1.

Resource Allocation: - Resource allocation refers to assigning and distributing available

resources, such as financial capital, human capital, equipment, and time, among different
activities, projects, or departments within an organization.

Resource allocation is a central management activity that allows for strategy execution. In
organizations that do not use a strategic-management approach to decision making, resource
allocation is often based on political or personal factors. Strategic management enables resources
to be allocated according to priorities established by annual objectives. Nothing could be more
detrimental to strategic management and to organizational success than for resources to be
allocated in ways not consistent with priorities indicated by approved annual objectives. All
organizations have at least four types of resources that can be used to achieve desired objectives:

1.1 Financial resources: - resources include cash, credit, shares, and bonds. Every
organization needs financial assets to pay for rent, utilities, and raw materials among other
expenses.
Financial Resource Allocation
A multinational corporation has a budget for marketing activities. To effectively allocate
financial resources, they analyze market research data, identify target markets, and allocate
funds to various marketing campaigns, such as digital advertising, social media promotions,
and sponsored events. They allocate resources based on the potential return on investment
and the strategic objectives of each campaign.
1.2 Physical resources
Material Resource Allocation: A construction company has limited equipment, such as
excavators, cranes, and trucks. They allocate these resources by analyzing project schedules,
equipment requirements, and availability. They assign the equipment to different
construction sites based on project priorities, ensuring optimal utilization and avoiding
delays caused by equipment shortages.
 1.3 Human resources
Human Resource Allocation: A software development company is working on multiple
projects simultaneously. They allocate their human resources by assigning programmers,
designers, and testers to different projects based on their skills, expertise, and project
requirements. They ensure each project team has the workforce to meet deadlines and
deliver high-quality software solutions.

1.4 Technological resources

Strategy Example #1

while Blockbuster would promote Netflix in stores.

and Netflix wen
bankruptcy in 2010. In this case, Blockbuster failed to recognize the emergence of new
technology which would disrupt what had been traditionally a very profitable business
model.

Strategy Example #2 In 1999, Napster was founded as an independent peer-to-peer files

sharing service. Napster specialized in sharing MP3 files of music through a user-friendly
interface. It became widely popular with college students sharing songs from their dorm
rooms for free. However, Napster was sued by the music industry for copyright infringement
and ultimately was shut down by the courts in 2001. In 2003, Apple launched its iTunes
Music service in cooperation with record labels and consisting of digital rights management,

use of this new technology would impact the music industry and business models in this
relevant tech strategy example.

Allocating resources to particular divisions and departments does not mean that strategies will be
successfully implemented. A number of factors commonly prohibit effective resource allocation,
including an overprotection of resources, too great an emphasis on short-run financial criteria,
organizational politics, vague strategy targets, a reluctance to take risks, and a lack of sufficient
knowledge.
 2. Rumelt's Criteria

Richard Rumelt developed four criteria for evaluating strategies:

Consistency

Are the external strategies consistent with (supported by) the various internal aspects of the
organization? You must examine all the various functional and internal management strategies
employed by the organization and compare them with the external business strategy.

Consonance

Are the strategies in agreement with the various external trends (and sets of trends) in the
environment? To answer this questions, you need to look at all the major trends that impact the
selected strategy - both positively and negatively.

Feasibility

Is the strategy reasonable in terms of the organization's resources?

Money and capital

Management, professional, and technical resources
Time span

Advantage

Does the strategy create and/or maintain a competitive advantage?

Resources
Skills
Position

Rumelt proposes the following broad criteria or principle of strategy evaluation as a basis for
testing these flaws:

2.1 Consistency: the strategy must not present mutually inconsistent goals and policies.
Rumelt argues that inconsistency in strategy is not merely a flaw in logic. One of the main
purposes of strategy is to provide a sensible framework for organizational action, which fits
organizational objectives and values. Rumelt cities the examples of high- technology
 organisations facing a strategic choice between offering customized high-cost products with high
custom-engineering content and standardized lower cost products that are sold at higher volume.

on these issues, there will always be conflict between the sales, design, engineering and
manufacturing functions.

