...have a bowl of General Mills Cheerios with Anderson Erickson 1% milk. As you munch on your cereal, you begin to look at the side of the box. What ingredients are in Cheerios? How are they processed and made? Who makes them? What does the factory look like? How are Cheerios packaged? What happens to the packaging when you throw the box away? How does General Mills do it all? How do they maintain customer loyalty? How do they manage their products? What is added to the product to satisfy the customer? General Mills’ brands are best known for quality and value added to their products. General Mills not only creates economic value, but it creates social and environmental value in the way it operates. General Mills is one of the largest companies in the world. Cheerios being one, General Mills manages 32 brands that offer various products. Yoplait offers many yogurt products focusing on the “goodness of taste” while supporting digestive health. Progresso offers a variety of soups and beans, as well as pasta dishes. Don’t forget about the Pillsbury crescent rolls at Thanksgiving or the chocolate chip cookies from Grandma’s house. These brands are all run by the company General Mills. As consumers, we sometimes question the entire process of how a product is made. Sometimes we wonder about the business that develops our products and what procedures they go through to create satisfaction for their customers. A ccording to their mission on the company website, General Mills strives to “nourish...
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...* Corporate sustainability initiatives and accomplishments are published on the Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire site at http://www.csrwire.com. Click on “Members” to find a long list of member companies. After reading information about the company, discuss their social responsibility efforts and sustainability initiatives. How do you think their efforts have impacted company profits? General Mills has shared its Global Responsibility Report to the public for the past 45 years. The report outlines the company’s approach to creating economic, environmental and social value in the countries it operates. Their goal is nourish lives and make an impact on our communities through various outlets. In 2005, General Mills implemented its US Health Matric. Since then, they have nutritionally improved more than 850 products. Their goal is to help people live healthier lives by creating nutritious foods, championing global food safety, education consumers about nutrition and fitness. Part of making this possible is sourcing. General Mills sources the raw materials used in their products. They hope that by 2020 they will source 100% of their top 10 priority ingredients. The environment is also of importance to General Mills. They strive to continually reduce their environmental footprint by improving the environmental performance of their operations. They have cut energy use by 10% and GHG emissions by 23% from 2005 to 2014. Also, since 2005, they have reduced their waste generation...
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...Spotlight on Selected Winners What goes on behind the scenes of a company to make it one of the World’s Most Ethical? We asked a number of individuals directly responsible for the ethical direction of their company. Following are some excerpts from their responses: Accenture Douglas G. Scrivner, General Counsel, Secretary & Compliance Officer In Accenture’s ethics and compliance program, the company uses six “core values” of stewardship, best people, client value creation, one global network, respect for the individual and integrity. Douglas Scrivner, General Counsel at Accenture, says that ethics and compliance can’t be effective if they’re only seen as “bolt-ons,” or something that is only done at the end of the day after the “regular work” is complete. “We aim to put ethics and compliance into the way our people work and lead. We seek to leverage existing processes, procedures, structures and functions to ensure the outcomes we are expecting and alignment with the goals of the organization,” says Scrivner. To better understand how the company’s ethics and compliance program is being received by employees, Accenture uses employee surveys, risk assessments and results of corporate investigations. Scrivner notes that in a recent survey, over 90 percent of employees feel that Accenture is highly ethical and that the company’s commitment to integrity has been communicated to the whole company. “Those are excellent scores for a company of more than 181,000 people,”...
