Purpose vs mission vs vision: persuasive appeals and components in corporate statements

Abstract

PurposePurpose statements persuade stakeholders of companies' reasons for being. The goal of this study was to analyze how purpose-driven companies craft their purpose, mission and vision statements and whether and how purpose statements differ from mission and vision statements.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative content analysis explored the brand personality traits, mission statement components and corporate ethos appeals that purpose-driven companies included in their purpose, mission and vision statements.FindingsResults provide implications for corporate leaders and communicators who write these statements as well as theoretical implications related to brand personality, rhetorical theory and corporate ethos.Practical implicationsThis research provides practical implications for corporate leaders and communication professionals about how to craft these statements, what components they might include and the potential benefits and downfalls of not clearly differentiating among purpose, mission and vision statements.Originality/valueWhile several studies have compared differences between mission and vision statements, there is a lack of academic literature on how companies craft purpose statements. This study added to this body of knowledge on corporate communication.

Misión, Visión y Apropiación de Valor: Un Análisis de Correlaciones

“…The latter reality is especially true when those results mean to be oriented explicitly towards increasing the company's competitive power. However, several works (primarily prescriptive) do accept the use of a detailed structure and a complete checklist to conceive the essence and design of the components mentioned above and assume them as a starting point to direct the company towards the creation of a sustainable competitive advantage (Fitzsimmons et al, 2022).…”

“…This behavior is the true dynamic of a competitive market, where the company with the greatest competitiveness stands out. Also, authors like Fitzsimmons et al (2022), Laser (2021), and Mittal and Srihari (2021) validate that the sufficiency of the activities that can contribute to the company's performance is determined by competition, hand in hand with innovation or a unified culture. The competitive strategy strives to position itself profitably and sustainably beyond the weight of the industry's competition.…”

“…Previous studies have pointed out the relevance of a well-structured public presentation of the mission and vision as an essential part of the strategic framework of any company (Berbegal-Mirabent et al, 2021;Fitzsimmons et al, 2022;e.g., Bratianu and Balanescu, 2008;López-Morales and Ortega-Ridaura, 2016). Some authors go so far as to suggest that mission and vision are every company's first boss and leader.…”

Developing ideal mission statements: lessons learned from top global organizations

“…Numerous scholars have highlighted the importance of mission statements in guiding organizations toward achieving performance goals [11][12][13]. In their studies, Bontis, Bart [14], and Berbegal-Mirabent, Mas-Machuca [15] suggested that mission statements can play a significant role in enhancing organizational performance. Likewise, Fitzsimmons, Qin [16] study's results suggest that the mission statements' components are crucial for management effectiveness proxied by two ratios of return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA).…”

“…It can help researchers to identify gaps in the literature, as well as areas where further research is needed. Many other similar studies employed a similar research method, including Bontis, Bart[14], David, David[23], Lin, Ryan[24] and[7].E3S Web of Conferences 420, 06048 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202342006048 EBWFF 2023…”