2.2 Consonance: the strategy must represent an adaptive response to the external
environment and to critical changes occurring within it.

adapt to it environment, while competing with other organisations that are also trying to adopt
and prosper. However, he argues, the main difficulty in evaluating consonance is that most of the
critical threats to an organization come from the external environment, and so threaten all
organisationsin that industry. Strategic decision- makers may be so absorbed on how to achieve
competitive advantage over their rivals that the threats is only recognized after the damage is
done. Rumelt also points out that forecasting techniques such as trends analysis do not normally
expose potentially critical changes that come about as result of interaction between trends.

2.3 Advantage: the strategy must provide for the creation and/or maintenance of a
competitive advantage in the selected area of activity.
The test of competitive advantage is to see whether the strategy will allow the organization to
capture the value it creates. Competitive strategy is the art of creating and exploiting those
advantages that are most telling, enduring and difficult to imitate. Therefore, Rumelt says, the
strategy must provide for the creation and/or maintenance of a competitive advanyage arising
from one or more of the three roots: superior skills, superior resources and superior position.

2.4 Feasibility: the strategy must neither overtax available resources nor create unsolvable
sub-problems.

in practice and how difficult it might be to achieve. In other words, does the organization have
the physical, human and financial resources available to effectively implement the strategy? In
order to establish this, it is useful to consider the following:
· Does the organization have the problem-solving abilities and special competences required by
the strategy?
· Does the organization have the ability to integrate the activities involved in implementing the
strategy?
· How will the competition react and how will the organization cope with that reaction?
3. Write the differences between intended and emerged strategies .how could a strategist use both
types of strategies so as to succeed in his or her endeavor?

Emergent Strategy:

Is the strategy that actually happens

Responds to events as they arise (e.g. changes in external environment)
Often involves strategic and tactical changes
Is not restricted by formal planning tools and methods

Planned Strategy is:

The intended strategy

Influenced by specific corporate objectives
Based around a formal strategy planning process
Supported by traditional planning tools and methods (e.g. SWOT Analysis, PESTLE

Described in formal business plan

What Is an Emergent Strategy?

An emergent strategy is one that arises from unplanned actions and initiatives from within an

result of the daily prioritization and investment decisions made by individual contributors, such
as middle managers, engineers, financial staff, and salespeople.
Compared to a deliberate strategy, an emergent strategy is often more flexible. Though the

pursue other opportunities or priorities as they emerge. As such, many startups leverage an
emergent strategy.

everybody that they

Christensen notes that those may be opportunities that help an organization reach its original
strategic goals or effectively cause its priorities and goals to shift.

on the left, there are emergent

in a mode of emergent strategy, yes, you have to go after something in a deliberate way. But you
have to plan on things to emerge on the right and on the left of that which you may never have

He stresses that, for an emergent strategy to work well, employees and managers alike should
constantly look at the periphery not just in the direction of the end goal.

What Is a Deliberate Strategy?

According to the online course Disruptive Strategy, a deliberate strategy is one that arises from
conscious, thoughtful, and organized action o
typically generated from a rigorous analysis of data, including metrics such as:
A deliberate strategy is often employed by large businesses or corporations that are firmly
established within their markets. History and stability provide them with enough data and
experience to plot out a long-term strategy (sometimes called a five- or ten-year strategic plan)
and confidence in their ability to project that far out into the future. While useful, deliberate
strategy comes with challenges.

Business School Professor Clayton Christensen in Disruptive Strategy.

Christensen explains that this is because most successful, established businesses consist of
multiple people, teams, and departments working together toward a common goal. In such a
complex system, individual contributors must understand how their work helps achieve shared

objectives through collective action is diminished.

individual

In short, Christensen notes that deliberate strategy only works effectively when everybody
understands what the organization is trying to accomplish.

Realized Strategy

A Realized Strategy is the strategy that an organization actually follows. Realized strategies are a

strategy (i.e., the parts of the intended strategy that the firm continues to pursue over time), and
its emergent strategy (i.e., what the firm did in reaction to unexpected opportunities and
challenges). In the case of FedEx, the intended strategy devised by its founder many years ago
fast package delivery via a centralized hub
strategy. For Southern Bloomers Manufacturing Company, realized strategy has been shaped
greatly by both its intended and emergent strategies, which center on underwear and gun-
cleaning patches.

