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

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  • Alegre, Inés
  • Berbegal-Mirabent, Jasmina
  • Guerrero, Adrián
  • Mas-Machuca, Marta

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Alegre, Inés & Berbegal-Mirabent, Jasmina & Guerrero, Adrián & Mas-Machuca, Marta, 2018. "The real mission of the mission statement: A systematic review of the literature," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 456-473, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jomorg:v:24:y:2018:i:04:p:456-473_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Lucas, David S. & Park, U. David, 2023. "The nature and origins of social venture mission: An exploratory study of political ideology and moral foundations," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(2).
    2. Mashombotwa Mukwena, 2021. "The Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC): A comparative content analysis," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(2), pages 216-222, February.
    3. Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova & Vladimir A. Ermolaev, 2021. "Is Environment a Strategic Priority of the Leading Energy Companies? Evidence from Mission Statements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova, 2021. "Lost in Missions? Employees as a Top Strategic Priority of the World’s Biggest Banks," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-11, January.
    5. Sheikh Shamim Hasnain, 2020. "A Critical Comparison between Manufacturing and Service Firms’ Mission Statements: Manage Your Firms’ Mission Statements with Care Using Readability and Lexical Techniques," Business Management and Strategy, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(1), pages 216-231, June.
    6. Jongdo Jeon & Keun Tae Cho, 2021. "Differences in Readability, Keywords, and Orientation of Mission Statements of the Top 100 Korean and Top 100 US Traditional and Innovative Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-24, September.
    7. Monika Hajdas & Ryszard Kłeczek, 2021. "The real purpose of purpose-driven branding: consumer empowerment and social transformations," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 28(4), pages 359-373, July.
    8. Vladimir A. Ermolaev & Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova & Natalia A. Latushko & A.J. (Tom) van Loon, 2020. "Missions of Russian Cheese Producers: Principal Components and Relevance for Rural Communities," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
    9. David, Forest, 2020. "Analysis Of Vision And Mission Statements Characteristics And Their Association With Organizational Performance: A Guide To Writing Effective Vision And Mission Statements," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 14(1-2), June.
    10. Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent & Marta Mas-Machuca & Patricia Guix, 2021. "Impact of mission statement components on social enterprises’ performance," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 705-724, April.
    11. Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova, 2022. "Corporate Web Positioning as a Strategic Communication Tool in Agriculture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, July.
    12. Giorgio Mion & Cristian Rolando Loza Adaui & Angelo Bonfanti, 2021. "Characterizing the mission statements of benefit corporations: Empirical evidence from Italy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2160-2172, May.
    13. Mion, Giorgio & Loza Adaui, Cristian R. & Bonfanti, Angelo & De Crescenzo, Veronica, 2023. "Mission statements and financial and sustainability performance: An exploratory study of Benefit Corporations certified as B Corps," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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