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Effectiveness of mission statements in organizations – A review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Susanne Braun ,
Jenny S Wesche ,
Dieter Frey ,
Silke Weisweiler  and
Claudia Peus
Susanne Braun
Affiliation:
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
Jenny S Wesche
Affiliation:
Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Dieter Frey
Affiliation:
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
Silke Weisweiler
Affiliation:
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
Claudia Peus
Affiliation:
Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Abstract

Even though mission statements are standard tools in organizations, their effectiveness is subject to substantial skepticism. This review integrates hitherto published research based on a broad range of objective and subjective effectiveness criteria above and beyond financial performance in for-profit as well as not-for-profit organizations. We conclude that the distal outcome effectiveness of mission statements depends on the following antecedents and intermediate outcomes: (1) the rationale underlying their development; (2) the process of their development and implementation; (3) their content and form; and (4) individual attitudes toward the mission statement. We thereby clarify preconditions of mission statement effectiveness in organizations, and reveal shortcomings in current research.

Keywords

effectivenessmission statementsreview

Information

Type
Literature Review
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , July 2012 , pp. 430 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2012

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