2.2 Organizational Vision, Mission, and Values
Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Mission, Vision & Values
Organizational culture can be described as the implicit values and beliefs that reflect the norms and traditions of an organization. An organization’s vision, mission, and values statements are the foundation of organizational culture. Because individual organizations have their own vision, mission, and values statements, each organization has a different culture.
As health care continues to evolve and new models of care are introduced, nursing managers must develop innovative approaches that address change while aligning with that organization’s vision, mission, and values. Leaders embrace the organization’s mission, identify how individuals’ work contributes to it, and ensure that outcomes advance the organization’s mission and purpose. Leaders use vision, mission, and values statements for guidance when determining appropriate responses to critical events and unforeseen challenges that are common in a complex health care system. Successful organizations require employees to be committed to following these strategic guidelines during the course of their work activities. Employees who understand the relationship between their own work and the mission and purpose of the organization will contribute to a stronger health care system that excels in providing first-class patient care. The vision, mission, and values provide a common organization-wide frame of reference for decision-making for both leaders and staff.
Organizational vision, mission, and values, established by leadership, provide the foundation for the establishment’s culture. Since individual organizations have their own vision, mission, and value statements, each organization has a different culture. Not surprisingly, when there are conflicts between the mission and vision of various institutions, collaboration in providing services to the patient or consumer can also lead to disagreements (Ko et al. 2015). With the increasing emphasis upon collaboration between health care organizations, it is essential to understand how to overcome the challenges of cultural differences that may impede group efforts.
Vision, Mission, and Values & Leadership
Organizational leaders provide a sense of direction and overall guidance to their employees through the use of organizational vision, mission, and values statements. An organization’s vision statement defines why the organization exists, describes how the organization is unique and different from similar organizations, and specifies where the leaders hope the organization is going (Sanders, 2013). The mission describes how the organization will fulfill its vision and establishes a common course of action for future endeavors. Finally, values are developed to assist with the achievement of the vision and mission and provide strategic guidelines for decision making, both internally and externally, by members of the organization (Kotalik et al., 2014). The vision, mission, and value statements are expressed in a concise and clear manner that is easily understood by all the members of the organization. The vision, mission, and values provide guidelines for every person participating in all activities occurring within the organization and sets the tone for expectations of employees.
The United States of America’s health care is an open system that is undergoing constant change while responding to the surrounding environment. Complexity science requires leaders and staff to handle this rapid change in a thoughtful manner. As health care continues to evolve and new models of care are introduced, managers need to consider innovative approaches that meet the needs of change while complying with their individual organization’s vision, mission, and values. According to Porter–O’Grady and Malloch, “the language of leadership must reflect the requisites of embracing the mission, identifying how individual work effort contributes to it, and ensuring that work outcomes advance the organization’s mission and purpose” (2011, p. 233). Leaders look through the lenses of the vision, mission, and values statements for guidance when determining appropriate responses to critical events and unforeseen challenges, common in a complex system. Successful organizations require each employee to be committed to following these strategic guidelines during the course of their work activities. Employees who understand the relationship between their own work and the mission and purpose of the organization will contribute to a stronger health care system that excels in providing first-class patient care. The vision, mission, and values provide a common organization-wide frame of reference for decision making for both leaders and staff (Kotalik et al., 2014).
Learning Exercise 2.2.1
Watch this video “How to Write a Mission Statement” (4:00), presented by M3 Planning, then answer the following questions:
- What is a mission statement?
- What are five characteristics of a mission statement?
- Who needs to be involved in writing a mission statement?
- What information do you need to write a mission statement?
- What should the process of writing a mission statement involve?
Learning Exercise 2.2.2
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Consider the mission, vision, and values of your employer and reflect on the following questions:
- How well do your organization’s vision and values align with your personal values regarding health care?
- How well does your organization’s mission align with your potential Quality Improvement project?
Next: 2.3 Spotlight Application
The implicit values and beliefs that reflect the norms and traditions of an organization.