In other case Realized Strategy refers

to the abandoned parts of the intended strategy. When aspiring author David McConnell was
struggling to sell his books, he decided to offer complimentary perfume as a sales gimmick.
s soon took on the
sweet smell of success. The California Perfume Company was formed to market the perfumes;
this firm evolved into the personal care products juggernaut known today as Avon. For
McConnell, his dream to be a successful writer was an unrealized strategy, but through Avon, a
successful realized strategy was driven almost entirely by opportunistically capitalizing on
change through emergent strategy.

4. What is the difference between strategic management and strategic planning?

4.1 Strategic planning

Strategic planning is the process of defining your long-term vision, goals, and objectives for your
business, and how you will achieve them. It involves analyzing your internal and external
environment, identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and setting
priorities and timelines. Strategic planning helps you align your resources, capabilities, and
actions with your desired outcomes, and communicate them to your stakeholders.

4.2 Strategic management

Strategic management is the process of implementing, monitoring, and evaluating your strategic
plan, and making adjustments as needed. It involves executing your strategies, measuring your
performance, and reviewing your progress. Strategic management helps you ensure that your
actions are consistent with your plan, and that you are achieving your goals and objectives, or
changing them if necessary.
4.3 The main differences

The main differences between strategic planning and strategic management are that strategic
planning is more focused on the what and why of your business strategy, while strategic
management is more focused on the how and when. Strategic planning is usually more formal,
structured, and analytical, while strategic management is typically more flexible, dynamic, and
responsive. Strategic planning is conducted periodically, often annually or quarterly, while
strategic management is continuous, often done daily or weekly. Additionally, strategic planning
is more top-down, driven by the leadership and vision of your business, whereas strategic
management is bottom-up, involving the participation and feedback of your employees and
customers.

5. Why some companies do not have strategic management? Explain the reasons behind .what
could be the consequence of not having strategic plan?

Common Reasons for the Lack of Strategic Management Support:

It is time-consuming and everyone is too busy

It is complicated and not well understood
Reality rarely matches the plan, so why bother
Strategic plans are obsolete in an Agile world

Lack of Strategic Management in Companies

Lack of Strategic Management in companies leads to many problems. Some companies do not
undertake strategic planning and management. Some other companies do strategic planning, but
receive no support from managers and employees. In some other cases, managers and employees
do not get enough support from the top management. A number of such and other reasons
explain why certain companies do not take to strategic planning and management.
Researchers have mentioned various reasons for poor or no strategic planning and management
by companies. These are discussed below:
When an organization achieves success, it often fails to reward its managers or planners. But
when a failure occurs, the company may punish the managers concerned. In such a situation, it is
better for individual managers to do nothing than to risk trying to achieve something, fail and be
punished.

If an organization is generally successful, the top management or individual managers may feel
that there is no need to plan and strategize because everything is fine. However, they forget that
success today does not guarantee success tomorrow.

As managers gain experience, they may rely less on formalized planning and more on individual
initiative and decisions. But, this is not appropriate. Overconfidence or overestimating
experience leads to complacency and ultimately can bring downfall. Forethought and planning
are the right virtues and are signs of professionalism.

An organization may be so deeply engrossed in crisis management and firefighting that it may
not have time to plan and strategize. This happens with many companies and is a clear sign of
non-professionalization.

Some organizations view planning as a waste of time because no tangible marketable products
are produced through planning. But they forget that time spent on planning is an investment, and
there would be returns, both tangible and intangible, in due course.
Some managers may sincerely think that a plan is not correct. They may see the situation from a
different viewpoint, or, they may have aspirations for themselves or the organization, which are
different from those envisaged in the plan. Different people in different jobs in the same
organization may have different perceptions of the same situation, and this may lead to a
difference of opinions among them and eventually to lack of planning due to lack of consensus.

When management has achieved status, privilege or self-esteem through effectively using an old
system, it often sees a new plan or a new system as unnecessary or a threat.

