An Analysis of Ford’s mission and Vision Statement
Ford has changed a lot during the recent decade. Under the One Ford Plan several things have been changed and realigned so that the operations of the company globally can be brought on the same page. With the implementation of the One Ford plan, Ford’s performance has changed globally. It has seen a lot of growth since then. Several times people also mistake Alan Mulally’s One Ford plan to be the corporate mission statement of Ford. Its mission statement is different. Officially, Ford has not released its mission but only its vision. However, in the case of several brands, they use the same statement as their mission and vision as in case of Google. Officially, the vision statement of Ford also serves as its mission statement. Ford’s vision statement is as follows:
People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.
The focus in its mission or vision statement is on the size and scope of business as well as on its position in the industry. Yes, Ford does not forget to stress upon its unity and therefore the first part of the mission statement says “People working together”. In the second part, the focus is on the scope of the enterprise and how it is contributing to the society. A mission statement must be clear and specific enough. However, Ford’s mission statement does not state clearly about its products or its customers. It does stress on a leadership position. Even as a vision statement it does not express any desired position for the future. It is a very short vision statement. It must be focussed so that it can provide guidance on decision making and resource allocation inside the organization.
Again the focus of the vision statement is on creating a positive brand image. The statement talks of leadership position in automotives and of making people’s lives better. However, there is nothing about sustainability or CSR included in the vision statement. It does not provide any kind of guidance over company’s future course either. Ford’s vision statement or mission statement whatever we consider it talks of an achievable position. In that regard it appears fine, but there are several things omitted from the vision. It also looks a bit generic in the sense that every company dreams of a leadership position and of serving its customers better. The vision statement of Ford also misses to address the long term concerns of the stakeholders. It lacks any specifics about how Ford is going to address the concerns of the key stakeholders including customers, employees and shareholders in the long term. When it says a lean global enterprise, it indicates that Ford is trying to achieve operational efficiency. A good vision statement always sets a clear course for the future which is in the long term interest of stakeholders. The vision statement is missing several aspects of a good mission/vision statement. It misses being specific and achieves only partial completeness.