Nokia Mission Statement
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Table of Contents
Page 3
Mission Statement
Page 3
Vision v Mission
Page 4
Management Implications
Page 4&5
Nokia’s mission/vision statement analysis
Page 6
Appendix
Page 7
Nokia Mission/Vision Statement
Page 8
References
Mission Statement
As a formal written document intended to capture an organization’s unique and enduring purpose, practices, and core values, the mission statement is considered to be the cornerstone of every organization and the starting point of every strategic management initiative [1]. A well crafted mission statement has been attributed the power
(a) To guide and focus decision making,
(b) To create a balance between the competing interest of various stakeholders, and
(c) To motivate and inspire organizational members [2]
However, mission statements do not often appear to deliver the promised benefits [3]. In reality, mission statements are often unreadable and uninspiring, and articulate high sounding values that are unrealistic or are not aligned with day-to-day organizational behaviour [1] .
In fact, a consistent theme running through the mission statement literature is an acknowledged wide spread failure in their implementation [4].Previous mission statement research focused primarily on the content of mission statements and/or on the managers perception of the mission statement. Meanwhile the mission statement perception of individual organizational members received little attention.
Vision vs. Mission
We cant really begin the discussion of the Vision Statement and the Mission Statement without first addressing the semantic difference between the two. Get 10 consultants in a room, and you may get 10 different answers to just what that difference is!
To distinguish between Vision and Mission in our own work, we have defaulted back to the plain English usage of those words. And the simplest way we have found to show that difference in usage is to add the letters “ary” to the end of each word.
VisionARY
MissionARY
We certainly know what those two words mean. A visionary is someone who sees what is possible, who sees the potential. A missionary is someone who carries out that work.
The example of this everyday usage is Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was a visionary. He saw the potential, the possibilities for making life better. His missionaries carry his work and his words to the world, putting his vision into practice.
Your organizations vision is all about what is possible, all about that potential. The mission is what it takes to make that vision come true.[5]
Management Implications
Although a well crafted mission statement has been attributed the power to motivate
And inspire organizational members [2] , the Competing Values
17 Framework for Managerial Communication indicates that it is very difficult to
(a) Communicate the mission statement effectively and
(b) To generate a satisfying level of “mission statement buy-in” among non-management staff members.
An explanation probably lies in the concept of mission statements itself. First of all, the low level of mission statement awareness among non-management staff members. Most managers do not communicate the mission statement sufficiently. Blinded by their own positive perception and understanding of the mission statement, many executives believe that the “salute and execute” mode still operates. Confident that everyone will march to the new orders, they don’t think additional communication is necessary.[6].
Second, the low level of mission statement buying among non-management staff members. To be relevant to the diverse components of a large organization, mission statements are necessarily abstract and free of references to a specific work context [7].
This level of abstractness makes it very difficult for non-management staff members to recognize the link between the mission statement and their day-to-day activities. Most non-management staff members do not see how his or her objectives are driven by the mission statement and how they contribute to the overall goals of the organization. These shortcomings can be addressed with the help of first-line supervisors [7]By virtue of their organizational position, first-line supervisors, such as product managers, can provide an interface between executives and front-line staff which makes them an essential partner in
(a) Communicating the mission statement, and
(b) Integrating the broad mission statement values into day-to-day work activities.
Nokia’s mission/vision statement analysis
In analysing Nokia’s mission/vision statement I’ll be using the 9 essential components of a Mission Statement as given to us in class [8].
These are as follows:
Customers:
Reading this statement it is obvious that Nokia is committed to its customers as it mentions how they will fulfil there needs (“we help people feel close to what matters to them”) , [9] and the consumers will also have an input in this (“We act on consumers insights”) , [9]
Products