Strategic management process
Strategic management process
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Executive Summary
This paper was written to establish and analyze the Mission, Vision, and Value statements of Kraft Foods Group, Inc and recommend changes that would better line up with the goals of the organization.
Mission Statement – to be the best food and beverage firm in North America
Vision Statement – to make a legacy
Values Statement – responsibility
Kraft Foods Group’s Mission, Vision, and Value statements all link or tie to each other and work with each other
The stakeholders of the firm are well taken care of (properly cared for)
The Mission statement of the company has an admirable objective or goal as it can be quantified. Looking at the firm’s mission from outside of the organization, however, makes it an unachievable mission. This implies that it should have attainable concepts. The Values and Vision statements are effectual and do not require any revision. The company has done a great job in defining its Mission, Vision, and Values in a precise way, and they are focused and emphasize on maintaining their focus in their business operations.
Introduction
This framework comprises of a vision for the future, a mission that identifies and defines what a person or organization is doing, values that shape actions in operations, action plans and goals to guide actions, and strategies are key to success approaches. Whereas a business should on a continual basis adapt to the competitive environment, there are a number of core ideals which are comparatively constant and offer guidance in the strategic decision making process. The core ideals are what create the vision of the business and are found or expressed in the organization’s mission statement (QuickMBA.com, n.d). The mission statement is what communicates the core ideology and visionary goals of the firm. Generally, it consists of three elements that are core purpose, core values, and visionary goals. Both organizations and people need to create a strategic framework for meaningful success. As a new firm, even though the heritage of the firm has existed for more than a hundred years, Kraft Foods Group, Inc. has performed a significant role in defining their firm’s Mission, Vision, and Values in a precise and brief way. Improvements can, however, be made. The paper takes a deeper look at the three statements in order to establish if there are any improvements that can be made. This will be achieved through the identification, analysis, and drawing association of alignment between the statements and the company’s stakeholders. This makes the overall purpose of Kraft Foods Group Inc.
Company’s Mission Statement and Analysis
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. has their mission statement as become the best food and beverage firm in North America (Welcome, 2012). This is a clear concise mission statement that contains a lot of information. One can be able to gather from the statement that the company’s ultimate goal is to become the absolute best in every category including delivery, quality, availability of product, taste, and as an employer. As a mission statement, it explains the general purpose of the firm. This is similar to the article written by Dr. Carter McNamara on developing the three statements being discussed (McNamara, 2009). It is so obvious that one would hope that for such a big organization, as Kraft, would be capable of defining a precise and accurate mission statement and it seems they have.
Company’s Vision and Analysis
After a careful evaluation of the firm’s website and descriptions about themselves it seems and appears that the firm’s vision is ‘to make a legacy’. Finding this was not easy although it appears on one of the first pages that visitors of the website see. It seems that the vision is a good fit for what was written by Dr. McNamara on the vision of the company as being a vivid explanation of the company as it effectually undertakes its activities or operations (McNamara, 2009). The company is relying largely on their past legacy that began back in the year 1903 and which has continued through to this day. From an outsider’s point of view, the vision is moving motivationally and emotionally. It moves motivationally by invoking every individual related to the company to carefully think about how what they do in the present will establish a lasting legacy on the globe in the future. On the other hand, it moves emotionally as it reflects on the past and how a vision by one man has made such an impact today on the world. In the author’s first and only blog, the idea of creating a lasting legacy discussed in that a business should not only be focused on the bottom line, but also with what they leave behind as a legacy. Kraft Foods Group, Inc’s vision is absolutely on point and comprehensive.
Company’s Values and Analysis
Whereas Kraft Foods Group, Inc. does not come out directly and establish their values, there exist a variety of statements that allude to the values of the firm that can be summed up as one word, responsibility. Below the responsibility tab, there is the title ‘make some good’ and a brief paragraph that states, from changing the company’s packaging to enhancing healthy lifestyles, the firm continues to evolve ways in which they carry out business in order to reduce its environmental impact and promote its contributions to society while at the same time delivering an outstanding financial performance. Whereas the firm mentions a variety of focuses on the environment, consumers, shareholders, and society, it all emerges or goes back to a responsibility that the firm feels to create some good. Whereas this may not truly be the company’s values statement, it is an appropriate description of the general feeling that one gets when he or she looks at their website and see what the organization is promoting.
Alignment of Company’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals with Stakeholders’ Interests
According to an article on 12manage.com with the title Stakeholder Analysis, there are a total of twelve stakeholders an organization may come into contact with (Luca, 2007). For this section, however, there are only five specific categories of stakeholders that are addressed. These include Employees, Stockholders, Consumers, Communities, and Government.
