Leveraging Organizational Performance through Effective Mission Statement

Abstract

The mission statement is a critical and integral part of the organization as an entity and the operating plan, which has become a unique vehicle through which the organization in the business world, articulates it strategic intent to exist, survive, grow and how it relates with stakeholders around it and including the wider society. The important question to ask is whether or not the existence of a mission statement is associated with or influences organizational performance? The findings from the various studies which explored this relationship appear rather inconclusive. Adopting a qualitative research approach, this study critically explored the essential link between a mission statement and organizational performance. The study established that the potential power of an effective mission statement in leveraging organizational performance was derived mainly from the fact that a mission statement is the starting point of the organization's entire planning process, which serves as the basis for the formulation of objectives and strategies appropriate to the organization's overall purpose and legitimizes its existence. The study proposed that the organization should strive to improve its mission statement as well as communicate it effectively to create mutual expectations among stakeholders.