Mission Statement Analysis

A mission statement defines the mission and goal of an organization and provides direction for all parties involved with the organization. According to McMillian and Hausler (n.d.) a mission statement “should guide employees in making decisions and establish what the organization does. Mission statements are crucial for organizations to prosper and grow.” Mission statements help everyone within the organization find a common purpose and goal and help “strengthen culture through a unified sense of purpose” (Evans, 2010). Having a clear mission also increases productivity and follower buy in (McMillian & Hausler). Mission statements have been shown to have a positive impact on their organizations, but simply having an organizational mission …show more content…
Many of organizations are operating without a written mission statement. Without a written mission statement, it is easy for organizations to stray from their main mission because they do not have any clear reason to make decisions. This is dangerous in a culture of ever changing morals and ethics. McMillian and Hausler (n.d.) stress ethical implications of a mission statement when they state, “The organization defines what is acceptable behavior through the mission statement. Values and beliefs are the core of a strong mission statement.” According to the Drucker, “Unless the basic concepts on which a business has been built are visible, clearly understood, and explicitly expressed, an organization is at the mercy of events” (as cited in Fish & McFadden, p. 2). Without a strong written mission statement organizations may be persuaded to act in an unethical …show more content…
The old saying that “winning cures all” is often the motto for athletic programs. Athletic directors allow unethical behavior to occur as long as a specific sport’s program is successful on the field. A local Christian school is an example of this. The athletic department had a rule against coaches swearing and even fired a few assistant coaches because of their behavior. However, the football coach swore and treated his players in an unethical manner. Despite his behavior the school allowed him to continue to coach because the team was extremely successful on the field. This created tension in the athletic department and hurt the school’s image among the local community. Although most programs claim to place priority on academics and moral behavior, it is obvious that the performance on the field or court as well as revenue drive their