A brief, concise statement by an organization of what it needs to become is called a vision statement. The vision statement should motivate and inspire the organization’s employees and be shared with the businesses’ owners, customers, and suppliers. The vision statement, therefore, gives direction to the organization’s long-term goals and objectives. Three to five years into the future is the typical time frame for this forward-looking introspection. The vision statement for the business administration department at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort (USCB) is:
The USCB School of Business Administration leads the way in providing business education in the South Carolina Lowcountry thereby helping students to succeed in their professional activities, and achieve personal satisfaction while building the area’s economic and societal levels thereby enhancing quality of life for all.
This long-term statement reflects the faculty’s desire not only to provide quality education but also have a meaningful impact on the entire geographical area and the personal happiness of its residents. Writing the vision statement is only one step, perhaps the easiest step, in an organization’s growth and development. Making the vision become reality is the real task. An effective vision statement must be a living document and be supported by the values and actions of the organization or group that developed it. The next step is to develop ways of progressing from what the organization is now to what the organization wants to be. Identifying what the organization believes and the values it cherishes that are fundamental to its actions is the next step. These guiding ethical values become the road map that the organization uses to progress from its present status to its desired future. Some of the guiding values for the USCB business administration department are:
• Emphasize the development of fundamental ideals, values, and guiding principles for professional and personal life.
• Base each course on sound business theory and principles, with a practical emphasis.
• Curriculum has a strong quantitative component based on statistical applications in business research to help prospective business professionals make effective business decisions.
• Assist business administration students find meaningful employment by emphasizing career development and linking students with prospective employers.
These and the other guiding values influence all facets of the department’s activities, including daily contact and discussions with students, course development and presentation, and interaction within the community. Identifying the organization’s current position also requires an honest introspection. The mission statement summarizes where the organization currently is in terms of products and services offered to customers in the marketplace. It is a statement of why the organization exists today. The mission statement is static because it looks at the organization as of a particular point in time. The vision statement is dynamic because identifies what the organization wants to be in the future. The mission statement does, however, provide a baseline against which progress in attaining the organization’s vision can be measured.
John B. Abbott