The company’s Mission, Values, and Vision statements all link and work together. Whereas a quick summary of how the stakeholders are affected could be achieved, a larger effect of the alignment can be recognized more effectually through the use of the exact words of Kraft from their website when dealing with each stakeholder on an individual level. With this being mentioned, the company’s stockholders are taken care of because of the focus of the firm by Disclosure of the processes of the board, respect for rights of shareholders, independence of a majority of the directors, and compliance with regulations and legislation on strong corporate governance. The needs of consumers are met because the firm is concerned with food quality and safety. Second, the firm is focused on health and welfare through bringing education and nutrition resources to consumers and assisting people make better choices. Kraft’s employees are aligned with the firm’s Mission, Values, and Vision. This is evidenced by their statement that holds that the company will treat all its employees with loyalty and respect that they deserve. The company states that it will provide its employees with a safe place of work and inspire them to achieve great things.
Kraft Foods Group Inc. also addresses government as a stakeholder through their statements that the company has a commitment to carry out business or operations with integrity and legal compliance. In addition, a commitment to the societies that are affected by Kraft Foods Group Inc are evident on the company’s page dedicated to community involvement. The company holds that it is committed by community partnerships, encouraging healthy lifestyles and fighting hunger, enhancing or promoting volunteer service to facilitate change, humanitarian aid such as lending a hand when disaster strikes. The Mission, Values, and Vision statements apply to every person, everywhere due to their acknowledgement of a sustainability responsibility, making a suitable difference, protecting its resources, environmental policy, and agricultural supply chain.
Recommended Changes
The Mission statement of Kraft foods Group Inc. has an admirable objective that is quantifiable. Looking at it from outside of the organization, however, it appears as unachievable mission. The firm’s mission could be more concerned with invoking a feeling of achievability by all employees. Simply being the best is generic in nature. If they could establish some initial categories including highest sales or largest retailer and add on these categories as they advance. This means that an added accomplishment sense could be attained every time they reach their targets. The company’s vision statement to create a legacy is properly thought through. This is because it assists that the legacy is already in place and does not necessitate a lot of effort in promoting an enhancing of the legacy that has already been put in place. For the organization’s value statement, it is the opinion of the author that for a firm of that size to acknowledge that they have no responsibility to their stakeholders and that their business operations or activities affect a variety of avenues is promising. In this case, one could not have created a better values statement than what the company has achieved in doing. The mission statement, however, meets the criterion that is suggested by Welch and Welch (2008) that it should be simple in writing, which is the case with Kraft’s mission. The recommended changes could make it more admirable. This ensures that an organization what it desires and hopes to deliver in terms of quality, time, or even quantity.
Conclusion
Expectantly, one is able to see the association of Kraft Foods Group, Inc’s Vision, Mission, and Values statements, as well as, how they openly affect their stakeholders, throughout this paper. Through identification and analysis of the three statements, it is evident that Kraft truthfully has done a significant and great job at defining their organization’s Vision, Values, and Mission in a precise and concise way, and whereas some recommendations have been suggested to adjust their mission statement. However, the company remains focused on attaining its goals and objectives. The success of an organization, as well as, individual success is highly dependent on how well a person or organization defines and lives by the essential concepts that have been presented. It is evident that organizations whose personnel clearly comprehend the goals and mission of the organization enjoy a twenty nine percent higher return than other organizations. Kraft Food Group, Inc. has achieved a great role in its vision statement. A vision statement is a statement about what an organization wants to achieve or become. In this case, the vision statement should resonate with all organizational members and assist them to feel motivated, excited, proud, and part of something bigger than themselves. In addition, it should stretch the capabilities and image of the organization as it give s direction and shape to the future of the organization. This has been achieved by Kraft Foods Group, Inc. through its concise vision statement. The organization translates its statement into action through its business operations. Creating a shorter vision statement is crucial as the personnel will remember it more than they will with a long vision statement (Healthfield, 2009). When workers internalize the vision statement, they are likely to take action in order to realize it or make it come true.
References
Heathfield, S. M. (2009). Build a strategic framework: mission statement, vision, values. Retrieved on November 6, 2012, from:http://humanresources.about.com/cs/strategicplanning1/a/strategicplan.htm
Luca, A. M. (2007). Organizational Stakeholders. Power Point presentation.
McNamara, C. (2009). Basics of developing mission, vision and values statements. Retrieved on November 6, 2012, from:http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/stmnts.htm
Welch, J., & Welch, S. (2008). State your business: Too many mission statements are loaded with fatheaded jargon. Play it straight.Businessweek, 4066 (80). Retrieved on November 6, 2012, from:
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2008-01-02/state-your-business
