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  • July 2022
  • Supplement
  • HBS Case Collection

General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (B)

By: Debora L. Spar and Alicia Dadlani
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:5
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Abstract

Jeff Harmening, CEO of General Mills, one of the world's largest manufacturers of breakfast cereals and packaged foods, was deeply disturbed and instantly aware that he and General Mills would need to respond. George Floyd, an African-American man who had been accused by a sales clerk of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, had been arrested and then killed by Minneapolis police. The video of his heart-wrenching death had gone viral worldwide. In the past, the company had not typically commented on racial incidents. But this time felt different. As the leader of one of Minneapolis' largest companies, and one profoundly committed to its community, Harmening needed to determine how and to whom to respond.

Keywords

Race; Decisions; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Consumer Products Industry; Minneapolis; Minnesota; United States

Citation

Spar, Debora L., and Alicia Dadlani. "General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 323-020, July 2022.
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About The Author

Debora L. Spar

General Management
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  • Beyond the Barricades: Chile 2023 By: Debora L. Spar, Willis Emmons, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Ruth Costas
  • Barton Malow: Building From the Top-Down By: Hise O. Gibson and Alicia Dadlani
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