Interview on Mission Statements

Interview on Mission Statements

The mission statement is an important component of effective strategic management. The mission statement is a definer of a business’s products and services, its customers, and what differentiates it from the competitors. Developing a good mission statement is vital to the strategic management process as it offers a sense of direction (Karami, 2016). The following is an analysis of the process of developing a good mission statement with the assistance of Aceable, a technology start-up in Austin, Texas. An interview with the CEO of the start-up was done to determine the process that was used by the company to formulate its mission statement.

Rationale for the Interview Questions

            The initial question of the interview attempts to determine whether the organization has a solid mission statement. While the mission statement is an important part of strategic management, there are many businesses that have not developed one. Therefore, this question helps to ensure that the existence of a mission statement is not just a presumption. Next, the interview seeks to determine when the mission statement was developed. This helps to determine the stage of the organization where the business decided that a mission statement would be important to their strategy. Next, the interview seeks to determine the people responsible for the development of the mission statement and the possible involvement of stakeholders. This helps to determine the parties responsible for determining the business’s goals and objectives in the long term period. The interview also asks about the process of changing or altering the mission statement and who would be responsible for that process. This question seeks to determine the parties responsible for changing the strategic direction of the company. Lastly, the final question asks how the business uses its mission statement on a day-to-day basis. The final question seeks to determine the importance of the mission statement to the business.

Summary of the Process of Constructing a Mission Statement

            There is no one required process for developing a mission statement. An organization is free to develop its mission statement using any process that works for its business. However, David & David (2017) suggest that this approach is widely used by many organizations. This approach involves the selection of articles about the importance of mission statements. These articles are read by the business managers, who later develop their individual mission statements. The managers then come together and brainstorm their ideas to develop the right mission statement for the business. The necessary deliberations are made to add, delete, or modify parts of the developed mission statement to suit the organization’s needs.

Importance of a Mission Statement to Organizations

            The mission statement has several benefits to a business organization. One of its importance is to ensure that the company’s stakeholders understand its reason for being. The managers, employees, and customers need to know the reason why a business is in operation. The mission statement also forms a basis for prioritization of key internal and external strategies (David & David, 2017). The mission statement provides the key objective that the business is working towards. Therefore, the managers can formulate strategies based on how well they contribute to the achievement of the set objectives of the business. The mission statement also forms a basis for resource allocation. When the business has clearly defined the direction that it hopes to take, it can determine how to best prioritize resource allocation to move in that direction. Lastly, the mission statement forms a basis for planning the activities, work, responsibilities, and strategies of a business (West, 2016). After defining the objectives it wants to achieve, a business can easily define the steps it must take to move in the right direction.

Overview of Findings

Aceable is a start-up technology business that provides digital education services for different training and certification courses. The company has a well-defined mission statement, which is to ensure that all people have access to high-value education and is empowered through the innovative and outcome-focused courses offered on their platforms.

According to the CEO of the business, this company developed its mission at the beginning of the business formulation. When the company was being incorporated, it was important for the founders to understand what exactly it would be developing. According to the CEO, “The field of digital education is very wide. It was important to clearly define the strategic direction of the business to avoid drifting from its intended purpose.” The people responsible for the development of the mission statement were the founders. They developed the mission statement as part of determining the direction that they wanted to take going forward. The process did not involve any other stakeholders, as the company is very small. The business has yet to alter or modify its mission statement. However, the CEO believes that if that was necessary, the process would involve more stakeholders than the original mission statement formulation. The company uses the mission statement daily to ensure that their courses stick within the defined range of online certifications and training. This helps to avoid drifting from the main purpose of the business.

References

David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2017). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach, concepts, and cases. Pearson.

Karami, A. (2016). Strategy formulation in entrepreneurial firms. Routledge.

West, J. D. (2016). The Effects of Mission Statement Design on Behavioral Intention.

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The purpose of this assignment is to study the process of constructing a mission statement and the use of a mission statement in operations. Find an organization that has a formal mission statement. Contact someone within that organization (your organization, a non-profit, a government agency, or a business). Ask to speak with the director, owner, or CEO and explain that you are studying mission statements and are conducting research as a class activity.

Use the following questions as a guide and develop a few additional questions for your interview:

When did your organization first develop its mission statement?
Who was responsible for its development?
Did you involve stakeholders, and how?
By what process is the mission statement altered or modified, and who is involved?
How is your mission statement used day-to-day?
Also, review the Interview on Mission Statements Scoring Guide and make sure you address all the criteria.

Summarize your interview in a short paper. Make sure to discuss why you chose to ask the questions you developed, summarize the process of constructing a mission statement, and describe the importance of the mission statement to organizations. Provide an overview of your findings and submit the information as an attachment in the assignment area.