The Heineken company has been intentionally designed with a complex and decentralized structure that differentiates geographically and functionally, relieving local managers of responsibility in a wide variety of areas in spite of the decentralized nature of the company. This is now being brought into question because the structure may not leave local managers with enough autonomy to keep them interested and to get the most out of them. The decentralization of Heineken is thus something of a paradox, for in this decentralization itself there is a centralization of functions and decision-making operations. The problem is to determine the proper balance. The essence of the problem is seen in the statement of a member of the executive board who begins, "In principle we want to decentralize as much as possible; people in the field should be responsible for their contribution." However, as he notes, this is a one-brand, one-product company, and this fact alone limits the degree
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