Mission and Vision of the Organisation

Original Editor - Stacy Schiurring based on the course by Larisa Hoffman

Top Contributors - Stacy Schiurring and Jess Bell

Mission Statements[edit | edit source]

Educational organisations are expected to create a mission statement for their programmes to share their identity with the community, gain legitimacy, and improve access to critical resources[1] [2][3]

The purpose of a mission statement is to recognise the current relationship between the programme’s purpose, values, strategy, and standards[2][4]

A mission statement can guide the strategic planning process, define the scope of the programme, and aid in the prioritisation of objectives[5]. Within an institution, there are competing priorities of teaching, researching, and serving[6]; therefore, it is helpful to recognise the different priorities in an organisation’s mission statement, including the impact on stakeholders (students, faculty, administrators, local community members and global society)[7].  

  • Mission statements in academic institutions are often similar with an emphasis on education, scholarship, and social justice[8] [7][9] [10][11]
  • Mission statements in higher education often include a commitment to diversity (including equal opportunity for men and women), unifying research with teaching, leadership, the value of interdisciplinary education, responsibility to society, innovations, partnerships with sectors of the economy, knowledge transfer, development of students and researchers, practical orientation of education, development of staff, applied research, and preparation of students for professional life[12][13][9][10][14]
  • Mission statements from institutions that emphasise values are associated with graduates who also emphasise ethical values[15].  


Mission statement creation guidelines:

  • Mission statements are concise: about a paragraph in length, usually 1-2 sentences[16] [17]
  • They should be clear, relevant, current, inspiring, enduring, and unique[18]
  • The focus of the mission should be the impact on the stakeholders of the institution. 
  • The mission statement should be motivational and provide direction for planning purposes[16][18][2].
  • Components of a mission statement can include a (1) value and belief statement, (2) the organisation’s definition of success, as well as the (3) strategy to achieve success[19] [18]
  • A mission statement reflects the current state of the institution. As opposed to a vision statement which describes the future but should be consistent with the vision statement[20][21].
  • The mission statement should both communicate values that are consistent with your profession, as well as distinguish the unique features of the programme[18] [22].    

Review the RELAB toolkit’s mission statement:  [edit | edit source]

Please read and review the RELAB toolkit's mission statement. Please note the various components discussed above within this statement.

RELAB Toolkit Mission Statement

To be a trusted partner in rehabilitation education that equips a global workforce with up-to-date, evidence-informed and competency-based education.

Vision Statement[edit | edit source]

A vision statement is an inspirational description of the future of the institution[1][20][23] [17] which will guide a desired future state that incorporates values and aspirations of the institution (Joachim, 2010)[1].  A vision paints a broad picture of the future, keeping the current institutional objective in mind.[17] 

  • A vision statement should be inspirational and motivating[17][23], easy to remember and understand, challenging, and futuristic[23]
  • A vision statement expresses optimism about the future state of the institution[23].  
  • A strong vision helps an institution embrace and prepare for the future in an intentional manner[20], as well as providing direction for a future desired state[15]
  • Vision statements should emphasise the unique aspects of the institution, as well as the futuristic state of the healthcare system[15]
  • A vision statement should reflect an institution’s culture, which will strengthen the unity and loyalty of the stakeholders[15].  


Critics of the vision statements state these tools can be too generic and not actionable, thereby creating confusion[24].  Thus, suggesting that writing vision statements that guide specific decisions and direction may be more helpful. 

Vision development approaches[edit | edit source]

Taiwo and Lawal[20] describe different approaches to the development of a vision: intuition, team, and rational approaches. 

  1. Intuitive approach: creative processes are utilised to dream of potential futuristic possibilities. 
  2. Team approach: a group of stakeholders collaborate to brainstorm ideas, and then consensus amongst the group members is established. 
  3. Rational approach: the vision is developed through logic and deduction.    


In creating a vision, basic criteria include (1) originality, (2) motivation, (3) credibility, and (4) ease of recall[15]. A vision statement should aim to improve the current situation and predict changes in the future[15]. Finally, a vision should be consistent with the mission and philosophy[22].  

