Mission statement perception: Are we all on the same wavelength? A case study in a Flemish hospital

Background: Although it is widely recognized that the effectiveness of mission statements is contingent upon the extent to which they are communicated to the organization's members, there is virtually no literature on how organizational members perceive the mission statement. Purposes: To address these shortcomings, a research project was set up to seek (a) to assess how managers and nonmanagers perceive the mission statement and (b) to determine if there is a perception gap between both groups. Methodology/Approach: In total, 102 nurses, nurse managers, and senior managers in a 217-bed Flemish hospital filled up a questionnaire, based on the Competing Values Framework for Managerial Communication, to assess their perception of the organizational mission statement. Findings: There is a mission statement perception gap between managers and nonmanagers. The scores of the management group are, in almost all cases, significantly higher. These findings suggest that managers have a more positive attitude toward the mission statement. Practice Implications: To optimize the impact of the mission statement, managers should measure the perception of the mission statement and try to remediate possible mission statement perception gaps. The Competing Values Framework for Managerial Communication is offered as a tool to assess (a) the presence, (b) the direction, and (c) the intensity of possible mission statement perception gaps.