Managers may not be sure of their abilities to learn new skills or take on new roles or adapt to
new system. This is basically inertia against change or fear for change.

Whenever something new or different is attempted, there is a chance of success, but, there is also
some risk of failure. Many companies and managers may like to avoid strategic planning and
management for fear of failure.

Employees may not trust management, or, the management may not have enough confidence in
the managers. This gives rise to mutual suspicion

1) Lack of focus. Often, people get lost in the semantics of defining their vision, mission and
values. They spend so much time and effort trying to understand what those terms mean and how
atigued. As a

never a good mind-set for strategic planning.

2) Lack of energy/resources. Some people run out of energy or resources before they can get to
a practical plan. For example, one company got halfway through their plan and then abandoned
it. When asked why, they said that they spent their entire budget and ran out of money. So,
allocation and alignment of resources for a comprehensive process.

3) Lack of understanding. Other people confuse strategic planning with operational planning.
That is, they focus on financial numbers, looking at what the numbers were for the past three
years and then extrapolating from that. As a result, the planning becomes just a matter of
establishing financial targets and budgets into the future rather than having a dynamic debate
about the larger strategic issues that could be impacting the organization in the future. These

might change in the future. -set. And while numbers are

4) Lack of accountability. Sometimes the strategic planning process becomes too political.
urf protecting. It becomes a time when people have to give reasons why their

As a result, the group cannot deal with the real issues at hand. So no matter what plan they come

are still pending. When the process becomes too political and too driven by special interest, it
breaks down.

5) Lack of follow up. Many times, strategic planning fails because even though the actual plan is

created and in a notebook, but they put it on the shelf and never look at it again. The plan never
gets integrated throughout the organization.

6) Lack of flexibility.
the plan becomes obsolete. It may have been a great plan at the time it was created, but things
change in the environment. The fact is that the strategy can be right today but wrong tomorrow
because of external factors. So for a strategic plan to work, you have to somehow build into that
process a mechanism for reviewing and adapting the plan as circumstances change.

6. What are the measures or criteria for effective strategic planning?

The six vital elements of strategic planning:

6.1 Define your vision:-

it wants to achieve in the future.

6.2 Create your mission:-While your vision is an organization-wide goal, your mission how you
plan to achieve the vision.
6.3 Set your objectives:-Objectives are specific results that a person or system aims to achieve
within a time frame.

6.4 Develop your strategy:-Your strategy is a long-term plan that enables you to achieve your

6.5 Outline your approach:-An approach provides a methodology for executing your strategy.

6.6 Get down to tactics:-Tactics are focused initiatives, projects, or programs that allow
organizations to execute a strategic plan.

7. Discuss five competitive forces of porter's model?

Porter's Five Forces are:

1. Competition in the industry

2. Potential of new entrants into the industry
3. Power of suppliers
4. Power of customers
5. Threat of substitute products

1. Competition in the Industry

The first of the Five Forces refers to the number of competitors and their ability to undercut a
company. The larger the number of competitors, along with the number of equivalent products
and services they offer, the lesser the power of a company.

Suppliers and buyers seek out a company's competition if they are able to offer a better deal or
lower prices. Conversely, when competitive rivalry is low, a company has greater power to
charge higher prices and set the terms of deals to achieve higher sales and profits.

2. Potential of New Entrants in to an Industry

A company's power is also affected by the force of new entrants into its market. The less time
and money it costs for a competitor to enter a company's market and be an effective competitor,
the more an established company's position could be significantly weakened.

An industry with strong barriers to entry is ideal for existing companies within that industry
since the company would be able to charge higher prices and negotiate better terms.

3. Power of Suppliers

The next factor in the Porter model addresses how easily suppliers can drive up the cost of
inputs. It is affected by the number of suppliers of key inputs of a good or service, how unique
these inputs are, and how much it would cost a company to switch to another supplier. The fewer
suppliers to an industry, the more a company would depend on a supplier.

As a result, the supplier has more power and can drive up input costs and push for other
advantages in trade. On the other hand, when there are many suppliers or low switching costs
between rival suppliers, a company can keep its input costs lower and enhance its profits.

