scholarly journals Mission statements: what university research parks tell us about timing

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 46-53
Author(s):  
Inés Alegre ◽  
Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent ◽  
Adrian Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Mission Statement ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
University Research ◽  
Strategy Formulation ◽  
Research Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategy Versus ◽  
Research Parks ◽  
The Difference

Purpose Mission statements are a key element of any organization. Ideally, the mission statement should be written at the initial stages of an organization’s life to be a useful tool to guide future organization’s decisions and strategy. However, at the early stages of an organization’s life, the organization might still be under development with the objective and stakeholders not yet well-defined, and therefore, stating the mission so early on, might neglect some important elements. In this paper, the authors explore the difference in mission statement quality between missions that have been created at the birth stage of an organization versus missions that are just explicitly formulated once the organization is already well-established and an underlying implicit mission already exists. The authors use as an empirical setting university research parks. Design/methodology/approach The authors evaluate mission statement quality using content analysis. The authors then test the differences on mission statement quality between two groups of research parks, those that have followed a creation strategy versus those that have followed a formulation strategy, using mean of differences test. Findings The authors find that a formulation strategy produces more complete mission statements than the creation strategy. Research parks that have followed a formulation strategy include in their mission statements more references to relevant stakeholders, such as investors, than parks following a creation strategy with respect to their mission statement. Research limitations/implications The research setting is Spanish Science Parks. This research setting is appropriate to answer the research question, as two Park creation strategies, planned and unplanned, allow the researchers to clearly differentiate between two mission conception strategies. However, the sample size is rather small. Practical implications Research has shown that a well-defined mission helps organizations focus and strategy formulation. The authors’ research offers some guidance on how to achieve a high-quality mission statement which will, in turn, help organizations have a better definition of their purpose. Originality/value Research until now has assumed that the mission statement should be formulated at the initial stages of the organization’s life. The authors’ research shows that defining the mission statement later in the process creates higher-quality mission statements that better reflect the organizations purpose and relevant stakeholders.

What do mission statements reveal about the values of top universities in the world?

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristijan Breznik ◽  
Kris M.Y. Law
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Core Values ◽  
Strategic Orientation ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Oriented ◽  
Internationalization Strategies ◽  
The Difference

Purpose Mission statements are perceived as effective strategic tools and foundations of an organization's objectives, driving the development of strategic plans to meet the established goals. A vast number of studies have investigated mission statements in industry; however, little is known on how mission statements affect institutes in the higher education sector. Every university is intrinsically different, with its own mission and goals. This study aims to explore how mission statements make the difference among universities, by understanding the values delivered by the mission statements. Design/methodology/approach This study attempts to understand the core values of universities through a content analysis of the mission statements of the top 250 universities worldwide. Findings The results show four core dimensions in university mission statements, namely, “Education Philosophies”, “Strategic Orientation”, “Social Responsibility” and “Values to Stakeholders”, while the most common core values are “Research”, “Educate” and “Student”. Research limitations/implications Mission statements offer insightful venues for the analysis of the strategic directions of universities. The results show that top universities present their core values through their mission statements. Some mission statements are more service-oriented (towards students) and some are more social-oriented (towards society and stakeholders). These mission statements are communicated to various stakeholders. “Education philosophies” are communicated to educators and students, “Social responsibility” is to the society, “Values to the stakeholders” are towards the different parties involved in the education system and the last one “Strategic orientation” is for the strategy setting. Originality/value This paper proposes a new methodology of mission statement studies, covering not only studies on mission statements but also the internationalization strategies of universities, which attract attention from academics and education researchers.

Top ranked hospitals: does diversity inclusion matter?

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary D. Futrell ◽  
Tiffany N. Clemons
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
World Report

Purpose The purpose of this research is to compare the mission statements of the hospitals listed on the 2014 US News & World Report’s Best Hospitals List to investigate the research question, “Are high ranking hospitals (HRH) more likely than low ranking hospitals (LRH) to address cultural diversity in strategic statements?” Design/methodology/approach The strategic statements of 44 HRH and 56 LRH were compared using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Findings While the data do not support the notion that HRHs are more likely than LRHs to address diversity in strategic statements, HRHs are more likely than LRHs to actually devote resources to address the issues of cultural diversity. Research limitations/implications The current research is limited to a sample taken from the US News & World Report Best Hospitals. This is not a definitive list, and a multitude of third-party hospital raters exist – each with its own unique metrics. Practical implications The results do not show a relationship between a hospital’s mission statement and its ranking in the US News List of Best Hospitals. However, the findings suggest that hospitals that maintain a dedicated diversity manager/office do tend to be higher ranked. Originality/value This is the first known investigation of the relationship between the inclusion of diversity in hospital mission statements and hospital rankings. The research suggests that addressing diversity in strategic statements is simply not enough and that dedicated, ground-level resources are necessary to properly impact quality care and third-party ratings.

