Mission Statements May Play an Important Role in the Strategic Management Process but the Creation of a ‘Sense of Mission’ Is Even More Beneficial to Organisations

EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY

MODULE
Strategic Management in a Global Context (SOP09101)

MODULE LEADER
Miss Grace Sharkey

ASSESSMENT A

Mission statements may play an important role in the strategic management process but the creation of a ‘sense of mission’ is even more beneficial to organisations

Submitted by
Lukas Radzevicius
20th October 2010

2201words

This essay is to debate the question whether the role of a mission statement is as important and beneficial as sense of mission and if they can work as two separate functions in the strategic management process for organisations.
Clear definition of mission statement and sense of mission must be understood to begin the research. Afterwards to analyse benefits and problems associated with mission statement is essential to implement this understanding into the strategic management model. So that we could finish with conclusion which will estimate importance of mission statement in organisation and its necessary connection with all levels of the company called “sense of mission”. Mission statement in some companies has a huge influence in all management levels of the firm, but in others it is still just addition on the wall and usually what’s forgotten. However the aim of this paper is to find out if sense of mission is more beneficial for organisations than mission statement, not to give a vivid view of all possible ways of mission statement realization. So when managers are asked what is the influence of mission statement in their company, can’t answer this simple question, what’s really clear, those mission statements are still relatively neglected and don’t find their way to every company’s management. Here the main problem emerges: is the mission statement needed at all, if the company can survive without it? Before answering this it is essential to clearly understand, what is meant by the mission statement.
First of all it is worth saying that there are

References: CK Bart (1997) Sex, Lies and Mission Statements, Business Horizons p 9-18 B Barktus, M Glassman and B McAfee (2000), Mission Statements –Are they Smoke and Mirrors? Business Horizons November/December p23-28; A Campbell and S Yeung (1991) Creating a Sense of Mission, Long Range Planning 24 4 p10-20; FR David (1989) How Companies Define Their Mission, Long Range Planning 22 1 p90-97; FR David and FR David (2003) Its Time to Redraft Your Mission Statement, The Journal of Business Strategy Jan/Feb 24 1 p11-14; J Mullane (2002) The Mission Statement is a Strategic Tool When used Properly, Management Decision 40 5/6 p 448-455; T Sufi and H Lyons (2003) Mission Statements Exposed, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 15 5 p255-262;