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Mission statements have been the subject of much discussion in the managerial literature and have recently been adopted by most British universities. This paper reports the results of an investigation into how mission statements have been introduced by British universities and reviews the approptiateness of their use in this sector. Based on a questionnaire survey, an analysis of the degree of commitment to mission statements as a valuable management tool is offered and recommendations suggested for their more effective application. The authors conclude that although there is generally a positive attitude towards mission statements, senior nranugers within universities tend not to consult widely when f m u l u t i n g them and have put little effmt into communicating them to the university's stag. Their importance seems to be perceived in terms of meeting the requirements of an external stakeholder rather than offering the opportunity to develop a real sense of purpose within the organisation.

Policy and legislation are some of the most important factors shaping the public environment within which museums work. However, “policy‐engaged” people are not that common in the museum sector, and even the more able managers are primarily partisan for their own institutions and see any benefits of government policy as somehow being “accidental windfalls.” This chapter addresses this problem by drawing on policy studies in providing a comprehensive analysis of English museums and the regulatory conditions under which they operate. After a historical background to the legislation and regulation governing museums in England, including the Thatcher and Major governments up to 1997, it focuses on New Labour's policies as they applied to museums up to 2010, and then analyzes the current Coalition government. It goes on to explore three of the most iconic manifestations of English museums’ regulatory frameworks introduced over the past 20 years – the National Lottery, launched in 1994, free admission to the national museums (from 1999), and Renaissance in the Regions (from 2001) – assessing their original intentions, their development over the long term and their perceived significance. The changing policy paradigms for museums reflect broader trends within government thinking, but evidence on the development of evidence‐based policy is slight. The chapter concludes that in order to earn the respect of government and be treated more seriously, museum professionals must engage more critically with government policy frameworks so as not to become passive victims of them.

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