Mission statements vary widely from one company to another. One mission statement could be better than another. Using the Internet, find the mission statements of three different organizations, which can be business or not-for profit. (They can often be found via a link on a company’s Web page ) Which mission statement you find the best among the three? Why? You can evaluate the mission statement using the following questions. (Write mission statements of three companies but evaluate only the one which you find best. ).

Learning Outcome:

Students will understand the scope of mission.

Students will learn the importance of mission in shaping strategy.

They will understand the importance of determining the company’s direction.

Mission is to the company what a compass is to an explorer. It will provide the students a framework for decision making.

Students are expected to learn how a clear mission can facilitate in evaluation and overall improvement.

Answer The Following Questions:

1. Does the statement describe an inspiring purpose that avoids playing to the selfish interests of the stakeholders?

2. Mention the scope of the mission statement (Broad vs. Narrow)

3. Does the statement describe the company’s responsibility to its stakeholders?

4. Does the statement define a business domain and explain why it is attractive?

5. Does the statement describe the strategic positioning that the company prefers in a way that helps to identify the sort of competitive advantage it will look for?

6. Does the statement identify values that link with the organization’s purpose and act as beliefs with which employees can feel proud?

7. Do the values resonate with and reinforce the organization’s strategy?

8. Does the statement describe important behavior standards that serve as beacons of the strategy and the values?

9. Are the behavior standards described in a way that enables individual employees to judge whether they are behaving correctly?

10. Does the statement give a portrait of the company, capturing the culture of the organization?

11. Is the statement easy to read?