4. Power of Customers

The ability that customers have to drive prices lower or their level of power is one of the Five
Forces. It is affected by how many buyers or customers a company has, how significant each
customer is, and how much it would cost a company to find new customers or markets for its
output.

A smaller and more powerful client base means that each customer has more power to negotiate
for lower prices and better deals. A company that has many, smaller, independent customers will
have an easier time charging higher prices to increase profitability.

5. Threat of Substitutes

The last of the Five Forces focuses on substitutes. Substitute goods or services that can be used
in place of a company's products or services pose a threat. Companies that produce goods or
services for which there are no close substitutes will have more power to increase prices and lock
in favorable terms. When close substitutes are available, customers will have the option to forgo
buying a company's product, and a company's power can be weakened.

Understanding Porter's Five Forces and how they apply to an industry can enable a company to
adjust its business strategy to better use its resources to generate higher earnings for its investors.

8. Answer the following questions?

A. what is business mission? And what is business vision?

What is business mission?

A company mission statement is an action-based statement that declares the purpose of

an organization and how they serve their customers. This sometimes includes a
description of the company, what it does, and its objectives. clarity behind the following:

product?

A Business Mission is the main idea, the purpose and the drivers behind a company,
which sends the company, its executives and employees along its way in a particular
direction. The Mission is typically defined in a mission statement.

A company's mission is the plan for how it will achieve its vision. Mission is a call to
action. Some reference to a business model would be appropriate. You need not include
every detail it will only handcuff you later
that people will be able to understand how they are going to share your vision with you.

now and projecting into the future. Its aim is to provide focus for management and staff.
A consulting firm might define its mission by the type of work it does, the clients it caters
 high-standard assistance on performance assessment to middle to senior managers in
medium-to-large firms in the finance industry.

What is a business vision?

is heading. The vision that you create should be based on the goals, objectives and
aspirations that you have for your company.

provides a clear measurement for success.

B. Write at least the mission and vision of two multi-national companies.

Messebo Cement Factory P.L.C (Messebo Building Martial Production)

Vision

To become the leading cement manufacturing in the country and become exemplary in
boosting derived privately owned business in the region and in the country at large.

Mission

To assure its existence and become a profitable company on a sustainable; and support
the continuously growing construction industry with the supply of construction materials
of acceptance quality and reasonable price.

Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU)

Vision

Become the utility that fully energizes the Ethiopian Economy and People in 2030.
 Mission

Become the utility that underpins the economy and social transformation through the
delivery of cost-effective, safe, reliable, and high-quality power. Bulk Power purchase
and sale, construct & operate off-grid Generation, sub-transmission, and distribution
Networks. EEU shall strive towards achieving international standards of customer care
through sustained capacity building, operational and financial excellence, and state-of-
the-art technologies while ensuring the highest standards of corporate governance and
Ethics

C. Briefly explain the benefits of having clear mission and vision.

Guide the Thinking and Actions of Employees

When people are about to invest a lot of time and energy into an endeavour, they want to
know they are doing "the right thing". They want to know their actions will not generate
criticism and hopefully garner praise.
If there are clear Vision and Mission statements, the whole has adopted them,
and the employee has correctly interpreted them, then an employee can ask "Will this
action be in alignment with our Mission? Will this action get us closer to our Vision?"
Having a reliable way for someone in an to internally validate their thinking
and actions means they can focus more of their time on moving the forward
rather than worrying about justifying the soundness of what they are doing.
Help Determine and Inform Performance Standards
Like guiding thinking and actions of employees, strong Vision and Mission statements
will make it much easier to construct transparent and consistent performance standards
and measurements. One can ask "What do we want to encourage/discourage
that would bring us in alignment with our Mission and closer to our Vision?"
Not only can performance tools be aligned to the Vision and Mission, but the
performance tools can be used to help align the .
Help Attract Appropriate Talent

Clear and easily understood Vision and Mission statements help with hiring in several
ways. Making the Vision and Mission not only public but also communicating them to
candidates means that some candidates will select themselves out because they know the
would not be a good fit for them.