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...Steven Masetti Professor Guo 11/29/13 BU201 General Mills General Mills is a company engaged in the marketing and manufacturing of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The company operates about 50 facilities for the production of the wide range of food products. General Mills operates through three business divisions, U.S. retail, international services, and bakeries and food service. Its consumer brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, and Wanchai Ferry. Its main headquarter is in Minneapolis and the company operates in more then 100 countries. General Mills’ International operations have been growing rapidly in recent years. Fiscal 2012 international segment net sales are expected to exceed US$4 billion. including sales from the Yoplait international yogurt business acquired July 1,2011. International sales are growing 22%, although earnings will be flat with last year, capped by one-time charges in 2012 for acquisitions of brands in Canada, Brazil and the U.S. General Mills product line is very well increasing in revenue and one main product that has been a huge seller is the Greek 100. Greek 100 is General Mills’ biggest-selling new Yoplait product in at least 20 years. It’s expected to do $140 million in sales in its first full year. Only about 2 percent of new consumer product launches do over $50 million in their first year so that’s really a big move. Greek...
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...managers, the addition of board-level ethics committees, the development of codes of conduct, the preparation and dissemination of values statements, the hiring of corporate social responsibility managers and training programs of all kinds. As the events of the past few years in the United States have demonstrated, these efforts, unfortunately, have not prevented certain U.S.-based corporations from engaging in unethical behaviors that lead to larger corporate scandals. This analysis will clearly demonstrate that General Mills is not one of those corrupt corporate entities. The pandemic of our current global economic discontent can be found in the continuing examples of questionable behavior not just by individual employees but also corporate executives. This malfeasance has given rise to critical questions of how corporate ethics efforts can be improved and can address the underlying causes of misconduct, as well as the growing demands for proactive, socially responsible, and sustainable business practices. This paper will discuss the efforts General Mills have gone through to remain the corporate model for ethical business practices while maintaining internal, self regulation to ensure they continue to earn the trust of the consumer. General Mills Background General Mills history started in 1866 when Cadwallader Wasburn created the first flour mill on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. After his father and his uncle entered the flour business in 1869, Wasburn...
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...support by Profundo (profundo@profundo.nl). Profundo is an economic research consultancy specialized in the analysis of financiers, suppliers and clients of companies and policy options to stimulate them to operate in a socially responsible way. This publication also benefits from funding support to Profundo from Doen Foundation ( The Netherlands) This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of WWF and do not necessary reflect the views of USAID or the United States government. 5 PART I: INTRODUCTION 5 7 8 10 12 What’s this handbook about? How to use the handbook The palm oil production chain Sustainability in the palm oil sector Financial institutions and palm oil CONTENTS Who’s doing what? Reducing risks in palm oil investments and investing 13 Sustainable banking and investing – a...
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...General Mills Today alone General Mills will provide 60 million servings of ready-to-eat cereal, 27 million servings of Yoplait dairy products, 5 million Pillsbury Cookies, and 1 million servings of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. These impressive numbers prove what a large and varied food company General Mills is. Throughout the semester we researched and analyzed General Mills from four different angles. These include a business model analysis, accounting and accounting risk analysis, a financial analysis, and a valuation analysis. We have decided General Mills is a successful company that will continue its success into the future. General Mills manufactures and markets branded consumer foods across the globe. It also supplies unbranded food and products to many food service industries. The company was founded in Minneapolis 1928 and it is still based there today. It has acquired many companies since its origination leaving it today as one of the world’s largest food suppliers. General Mills operates in three segments, one being retailers, the second is bakeries/food industries, and The business model for General Mills is to obtain a larger consumer base. The more consumers that enjoy or use General Mills products the more their revenue will go up. General Mills is large in marketing and tries to attract all age ranges with specific foods. It also wants to reach all food segments to be able to reach all types of customers...
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...largest full service seafood dining company in the world serving nearly three million people a week. In 1982, George McKerrow opened the first Longhorn Steakhouse in Atlanta, Georgia. The restaurant became famous when it remained opened during a very severe and infamous snowstorm offering $1.00 beers and food specials. Travelers who unfortunately got stuck and couldn’t make it home sought refuge in Longhorn. They were won over by great steaks, and hospitality leading Longhorn to become a huge success. By 2007, Darden celebrated the addition of the Longhorn Steakhouse brand to the company. Also in 1982, the first Olive Garden opened in Orlando, Florida. It was originally part of the General Mills Company and offered Italian-American cuisine. In 1995, however, Darden split from the General Mills Company. It became its own publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, and was named after the company’s founder to become as it is known today Darden Restaurants Inc. That same year the Darden Restaurant Inc. Foundation was founded and gives millions of dollars to organizations each...