Leveraging the organizational mission statement to communicate identity, distinctiveness and purpose to primary and secondary stakeholders during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorelei Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Organizational Mission ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Core Mission ◽  
Keyword Searches

PurposeThis study examines comprehensiveness and responsiveness of mission statements for the top 100 retailers on the 2020 National Retailers Federation list in order to (1) evaluate how effectively they communicate organizational identity, values and purpose, (2) underscore a distinctive commitment to stakeholders and (3) what extent these efforts are reflected in revised mission statements or addenda to meet global pandemic challenges.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a 4-question metric to measure comprehensiveness and a two-pronged qualitative method of analysis consisting of keyword searches followed by content analysis.FindingsRetailer statements are considerably comprehensive in describing purpose and audience yet very few articulate stakeholder value, differentiate themselves as distinctive or substantively reaffirm their core mission and values. Retailers seem more invested in strategic communication around diversity, equity and inclusion, based on web content in their consumer, job seeker and investor touchpoints.Research limitations/implicationsCoding and interpreting language through content analysis methods may introduce some level of subjectivity, particularly when dealing with unstructured data. Implications for how organizations acclimated in order to survive and thrive, while maintaining focus on stakeholders and strategy. Examining organizational mission statements and their contexts yields perspective into how organizations define themselves and what they do during times of crisis.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into the content, structure and functions of the statements against a specific comprehensiveness metric and reveals patterns about the texts and their contexts during a pandemic and strong cultural and societal movements.

Beyond metrics

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber N. Welch ◽  
Krystal Wyatt-Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Human Ecology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assessment Plans ◽  
History Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to developing a makerspace assessment plan. This approach focuses on connecting organizational and service point mission statements with outcome-based assessment plan goals, strategies, methods, and success measures. Design/methodology/approach This paper will outline the steps taken by an academic research library to design an outcomes-based assessment plan that monitors the human ecology of a makerspace. The paper includes a history of the space, the role of the library within the campus makerspace environment, the connection between mission statements and assessment plans, and how that connection can facilitate and drive space and service design. Findings Designing assessment plans that are centered on a makerspace mission statement can ensure that progress toward fulfilling the mission, values, and goals of the space is constantly monitored. Originality/value Academic library makerspace assessment literature is still in its infancy. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature on academic library makerspace management and stewardship.

Commonplace and common language: Kentucky's district mission statements

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-340
Author(s):  
W. Kyle Ingle ◽  
Terra Greenwell ◽  
Justin Woods
Keyword(s):  
State Policy ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sequential Procedures ◽  
And Mathematics

PurposeWe sought to identify codes and themes in the mission statements of Kentucky's school districts and examine the relationship between district characteristics and the mission statements.Design/methodology/approachWe undertook a mixed methods design, specifically, a sequential transformative strategy with a theoretical lens overlaying the sequential procedures and guiding the analysis.FindingsAnalysis revealed a range of 1–7 codes per mission statement and a mean of 3.05. Generic student success and individual attention represented the most frequently occurring codes in the mission statements. Chi-square tests of bivariate association yielded no significant differences between districts by locale. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the percentage of students in the district scoring proficient or distinguished in both reading and mathematics was associated significantly (p < 0.05) with the theme of student support.Research limitationsAlthough we cannot establish causation between mission statements content and student outcomes or vice-versa, district mission statement remain a visible and public expression of why an organization exists that should guide actions and decision-making, whether instructional, financial or otherwise.Practical implicationsOur study revealed shared institutional language within mission statements across Kentucky's school district, largely without regard to local context. Our analysis suggests that federal and state policy makers are influencing mission statements more so than those at the local level.Originality/valueOur analysis provides further evidence that suggests that federal and state policy makers are influencing mission statements more so than those at the local level.

scholarly journals Objectives of Islamic banks: a missive from mission statements and stakeholders’ perceptions

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishfaq Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Musarrat Nawaz ◽  
Rizwan Qaisar Danish ◽  
Ahmad Usman ◽  
Muhammad Zeeshan Shaukat
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communication Flow ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
Conventional Banks

Purpose It is believed that the core aim of Islamic institution is idiosyncratic from conventional business entities. Considering this presumption, this study aims to reveal the understandings of various stakeholders about objectives of Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach The research endeavor is based on the findings of two distinctive studies, where Study 1 was aimed at investigating the communication of objectives through mission statements of Islamic banks and conventional banks with window operations. Here, mission statements were analyzed using content analysis and readability and understandability tests. Study 2, on the other hand, was aimed at investigating the understandings of various stakeholders, both internal (employees) and external (Muslim and non-Muslim customers of both Islamic and conventional banks, employees and management of conventional banks and business students). In total, 370 responses were received and analyzed in this study. Findings The findings (Study 1) unveil, the fact, that the mission statements of Islamic banks working in Pakistan are not good at communicating the corporate goals clearly. Out of ten banks investigated for Study 1, it is evident that only one bank (HBL, with window operations) was at par with readability threshold standards. Thus, it was imperative to share that mission statements of Islamic banks are difficult to read and comprehend. Study 2 adds further by revealing that most of the stakeholders are not clear about the objectives of these banks, while customers of conventional banks do not value the distinctive objectives of Islamic banks. Research limitations/implications This study leaves a valuable message for the policy makers and top management of Islamic banks by focusing on the unattended part on their end, i.e. quality of mission statements and stakeholders’ perception about the objectives of their organization, thus highlighting the needs of greater emphasis on the communication flow to stakeholders, as the clarity of business purpose may change the way customers react toward the business and opt for banking – customer relation in future. Originality/value This study covers a multi-dimensional investigation of the understanding and communication of objectives of Islamic banks. There is dearth of literature focusing on the aspects of content analysis, mission statement readability and understandability and investigation of stakeholders’ perception in tandem.

