Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T00:07:26.308Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The real mission of the mission statement: A systematic review of the literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2018

Inés Alegre ,
Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent ,
Adrián Guerrero  and
Marta Mas-Machuca
Inés Alegre
Affiliation:
IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain
Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent*
Affiliation:
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Adrián Guerrero
Affiliation:
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Marta Mas-Machuca
Affiliation:
Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A mission statement is a widely used strategic tool that emphasises an organisation’s uniqueness and identity. It was in the early 1980s that academics, managers, and consultants recognised the need for explicitly formulating a mission statement in organisations. Since then, mission statements have remained as a popular strategic tool in organisations. This article conducts a systematic literature review to synthesise research on mission statements. The analysis of the 53 articles selected includes a bibliometric and content analysis. According to their perspective, the works selected were grouped into four thematic areas: (1) mission statement development, (2) mission statement components, (3) mission impact on employees, and (4) mission impact on performance. The overreaching conclusion is that mission statements are widely used in practice but poorly researched in theory. Most articles adopt a managerial phenomenon-based strand, lacking a deep theoretical foundation. The article ends with suggestions for further research in terms of theory, practice, and methodology.

Keywords

missionmission statementliterature reviewbibliometric analysisfirm performance
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , July 2018 , pp. 456 - 473
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amran, A., Lee, S. P., & Devi, S. S. (2014). The influence of governance structure and strategic corporate social responsibility toward sustainability reporting quality. Business Strategy and the Environment, 23(4), 217–235.Google Scholar
Ansoff, H. I. (1965). Corporate strategy: Business policy for growth and expansion. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Atrill, P., Omran, M., & Pointon, J. (2005). Company mission statements and financial performance. Corporate Ownership and Control, 2(3), 28–35.Google Scholar
Baetz, M. C., & Bart, C. K. (1996). Developing mission statements which work. Long Range Planning, 29(4), 526–533.Google Scholar
Baetz, B., & Kenneth, C. (1998). The relationship between mission statements and firm performance: An exploratory study. Journal of Management Studies, 35(6), 823–853.Google Scholar
Bagnoli, L., & Megali, C. (2011). Measuring performance in social enterprises. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40(1), 149–165.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K. (2001). Exploring the application of mission statements on the World Wide Web. Internet Research, 11(4), 360–369.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K. (1997a). Industrial firms and the power of mission. Industrial Marketing Management, 26(4), 371–383.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K. (1997b). Sex, lies, and mission statements. Business Horizons, 40(6), 9–18.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K., & Baetz, M. C. (1998). The relationship between mission statements and firm performance: An exploratory study. Journal of Management Studies, 36(6), 823–853.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K., Bontis, N., & Taggar, S. (2001). A model of the impact of mission statements on firm performance. Management Decision, 39(1), 19–35.Google Scholar
Bart, C. K., & Hupfer, M. (2004). Mission statements in Canadian hospitals. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 18(2), 92–110.Google Scholar
Bartkus, B. R., & Glassman, M. (2008). Do firms practice what they preach? The relationship between mission statements and stakeholder management. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(2), 207–216.Google Scholar
Bartkus, B. R., Glassman, M., & McAfee, B. (2006). Mission statement quality and financial performance. European Management Journal, 24(1), 86–94.Google Scholar
Bates, D. L., & Dillard, J. E. (1991). Desired future position—A practical tool for planning. Long Range Planning, 24(3), 90–99.Google Scholar
Biloslavo, R., & Lynn, M. (2007). Mission statements in Slovene enterprises: Institutional pressures and contextual adaptation. Management Decision, 45(4), 773–788.Google Scholar
Blodgett, M. S., Dumas, C., & Zanzi, A. (2011). Emerging trends in global ethics: A comparative study of US and international family business values. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(1), 29–38.Google Scholar
Brabet, J., & Klemm, M. (1994). Sharing the vision: Company mission statements in Britain and France. Long Range Planning, 27(1), 84–94.Google Scholar
Campbell, A., & Yeung, S. (1991). Creating a sense of mission. Long Range Planning, 24(4), 10–20.Google Scholar
