Social Justice and Corporate Mission Statements: Analyzing Values in Business Writing

Abstract

This article describes and reflects on a collaborative, in-class activity that asks students in a business writing course to analyze the intersection of language, values, and social justice through a rhetorical analysis of corporate mission statements. The activity looks at how mission statements, as a genre, work to construct an ethos of civic engagement targeting a specific audience. Students reflect on values embedded in mission statements and compare these values with corporate action. Students then work in groups to create their own mission statements that direct their research and teamwork for their other, collaborative course projects. I offer this activity focused on mission statements as a concrete way to discuss social justice, values, and civic engagement in a business writing course; specifically, students explore how language impacts social justice and structural (in)equality.

A guide to creating an educator's portfolio for the 21st century

“…A philosophy statement is much like a mission statement for a corporate or nonprofit entity which defines the raison d’être in an action‐oriented manner 12 . The EP philosophy statement can encapsulate educational goals, describe preferred teaching or assessment methods for yourself and your learners, highlight core values that drive your teaching and creative endeavors, and provide insight into what motivates you to excel 13 . Many people explicitly outline their professional development plans for the short and long term in this section.…”

“…12 The EP philosophy statement can encapsulate educational goals, describe preferred teaching or assessment methods for yourself and your learners, highlight core values that drive your teaching and creative endeavors, and provide insight into what motivates you to excel. 13 Many people explicitly outline their professional development plans for the short and long term in this section. The philosophy statement should be concise and should serve as the introduction to the EP.…”