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...Ethics Paper Bonnie L. Perry MGMT/498 Strategic Management Dulcelina Stahl August 27, 2012 The Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Developing a Strategic Plan Private corporations have a responsibility to society to do more than merely become a profitable organization. The strategic decisions of organizations are not made for the the benefit of the organization alone. Strategic decisions are also made to impact the community, consumers, and workforce of the corporation in a positive way. The strategic decisions made by a corporation are carefully made to reflect the mission and vision of the organization. Every decision includes the appropriateness of how the organization serves the community by keeping their needs and expectations in mind. The ethical interests of the organization must be well defined and all conflicts of interest or legal occurrences must be dealt with in a completely ethical manner. The stakeholder’s have the expectation of transparency from the organization so that their needs are taken into consideration during the course of developing the strategic plan for the organization. The question of what the ethical social responsibility requirements of an organization are can be answered in different ways depending on the view of the corporation. Milton Friedman and Archie Carroll have very different ideas of corporate responsibilities to society. Friedman believes...
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...Odette Jaller May 28, 2015 Politics and Processes Stephan Langdon Final Project: General Mills Company Background General Mills is a leading global producer of packaged consumer foods that was founded in 1928 (General Mills, 2014). General Mills is the world’s sixth largest food manufacture and the second largest producer of breakfast cereal in the United States. The company makes products in 15 countries and manages 40 production sites in the United States (General Mills, 2014). Within these sites, it employs about 35,000 workers, which allow the company to sell its products in more than 100 countries besides the Unites States. The company’s mission can be stated in two words: Nourishing lives. The company also has a strong international presence, selling its products in more than 100 countries. General Mills operates within three segments: US Retail, International, and Bakeries and Foodservice (General Mills, 2014). The company participates within the Cereal Production industry through its US Retail segment, which includes ready-to-eat cereal, organic cereal, granola bars and grain snacks. The cereal segment of its business is the most significant source of revenue, representing about 23% of US retail sales. Furthermore, it is estimated that US industry-specific revenue will grow at an annualized rate of 3.8% to $2.5 billion during the five years to fiscal 2013 (General Mills, 2014). Industry Analysis: Internationalization The breakfast cereal industry acquires raw...
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...Kumbaya – something only “hippies” could dream up. So what’s a CSR professional supposed to do when faced with such a varied response? Typically, I step on top of my soapbox to declare the six business reasons why companies should embrace corporate social responsibility. Companies that “get it” are the ones that are using CSR (or sustainability as I prefer to call it) as a way to push the following business processes into the organization: 1. Innovation – I know, I know, it’s an over-used term. Just typing the word into Amazon will bring up nearly 150,000 items. But in the context of CSR, innovation is a huge benefit to a company and society. For example, I recently watched a video of a brief talk by Geoff McDonald who is the Unilever Global VP for HR, Marketing, Communications and Sustainability. Using the “lens of sustainability” as McDonald described it, Unilever was able to innovate new products such as a hair conditioner that uses less water. Without sustainability, the company’s research and development efforts possibly wouldn’t have led to such a product. 2. Cost savings – One of the easiest places for a company to start engaging in sustainability is to use it as a way to cut costs. Whether it’s using less packaging or less energy, these savings add up quickly. For example,...