Cardona, P., & Rey, C. (2008). Management by missions. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.Google Scholar
Chandler, A. (1962). Strategy and structure. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Collins, D. (2000). Virtuous individuals, organizations and political economy: A new age theological alternative to capitalism. Journal of Business Ethics, 26(4), 319–340.Google Scholar
David, F. R. (1989). How companies define their mission. Long Range Planning, 22(1), 90–97.Google Scholar
Davies, S. W., & Glaister, K. W. (1997). Business school mission statements—The bland leading the bland? Long Range Planning, 30(4), 481–604.Google Scholar
Davis, J. H., Ruhe, J. A., Lee, M., & Rajadhyaksha, U. (2007). Mission possible: Do school mission statements work? Journal of Business Ethics, 70(1), 99–110.Google Scholar
Demb, A., Chouet, D., Lossius, T., & Neubauer, F. (1989). Defining the role of the board. Long Range Planning, 22(1), 61–68.Google Scholar
Drucker, P. (1973). Management, tasks, responsibilities and practices. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Freeman, R. E., & Reed, D. L. (1983). Stockholders and stakeholders: A new perspective on corporate governance. California Management Review, 25(3), 88–106.Google Scholar
Galvin, P., & Arndt, F. (2014). Strategic management: Building depth as well as breadth. Journal of Management and Organization, 20(2), 139–147.Google Scholar
Germain, R., & Cooper, M. B. (1990). How a customer mission statement affects company performance. Industrial Marketing Management, 19(1), 47–54.Google Scholar
Green, K. W. Jr, & Medlin, B. (2003). The strategic planning process: The link between mission statement and organizational performance. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 2(1), 23–32.Google Scholar
Grundy, T. (1995). Destroying shareholder value: Ten easy ways. Long Range Planning, 28(3), 776–883.Google Scholar
Handler, W. C. (1994). Succession in family business: A review of the research. Family Business Review, 7(2), 133–157.Google Scholar
Harris, D., Martinez, J. I., & Ward, J. L. (1994). Is strategy different for the family-owned business? Family Business Review, 7(2), 159–174.Google Scholar
Hirota, S., Kubo, K., Miyajima, H., Hong, P., & Park, Y. W. (2010). Corporate mission, corporate policies and business outcomes: Evidence from Japan. Management Decision, 48(7), 1134–1153.Google Scholar
Inkpen, A., & Choudhury, N. (1995). The seeking of strategy where it is not: Towards a theory of strategy absence. Strategic Management Journal, 16(4), 313–323.Google Scholar
Ireland, R. D., Hitt, M. A., & Williams, J. C. (1992). Self-confidence and decisiveness: Prerequisites for effective management in the 1990s. Business Horizons, 35(1), 36–43.Google Scholar
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. (1992). The balanced scorecard: Measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71–79.Google Scholar
Kaptein, M. (2004). Business codes of multinational firms: What do they say? Journal of Business Ethics, 50(1), 13–31.Google Scholar
Kemp, S., & Dwyer, L. (2003). Mission statements of international airlines: A content analysis. Tourism Management, 24(6), 635–653.Google Scholar
Khalifa, A. S. (2011). Three F’s for the mission statement: What’s next? Journal of Strategy and Management, 4(1), 25–43.Google Scholar
Kitson, A. (1996). Taking the pulse: Ethics and the British cooperative bank. Journal of Business Ethics, 15(9), 1021–1031.Google Scholar
Klemm, M., Sanderson, S., & Luffman, G. (1991). Mission statements: Selling corporate values to employees. Long Range Planning, 24(3), 73–78.Google Scholar
Koch, B. J., Galaskiewicz, J., & Pierson, A. (2015). The effect of networks on organizational missions. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 44(3), 510–538.Google Scholar
Kreuter, M. W., & Lezin, N. (2002). Social capital theory. In R. A. Crosby, & M. Kegler (Eds.), Emerging theories in health promotion practice and research (pp. 228–254). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Leuthesser, L., & Kohli, C. (1997). Corporate identity: The role of mission statements. Business Horizons, 40(3), 59–67.Google Scholar
Leuthesser, L., & Kohli, C. (2015). Mission statements and corporate identity. In E. J. Wilson, Hair, Jr., & F. Joseph (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1996 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) annual conference (pp. 145–148). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.Google Scholar
Leon‐Guerrero, A. Y., McCann, J. E. III, & Haley, J. D. Jr (1998). A study of practice utilization in family businesses. Family Business Review, 11(2), 107–120.Google Scholar
Lin, Y. H. (2012). Knowledge brokering for transference to the pilot’s safety behavior. Management Decision, 50(7), 1326–1338.Google Scholar
Lindenberg, S., & Steg, L. (2013). Goal-framing theory and norm-guided environmental behavior. In H. van Trjip (Ed.), Encouraging sustainable behaviour (pp. 37–54). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Lundberg, C. C. (1984). Zero-in: A technique for formulating better mission statements. Business Horizons, 27(5), 30–33.Google Scholar
Macedo, I. M., Pinho, J. C., & Silva, A. M. (2016). Revisiting the link between mission statements and organizational performance in the non-profit sector: The mediating effect of organizational commitment. European Management Journal, 34(1), 36–46.Google Scholar
