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Evaluating the Mission and Vision of Starbucks Coffee Company

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More so than ever in an age of rapidly evolving technologies and global expansion, sustainable competitive advantage depends foremost on a clear sense of organizational purpose (mission) and a compelling vision for success (Campbell & Alexander, 1997). Together, these two key elements define the guiding framework for the insightful creation of value (Campbell & Alexander, 1997) that differentiates an organization from its competitors (Porter, 1996). Thus, knowledge of the critical elements that comprise meaningful mission and vision statements (Aguinis, 2009) becomes essential for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. As testimony, this paper assesses the strategic guidance provided by the mission and vision statements of the …show more content…

Ideally, a good mission statement also provides information regarding the organization’s overall management philosophy, its business model, its technical and social competencies, and its values and beliefs (Aguinis, 2009; Azaddin, 2011; Bart & Hupfer, 2004; Covin, Slevin, & Schultz, 1994). Moreover, to make mission statements of large companies more individually relevant, Azaddin (2011) advocates flexible “guiding statements” that account for the “context, culture, structure, and needs of an organization” (p. 31). Thus, a mission statement must be meaningful and applicable to all stakeholders for strategic decision-making to be effective. The Starbucks Mission Statement Description of the Starbucks Mission The Starbucks mission statement (“Our Starbucks Mission Statement,” 2011) comprises two important elements (a) an overarching statement of purpose, and (b) a set of “guiding principles” that interpret the meaning of the mission statement relative to six important aspects of the company’s business model (See Appendix for a complete description of the Starbucks mission statement). The overarching mission statement – “To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time” – explicitly conveys the firm’s intent to extend its global presence

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