scholarly journals BUILDING OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ETHOS THROUGH MISSION STATEMENTS: THE DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel PERNICA ◽  
Ladislav TYLL
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Specific Group ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Research Show

Corporate mission statement is an essential statement to all stakeholders of the organization about its own purpose, its goals and the competitive advantage it offers to its customers. Another purpose of the mission is to create a so-called positive ethos. Universities represent a specific group of institutions from the perspective of defining missions and working with ethos. This paper identifies the elementary components of university missions that help build a positive ethos. The research is focused on the analysis of mission statements of all public and private universities operating in the Czech Republic. The results of this research show that there is a difference in the approach to defining missions between public and private universities (in terms of the inclusion of individual components that help building a positive ethos).

Linking college mission statements to cost containment strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 792-804
Author(s):  
Jessica K. Simon ◽  
Megan McDonald Way ◽  
Lidija Polutnik ◽  
Jeremy Albright
Keyword(s):  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Cost Containment ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Plans ◽  
The Usa

Purpose Leaders at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the USA experience substantial pressure to contain costs while advancing their educational missions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between publicly stated academic cost-containment objectives found in HEI’s strategic plans and mission statements, which help to unify stakeholders and link strategy to an organization’s purpose. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes mission statements and strategic plans of 57 small, private HEIs in the Northeastern USA. HEIs in this sample published strategic plans with an explicit cost-containment goal. Mission statements were analyzed for readability. Thematic analysis was conducted using the balanced scorecard approach. Associations between a stated academic cost containment goal and mission statement themes are presented using logistic regression. Findings Mission statements of HEIs focused on academic cost containment are wordier and more varied. They tend not to mention “liberal arts,” a potential signal of a high-quality, high-cost school; less selective schools may be more likely to emphasize academic cost cutting. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the literature demonstrating mission statements’ role in goal setting. Further, it considers college costs from college administrators’ perspectives. Given the small sample size, future work should expand the sample and use case studies to explore how mission shapes or constrains strategic objectives. Originality/value This is the first paper using qualitative and quantitative analysis to explore the association between the mission statements of small HEIs and academic cost containment goals in strategic plans, documents intended to support differentiation in a crowded market.

The mission statement: organisational culture perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 612-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Babnik ◽  
Kristijan Breznik ◽  
Valerij Dermol ◽  
Nada Trunk Širca
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Approach ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of mission statement contents and its function in guiding employee's behaviour from the organisational culture (OC) perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a mixed method approach. The quantitative content analysis of mission statements was performed on a sample of 222 Slovenian companies. Mission statement's keywords were analysed with exploratory factor analysis. Advanced network analytic approaches such as PathFinder algorithm were utilised to obtain better understanding of interrelatedness of underlying mission components. Three interviews with the top managers were performed as well. Findings – The mission statement content analysis identified five associated organisations’ orientations: concern for stakeholders, orientation towards stability, orientation towards cooperation and innovation, and development and growth. The interviews confirm missions’ role in communicating the espoused or declared OC, although different approaches to achieve employees’ commitment to the organisation's mission can be identified in regard to the size of the organisation. Originality/value – The cultural approach to the analysis of mission statements confirms that the mission statements incorporate basic contents of OC. The methodology applied gives new possibilities in the research of OC perspective of strategic statements.

Evaluating national library mission statements in Ibero-America

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 274-293
Author(s):  
Ana Reyes Pacios ◽  
María Pilar Pérez-Piriz
Keyword(s):  
Mission Statement ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
National Library ◽  
Standard Pattern ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Legacy ◽  
Library Websites ◽  
Website Content ◽  
National Libraries ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the websites of 22 national libraries in Ibero-America to determine whether and how effectively they display these organisations’ mission statements, as well as any convergence/divergence among these texts. Design/methodology/approach A review was conducted of the national library websites of ABINIA’s 22 members to locate their respective mission statements. The statements identified were analysed and evaluated against the positioning and presence criteria and wording proposed by experts. Findings Website content clearly attests to national libraries’ eagerness to publicise their mission statements, which are readily accessible in most cases. Their functions are represented to a more or less standard pattern. Most are portrayed as institutions responsible for custodying, enriching, preserving and disseminating their countries’ cultural legacy. Other purposes mentioned include the promulgation of and accessibility to the heritage custodied. Practical implications The paper may prove useful for professional librarians involved in drafting or revising their organisation’s mission statement in the wake of changing circumstances or on the occasion of the formulation of a new strategic plan. Originality/value Of the very short number of analyses of libraries’ mission statements published to date, none discusses national libraries. This is the very first study of national library mission statement in Ibero-America. It forms part of a line of research dealing with national library mission statements defined and available on institutional websites for countries anywhere in the world.

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