Mission statement

A mission statement is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation.[1][2] It may include a short statement of such fundamental matters as the organization's values or philosophies, a business's main competitive advantages, or a desired future state—the "vision".[1][3]

Historically it is associated with Christian religious groups; indeed, for many years, a missionary was assumed to be a person on a specifically religious mission. The word "mission" dates from 1598, originally of Jesuits sending ("missio", Latin for "act of sending") members abroad.[4]

A mission statement is not simply a description of an organization by an external party, but an expression, made by an organization's leaders, of their desires and intent for the organization. A mission statement aims to communicate the organisation's purpose and direction to its employees, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders. A mission statement also creates a sense of identity for employees. Organizations normally do not change their mission statements over time, since they define their continuous, ongoing purpose and focus.[5]

According to Chris Bart, professor of strategy and governance at McMaster University,[6] a commercial mission statement consists of three essential components:[7]

  1. key market: the target audience
  2. contribution: the product or service
  3. distinction: what makes the product unique or why the audience should buy it over another

Bart estimates that in practice, only about ten percent of mission statements say something meaningful.[6] For this reason, such statements are widely regarded with contempt.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Entrepreneur was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gibson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hill was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "mission - Etymology, origin and meaning". Etymonline. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BusinessDict was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Bromides was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Bart, Christopher K. (November–December 1997). "Sex, Lies and Mission Statements". Business Horizons: 9–18.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference SexLies was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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