It's Miller Time

Executive Summary – Revitalization of the corporate culture of Miller BrewingHaving reviewed Miller Brewing’s revitalization, we will analyze the “downward spiral” of Miller Brewing and the corresponding necessity of a cultural shift. It is our belief that the cultural shift was necessary, well deployed, and vital for the health of the company.

Realistically there were two options for Miller Brewing: a cultural shift designed to resurrect the company, or the continued decline of the company itself. Regardless of the difficulties in undertaking a cultural shift, it was preferred over watching a once proud and strong company wither away. Changing the culture at Miller was better than allowing Miller to drift into mediocrity, eventually becoming just another small brewing company. Miller had already witnessed other breweries in Milwaukee, like Pabst and Schlitz, recede into obscurity in the national market (Carter). Miller’s goal was to avoid being another once proud brewery.

Norman Adami, the newly appointed CEO of Miller, took radical steps to revitalize the organization.

English: Miller Genuine Draft (beer) Svenska: Mill...

Millers Road, The Rocks

FOR SALE: Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass (Japan) a...

Adami “restocked much of the executive suite with consumer product heavyweights” (Carter). Strained relationships between Miller and independent distributors were revived and strengthened. Employees were educated about the brewing process, instilling greater levels of pride and passion (Carter). Adami established a dramatic sense of urgency (Carter) which encouraged others to follow suit, making the company more nimble and responsive. Through Adami’s direction, the company revisited its founding culture. This shift revitalized Miller Brewing by reinstating the core company values: Quality, Uncompromising, and Unchanging (www.beerhistory.com).

The cultural shift observed follows Lewin’s Model of Change. During a cultural shift, a group will transition through three stages. These stages initiate, implement, and maintain change, and were respectively named Unfreezing, Changing, and Refreezing by Lewin. Under the direction of Adami, current operational processes and procedures were recognized as ineffective, new...