Since performance standards align with the Vision and Mission, we know what
, characteristics and skills are needed to help the Mission and achieve the
Vision. When conducting interviews, interviewers can use the information to guide their
questioning and assessment of candidates.

Provide Context and Reduce Friction during Organizational Restructures

Restructures and major reallocations of resources can be very

stressful. However, if the restructure aligns with the Vision and Mission, it can help give
some context to the restructure.

When people understand why the change has to happen, and they can see how that
change would improve the , then they are going to be more accepting even if
it might cause some personal grief.

Provide a Stable Framework that can Outlast Internal Changes

Creating a crisp and inspiring Mission and Vision and then weaving it into the fabric of
an is hard. But when the Vision and Mission are an integral part of the
they give the company strength and direction well after those who helped
create it are gone.

A charismatic leader or founder may leave, or C level management may change, but the
company continues from strength to strength. The Vision and Mission providing an
almost spiritual leadership that can help ensure the actual leaders that take over following
in the footsteps of those who came before them.

Inspire People to be Focused and Productive

The Vision and Mission need to be inspiring. They need to resonate with everyone in the
. They need to help provide meaning and purpose. Therefore Vision and
Mission can't just be about increasing revenue because that doesn't motivate someone
doing their shift in Customer Service.

Once a Vision and Mission have sparked inspiration with the individual, the team and the
, then they operate in a state of focus. Being focused allows an individual
and an to channel their energy and creativity into a single and concentrated
direction, the Vision and Mission. It is the difference between trying to push a blunt
pencil versus a sharp pencil through a sheet of paper.

Facilitate Collaboration with Teams, Customers, Suppliers and Partners

When teams in an have a common Vision and Mission, they can look
beyond internal politics and KPIs and can collaborate. Helping you may cost me, but it
brings us closer to our Vision and Mission.

When the Vision and Mission are crisp and inspiring, beyond just those in the
, then customers, suppliers and partners can feel part of something special
too. Customers know why they use your services. Partners know why they collaborate
with you rather than a competitor and Suppliers feel proud that their product or service
can help you achieve your Vision and Mission.

Help with Public Relations

Since Vision and Mission help define an identity, then it makes sense that
the Vision and Mission are an important part of a company's Public Relations
strategy. Who we are, what we do, and why we do it are enshrined in the Vision and
Mission, and that is also what we want to communicate to the outside world.

Since the company arranges itself around the Vision and Mission, aligning the company's
brand and communications with the Vision and Mission means that there will be
consistency between what happens inside and what is communicated outside. Keeping
the company and its public image in sync gives its public persona greater gravitas.
D. what are some of the characteristics of mission statement.

They Are Short

known by the acronym KISS. The idea behind that adage is that systems work better when
designers keep things simple, and the same applies to your mission statement. Shorter is better
because you want to convey the purpose and goal of your business in a way that is simple, clear,

garbled message to your audience.

They Are Unique to Your Business

Mission statements should never be generalized in such a way that any other company could

remember what makes your company different, unique, and special.

They Create Expectations

A good mission statement embraces the expectations of a target audience for something they

customer service each and every time.

They Are Realistic

Some companies fall into the trap of crafting mission statements that are so grandiose and
philosophical that they lose all touch with reality. Mission statements must be grounded in what
your company provides customers in the present. Save the inspirational and future-based
language for your vision statement.

They Are Memorable

What are the key phrases and terminology you can use in your mission statement to make it
o recite your mission statement in

aspects of that statement with your company.

They Are Active

readers feel as if something is
 ice how the transition from passive to active verbs,

message?

They Are Positive

out how
your business solves a problem, fulfills a want or need, or makes life easier for your target
audience.

They Are Adaptable

A strong mission statement is something that your marketing and product development teams
can also use for motivation and dir
statement is, "Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer
designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious
businesses."

They Are Targeted

o your target audience, so the
message must match the wants and needs of that audience. Going back to the Zappos example,
the company knew that customer service was a huge deal among women who shopped for shoes,
so it tailored its statement to match the desires of that audience.

. What are the characteristics of a good mission statement?

