills is a consumer foods and Fortune 500 company, and is located in Golden Valley, Minnesota. General Mills is the sixth largest food company in the world, with 79 operating facilities around the world. GM is most commonly known for popular household brands such as Pillsbury, Green Giant, Betty Crocker, Yoplait yogurt and Wheaties cereal. During the 1970’s, General Mills began its move into the restaurant industry by purchasing a five unit chain called Red Lobster, and expanded it across the nation. A decade later, they added Olive Garden to the list. In recent years, GM has decided to include whole grain in all of its cereal products; in an attempt to capture customers with the growing health concerns in America. Shortly after, General Mills continued on that path by creating cereal that was not only whole grain, but contained less sugar as well. They supply tens of thousands of jobs to communities around the world, and with that, comes organizational behavior. In this paper we will be studying General Mills’ organizational behavior. We will be analyzing if and to what extent they are practicing consistent communication, group dynamics, and decision making. We will also examine General Mills’ leadership and politics of the company. Lastly, we will determine how GM’s loyalty to design, culture, and motivation continues to make this company one of the best places to work.
Background and History General Mills, Inc. is one of the leading breakfast cereal providers in the world, with such well-known brands as Cheerios, Chex, Cocoa Puffs, Kix, Total, Trix, and Wheaties that stock the shelves of supermarkets everywhere. In addition to its breakfast cereal products, the company includes some of the best names in other food lines such as Gold Medal flour, Bisquick baking mixes, Betty Crocker dessert mixes, Hamburger Helper