Also known as a ‘mission statement’, it is a written declaration of an organisation’s core function, intent, ethos and business direction. It may vary in length from one short sentence to several lengthy paragraphs, but should be as simple and concise as possible in order to be clearly understood by all employees, customers and members of the public. For example, the international chemical giant, Dow, has the following simple mission statement: ‘To constantly improve what is essential to human progress by mastering science and technology’.

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