Mission statement

A mission statement is a written statement of an organization about their self-image and their basic principles. It formulates a goal state ( Realistic ideal ). Internally, a mission statement is to provide orientation and thus act action-guiding and motivating for the organization as a whole and the individual members. To the outside ( public, customers ) should make it clear what an organization is. It is a base for the corporate identity of an organization. A mission statement describes the mission and vision of the organization and the desired organizational culture. It is part of the normative management and provides a framework for strategies, goals and operational action.

Functions of models

Orientation is the main function of a vision inward, into the organization. A mission statement should answer the question for the staff and members " What we stand for as a community? " ( Vision / first cause ), "What we want to achieve together? " ( Mission / task (s) ) and " What values ​​and principles are our conduct action? ". Since these questions are always answered attractive is linked to a mission statement the hope of a positive motivation.

Positive public relations is the function of a vision to the outside. It should customers, citizens and opinion leaders? " What does this organization " associated with a positive image effect, answer the question. The development of guidelines is often the starting point or part of change processes. Through the description of a positive mission statement a foundation for positive change and development of the organization is to be created.

Criticism

Whether the extent to which models meet and their function is controversial in theory and practice. The criticism against individual mission statements goes in two directions: either the content of the mission statement or individual blocks are rejected or criticized the model as a " collection of platitudes " as not giving orientation.

Basically controversial is the question of whether the development of a model actually can be the starting point of positive changes in an organization. In mission statements will often described with much effort an ideal image, which has little in common with reality and there's been no answer as to how this ideal a reality.

Horst Steinmann and Georg Schreyögg write to:

" Only rarely, however, these models have something to do with the actual corporate culture; usually there are more wishful thinking than depiction of cultural reality. "

This is closely related to the fact that corporate mission statements and visions - which are a basic normative orientation - not only evolved, but also on the strategic and operational level ultimately need to be broken down. Among other things, it can be deduced thereto the strategic capability of enterprises. Another point of criticism Reinhard awl leads, is aimed at the organization introverted history of management theory. He criticized the fact that corporate models, corporate cultures and, ultimately, the former corporate philosophies are unidirectional to internal conditions. Thus, the models do not refer to the market and societal environments.

Reinhard Awl writes:

" If we succeed in business, more than in the past to exercise their cultural role in relation to the social environments, then it comes down to this self- perceptions and self-descriptions to communicate externally, content reshape corporate models in this direction. Just think can succeed to some extent the balance between the notions of identity of the company and those of the heterogeneous outside world. "