A clear mission statement guides everyone in your company towards the same direction and
goals. By knowing the purpose and direction of your business, they can contribute more. A good
mission statement has the following criteria:

Determine the main competitive scope in which your company will compete and must

Focus on multiple, achievable, an

Define the products, customers, markets, key stakeholders in which your company
operates.
Concise, inspirational, easy to remember, distinctive, and meaningful.
There are no hard and fast rules to developing a mission - what matters most is that is
generally be considered to be an accurate reflection and useful summary of UH Hilo and

could bear-in-mind:

1. Make it as succinct as possible. A mission statement should be as short and snappy as

possible - preferably brief enough to be printed on the back of a business card. The detail
which underpins it should be mapped out elsewhere.

2. Make it memorable. Obviously partially linked to the above, but try to make it
something that people will be able to remember the key elements of, even if not the exact
wording

3. Make it unique to you. It's easy to fall into the 'motherhood and apple pie' trap with
generic statements that could equally apply to any institution. Focus on what it is that you
strive to do differently: how you achieve excellence, why you value your staff or what it
is about the quality of the student experience that sets you apart from the rest.

4. Make it realistic. Remember, your mission statement is supposed to be a summary of

why you exist and what you do. It is a description of the present, not a vision for the
future. If it bears little or no resemblance to the organization that your staff know it will
achieve little

5. Make sure it's current. Though it is not something which should be changed regularly,
neither should it be set in stone. Your institution's priorities and focus may change
significantly over time - perhaps in response to a change of direction set by a new, or
major changes in state/federal policy. On such occasions the question should at least be
asked: 'does our current mission statement still stand?

E. what are some of the criteria to evaluate the quality of mission statement?
 1. The mission statement is clear and understandable to all personnel, including rank-and-
file employees.
2. The mission statement clearly specifies what business the organization is in. This
includes a clear statement about: a: What customer or client needs the organization is
attempting to fill (not what products or services are offered)

b. Who the organizations primary customers or clients are; and

c. How the organization plans to go about its business, that is, what its primary
technologies are.

3. The mission statement should have a primary focus on a single strategic thrust.
4. The mission statement should reflect the distinctive competence of the organization.
5. The mission statement should be broad enough to allow flexibility in implementation but
not so broad as to permit a lack of focus.
6. The mission statement should serve as a template and be the means by which managers
and others in the organization can make decisions.
7. The mission statement must reflect the values, beliefs, and philosophy of operations of
the organization and reflect the organizational culture.
8. The mission statement should reflect attainable goals.
9. The mission statement should be worded so as to serve as an energy source and rallying
point for the organization.

Informative
1. A mission statement should convey the overall goal of your organization, giving insight
into the idea that guides each project and decision. It should communicate the essence of
what the organization does without being overly specific. The informative aspect of a
mission statement is particularly important for unique businesses with a purpose is not
readily apparent. Your mission statement should strike a balance of clarifying your
purpose in your field and providing inspiration.

Simple
1. When it comes to mission statements, too much detail can dilute the overall meaning. As
you write, try to capture the essence of your company in as few words as possible; too
much detail will make it vague. Use simple, clear and concise language. Distilling the
goals, character and values of your company into one or two sentences is not an easy
process and often takes a significant amount of time and discussion.

Memorable
1. A mission statement can help guide the actions of employees and decision makers but not
if it is impossible to remember. To help make your mission statement memorable, use
descriptive words that can inspire action. A green engineering firm might keep it to one
 sentence with a mission statement that says, "To provide innovative, sustainable
engineering solutions." Employees can use the statement as a guiding principle in
developing creative, environmentally friendly engineering, while clients will understand
the basic services and moral underpinnings of the company.

Achievable
1. Although it can be tempting to write a grand mission statement, it is usually better to
create one that is achievable. A strong mission statement gives staff something concrete
to work on and a larger goal to work toward. It creates a balance between what you do
and what you can do.

Employee Buy-In
1. In order for a mission statement to be embraced by the entire company, you need to get
employee buy-in at all levels. To make sure that all of your staff members are behind the
statement, ask for a companywide review, from management to the lowest level. Ask for
feedback and take it seriously. In doing so, you can invite employees to add their insight
and create a sense of ownership that will strengthen the final mission statement.