A business mission statement is an integral part of strategic management. It provides direction for formulating, implementing, and evaluating strategic activities. This exercise will give you practice evaluating mission statements, a skill that is a prerequisite to writing a good mission statement.

Instructions

Step 1 On a clean sheet of paper, prepare a 9 × 3 matrix. Place the nine mission statement components down the left column and the following three companies across the top of your paper.

Step 2 Write Yes or No in each cell of your matrix to indicate whether you feel the particular mission statement includes the respective component.

Step 3 Turn your paper in to your instructor for a classwork grade.

Mission Statements

General Motors

Our mission is to be the world leader in transportation products and related services. We aim to maintain this position through enlightened customer enthusiasm and continuous improvement driven by integrity, teamwork, innovation and individual respect and responsibility of our employees.

North Carolina Zoo

Our mission is to encourage understanding of and commitment to the conservation of the world’s wildlife and wild places through recognition of the interdependence of people and nature. We will do this by creating a sense of enjoyment, wonder and discovery throughout the Park and in our outreach programs.

Samsonite

Our mission is to be the leader in the travel industry. Samsonite’s ambition is to provide unparalleled durability, security and dependability in all of its products, through leading edge functionality, features, innovation, technology, contemporary aesthetics and design. In order to fill every niche in the travel market, Samsonite will seek to create strategic alliances, combining our strengths with other partners in our brands.