Determine the relative effectiveness of the General Mill strategic controls. Choose two implementation controls, and discuss whether or not you believe the controls you've selected effectively support the company's strategic choices.
General Mills has been a company focused on differentiation, and to drive this type of behavior the company needs to capture the right employees. In 2014, Forbes ranked General Mills as one of the most innovative companies because of their drive to create innovative products and their focus on technology and quality within the company (Christenson, 2014). Culture is an important part of the company that fosters the growth of employees and encourages innovation and new ideas. General Mills has built a workplace that has received many rewards, which can be used to capture and retain talent at the company. General Mills has recently been recognized as a top company for diversity and woman’s rights, LGBT equality, and named a top company to work for (Awards, n.d.). The culture of the company creates shared values among the employees, which can help drive the strategic vision of the company. General Mills also implements strategic controls around information systems and technology to move the company forward. At a company focused on differentiation, General Mills recently moved the Box Tops program into an app for parents (Olmsted, 2016). This technology makes it easier for consumers to get money for their schools, and also helps the company have more interaction with their consumers after their purchase. In addition, General Mills uses their food technology to grow operations and partner companies in Africa. Through the use of information systems, the company can partner from over 8,000 miles away to help make food processing five times more efficient (Powell, 2013). Through the use of technology, General Mills is able to strategically impact operations around the word more efficiently and differentiate themselves from competitors.