Maddux, J. E. (1995). Self-efficacy theory. In J. E. Maddux (Ed.), Self-efficacy, adaptation, and adjustment (pp. 3–33). New York, Philadelphia: Springer.Google Scholar
Mahoney, J. (1990). An international look at business ethics: Britain. Journal of Business Ethics, 9(7), 545–550.Google Scholar
Markman, G. D., Phan, P. H., Balkin, D. B., & Gianiodis, P. T. (2005). Entrepreneurship and university-based technology transfer. Journal of Business Venturing, 20(2), 241–263.Google Scholar
Medley, G. J. (1992). WWF UK creates a new mission. Long Range Planning, 25(2), 63–68.Google Scholar
Moss, T. W., Short, J. C., Payne, G. T., & Lumpkin, G. T. (2011). Dual identities in social ventures: An exploratory study. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(4), 805–830.Google Scholar
Morris, R. J. (1996). Developing a mission for a diversified company. Long Range Planning, 29(1), 103–115.Google Scholar
Morrish, S. C., Miles, M. P., & Polonsky, M. J. (2011). An exploratory study of sustainability as a stimulus for corporate entrepreneurship. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 18(3), 162–171.Google Scholar
Moussetis, R. (2011). Ansoff revisited: How Ansoff interfaces with both the planning and learning schools of thought in strategy. Journal of Management History, 17(1), 102–125.Google Scholar
Mullane, J. V. (2002). The mission statement is a strategic tool: When used properly. Management Decision, 40(5), 448–455.Google Scholar
Noy, E. (1998). Total business strategy—The missing link. Long Range Planning, 31(6), 927–932.Google Scholar
O’Gorman, C., & Doran, R. (1999). Mission statements in small and medium-sized businesses. Journal of Small Business Management, 37(4), 59–66.Google Scholar
O’Shannassy, T. F. (2017). Associate editor reflections on the progress in and future of strategic management research in Journal of Management & Organization. Journal of Management and Organization, 23(4), 473–482.Google Scholar
O’Shannassy, T. F. (2015). Strategic management research in the Journal of Management & Organization: international in orientation with an Australasian edge. Journal of Management and Organization, 21(5), 551–557.Google Scholar
Ostapski, S. A., & Isaacs, C. N. (1992). Corporate moral responsibility and the moral audit: Challenges for Refuse Relief Inc. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(3), 231–239.Google Scholar
Palmer, T. B., & Short, J. C. (2008). Mission statements in U.S. Colleges of Business: an empirical examination of their content with linkages to configurations and performance. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 7(4), 454–470.Google Scholar
Pearce, J. A., & David, F. (1987). Corporate mission statements: The bottom line. Academy of Management Executive, 1(2), 109–116.Google Scholar
Raynor, M. E. (1998). That vision thing: Do we need it? Long Range Planning, 31(3), 368–376.Google Scholar
Rigby, D., & Bilodeau, B. (2015). Management tools & trends 2015. Boston, MA: Bains and Co.Google Scholar
Rolls, K., Kowal, D., Elliott, D., & Burrell, A. R. (2008). Building a statewide knowledge network for clinicians in intensive care units: Knowledge brokering and the NSW Intensive Care Coordination and Monitoring Unit (ICCMU). Australian Critical Care, 21(1), 29–37.Google Scholar
Sheehan, R. M. Jr (1996). Mission accomplishment as philanthropic organization effectiveness: Key findings from the excellence in philanthropy project. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 25(1), 110–123.Google Scholar
Siciliano, J. I. (2008). A comparison of CEO and director perceptions of board involvement in strategy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37(1), 152–162.Google Scholar
Stevens, B. (1994). An analysis of corporate ethical code studies: “Where do we go from here?”. Journal of Business Ethics, 13(1), 63–69.Google Scholar
Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610.Google Scholar
Sufi, T., & Lyons, H. (2003). Mission statements exposed. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 15(5), 244–262.Google Scholar
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222.Google Scholar
Truskie, S. D. (1984). The driving force of successful organizations. Business Horizons, 27(4), 43–48.Google Scholar
Vandekerckhove, W., & Commers, M. R. (2004). Whistle blowing and rational loyalty. Journal of Business Ethics, 53(1), 225–233.Google Scholar
Ward, J. L. (1987). Keeping the family business healthy: How to plan for continuing growth, profitability, and family leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.Google Scholar
Williams, J., Smythe, W., Hadjistavropoulos, T., Malloy, D. C., & Martin, R. (2005). A study of thematic content in hospital mission statements: a question of values. Health Care Management Review, 30(4), 304–314.Google Scholar
Williams, R. I. Jr., Morrell, D. L., & Mullane, J. V. (2014). Reinvigorating the mission statement through top management commitment. Management Decision, 52(3), 446–459.Google Scholar
Weber, J. (2006). Implementing an organizational ethics program in an academic environment: The challenges and opportunities for the Duquesne University Schools of Business. Journal of Business Ethics, 65(1), 23–42.Google Scholar