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...English 101 Linda Martin Research Paper Jordan Hartt November 29, 2010 Slash/Burn and Chips An argument for Biomass Co-Generation Biomass co-generation is the historically proved approach to energy production. For thousands of years, the Plains Indians (then early settlers) used buffalo chips to build fires to heat their tepees (and sod huts). This was probably the first use of biomass energy in America. Early settlers learned from the Indians to heat their sod huts. After the buffalo became extinct, cow chips were used. On the plains there weren’t many trees and coal had not been discovered there, so this was a matter of survival (Whyte n.d.). Once the chips were dried in the sun they were almost odorless, and placed outside the tepees and sod huts. Western pioneers would modify their stoves to burn cow chips as they were plentiful along the cattle drive trails where the cattle were brought to the railroad cars for sale, and transporting to other areas. They compacted hay and then twisted it into twig-like bundles called cats. When the settlers started farming on the plains, they used corn stalks, corn cobs, and sunflower stalks as a source of fuel. In the United States, the first facility identified as a biomass power plant went on line in 1982. Using corn residues, rice husks, soy beans and sorghum residues, willows, switch grass, and organic waste from land fills as fuel, we could provide enough energy for all the homes in New England (Whyte n.d.). I...
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...Jossey-Bass Reader (ISBN # 0-7879-7341-6). It is available from both BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com. Course Overview This course is about the creation and maintenance of long term value for the organization. It is concerned with both the determination of the strategic direction of the firm and the management of the strategic process. The course builds on prior studies of functional areas while recognizing that most real business problems are inherently multi-functional in nature. Thus, this course employs an explicitly integrative approach in which we adopt the role of the general manager who has the responsibility for the long-term health of the entire organization. The course would be taught primarily through the case method of instruction. Course Objectives 1. Understand the nature of strategic competitiveness and develop the ability to analyze the competitive environment facing a firm, assess the attractiveness of the industry and isolate potential sources of competitive advantage and disadvantage. 2. Develop business level strategies by defining the type of advantage sought, scope of operations and activities required to deliver the chosen strategy. Assess the likely sustainability of firm strategies and competitive positions. 3. Discriminate among the types of data that general managers need to evaluate alternative scenarios....
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...Jossey-Bass Reader (ISBN # 0-7879-7341-6). It is available from both BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com. Course Overview This course is about the creation and maintenance of long term value for the organization. It is concerned with both the determination of the strategic direction of the firm and the management of the strategic process. The course builds on prior studies of functional areas while recognizing that most real business problems are inherently multi-functional in nature. Thus, this course employs an explicitly integrative approach in which we adopt the role of the general manager who has the responsibility for the long-term health of the entire organization. The course would be taught primarily through the case method of instruction. Course Objectives 1. Understand the nature of strategic competitiveness and develop the ability to analyze the competitive environment facing a firm, assess the attractiveness of the industry and isolate potential sources of competitive advantage and disadvantage. 2. Develop business level strategies by defining the type of advantage sought, scope of operations and activities required to deliver the chosen strategy. Assess the likely sustainability of firm strategies and competitive positions. 3. Discriminate among the types of data that general managers need to evaluate alternative scenarios....
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...REPORT Independent Assessment of the Sugar Industry 2002 Clive Hildebrand Independent Assessment of the Sugar Industry 2002 Clive Hildebrand Report to the Hon. Warren Truss MP Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry I n d e p e n d e n t A s s e s s m e n t o f t h e S u g a r I n d u s t r y Secretariat: GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601 ph: +61 2 6272 4388 fax: +61 2 6272 3359 email: sugar@affa.gov.au web: www.affa.gov.au/sugar The Hon Warren Truss MP Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Dear Minister I have pleasure in presenting my Assessment of the sugar industry’s viability and restructuring needs as requested. It is my personal opinion, neither more nor less, after an intense period of contact activity covering all the groups requested, and after personal research. As requested it is written in direct terms, and is without modification for outside requests except to observe confidentiality. While at times critical, it is a genuine attempt to contribute to the long term future of this industry, which is so rich with history and today’s hard working and dedicated people, and so important to regional coastal Queensland and northern New South Wales, as well as the Ord River Irrigation Area. The process chosen was open and transparent. Despite time limitations I am confident that I have been given a privileged insight into the state of the industry and the key issues. Economic and environmental drivers were examined...
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