chapter 6

What are the three essential components of a mission?

(1) The services and/or products offered, (2) the values/standards that distinguish the organization, and (3) the market(s) in which the organization operates.

What is the purpose of a vision?

A vision should describe the desired future state of the organization. Clearly articulated and widely held visions can be very motivational for employees. Stakeholders should understand and use the vision to craft goals and strategic actions. It should be intricately tied to the employees' work so that they feel proud and excited to be part of something much bigger than themselves. A vision should also challenge and stretch the organization's capabilities and image of itself and should set a time horizon of at least a period of five to ten years.

Why would groups' or individuals' interest in and power to influence an organization determine whether they are key stakeholders? What other factors might be considered?

Key stakeholders need to have both a deep interest in the organization and the power to influence the actions and outcomes of the organization. In determining strategic intent and other strategic planning functions, input from the most important stakeholders must be obtained. As mentioned, many different stakeholder groups exist—far too many to involve. Therefore, focusing on the core group who have a strong interest in and the potential to influence the organization is important.

Does an organization's strategic intent always need to specify a mission, a vision, and values separately? Why or why not?

Some organizations successfully integrate their mission, vision, and values into one statement and do not separate each in its own document. The more important thing is to articulate a strategic intent that leads and drives the organization toward a desired future and not the way that intent is expressed on paper. However, breaking the three components of the strategic intent into separate statements seems to be clearer and can better assist an organization in using its strategic intent.

What is a stakeholder? 1a What are some common groups of stakeholders in healthcare?

Stakeholders are those who have some claim on and/or obtain some benefit from an organization. Organizations exist for the benefit of their stakeholders. Stakeholders in healthcare include employees, physicians, community members, patients, suppliers, and stockholders (for-profit public companies).

Why do many organizations fail to use their mission and vision effectively?

Too often, the mission statements of organizations in the same industry are too similar to each other, lacking any distinctive element that could make the mission stand apart from the competitors'. In addition, unfortunately, many mission statements bear little resemblance to their organizations' actual focus or purpose. To be meaningful, a mission should be direct and distinctive.

How might an organization's culture reflect its established values?

Values should create the ethical environment in which all employees function. They should be used to make decisions and resolve conflicts. However, for values to function as a guide, all stakeholders should be aware of the values, accept them, and integrate them into their daily decisions and actions. To facilitate this, the values should be incorporated into the employee annual evaluation process and should be reflected in every key decisions made.