Review the RELAB Toolkit’s vision statement:  [edit | edit source]

Please read and review the RELAB toolkit's vision statement. Please note the various components discussed above within this statement.

RELAB Toolkit’s Vision Statement

A world where there is an abundance of rehabilitation providers who embody excellence and are recognized and valued by society.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Optional Additional Recommended Reading:

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gordon SP. Vision and Mission. developing Successful Schools 2022 (pp. 245-262). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schoen M. Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: A Survey on Writing Programs and Institutional Mission. WPA: Writing Program Administration-Journal of the Council of Writing Program Administrators. 2019 Mar 1;42(2).
  3. Gornitzka Å. Governmental policies and organisational change in higher education. Higher education. 1999 Jul;38(1):5-31.
  4. Cortés-Sánchez J. Mission and vision statements of universities worldwide: a content analysis. Documentos De Investigación, Facultad de Administración. 2017 Oct 11(152):2463-1892.
  5. Bart Baetz CK. The relationship between mission statements and firm performance: An exploratory study. Journal of management studies. 1998 Nov;35(6):823-53.
  6. Hladchenko M. The organizational identity of Ukrainian universities as claimed through their mission statements. Tertiary Education and Management. 2016 Dec;22(4):376-89.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Seeber M, Barberio V, Huisman J, Mampaey J. Factors affecting the content of universities’ mission statements: an analysis of the United Kingdom higher education system. Studies in Higher Education. 2019 Feb 1;44(2):230-44.
  8. Kuenssberg S. The discourse of self-presentation in Scottish university mission statements. Quality in higher education. 2011 Nov 1;17(3):279-98.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Clark BR. The higher education system: Academic organization in cross-national perspective. Univ of California Press; 1986 Aug 6.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Labaree DF. Public goods, private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American educational research journal. 1997;34(1):39-81.
  11. Townley B. The institutional logic of performance appraisal. Organization studies. 1997 Mar;18(2):261-85.
  12. Hladchenko M. Mission statement-A component of the strategic management of university (on the example of German universities). New Educational Review. 2013;31(1):229-40.
  13. Morphew CC, Hartley M. Mission statements: A thematic analysis of rhetoric across institutional type. The Journal of Higher Education. 2006 May 1;77(3):456-71.
  14. Davenport NC, Spath ML, Blauvelt MJ. A step-by-step approach to curriculum review. Nurse educator. 2009 Jul 1;34(4):181-5.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Ozdem G. An analysis of the mission and vision statements on the strategic plans of higher education institutions. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2011;11(4):1887-94.
  16. 16.0 16.1 David FR. Analysis of Vision and Mission Statements Characteristics and their Association with Organizational Performance: A Guide to Writing Effective Vision and Mission Statements. Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce. 2020 Jun 30;14(1-2):87-95.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Aithal PS. Creating innovators through setting up organizational vision, mission and core values: a strategic model in higher education. International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering. 2016 Jan;6(1):310-24.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Powers EL. Organizational mission statement guidelines revisited. International Journal of Management & Information Systems (IJMIS). 2012 Sep 20;16(4):281-90.
  19. Baetz MC, Bart CK. Developing mission statements which work. Long range planning. 1996 Aug 1;29(4):526-33.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Taiwo AA, Lawal FA. Vision and mission in organization: Myth or heuristic device? The International Journal of Business & Management. 2016 Mar;4(3).
  21. Abelman R, Dalessandro A. The institutional vision of community colleges: Assessing style as well as substance. Community college review. 2008 Apr;35(4):306-35.
  22. 22.0 22.1 Rothwell WJ, Williams SL, Zaballero AG. Align Learning and Development with Organization Mission and Values. InIncreasing Learning & Development's Impact through Accreditation 2020 (pp. 19-36). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Papulova Z. The significance of vision and mission development for enterprises in Slovak Republic. Journal of Economics, Business and management. 2014 Feb;2(1):12-6.
  24. Darbi WP. Of mission and vision statements and their potential impact on employee behaviour and attitudes: The case of a public but profit-oriented tertiary institution. International Journal of Business and Social Science. 2012 Jul 1;3(14).