University Mission Statements and Sustainability Performance

• Date: 01 June 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12144
• Author: William F. Martin,Yvette P. Lopez
• Published date: 01 June 2018

University Mission Statements

and Sustainability

Performance

YVETTE P. LOPEZ AND WILLIAM F. MARTIN

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the relationship between university

mission statements and sustainability practices by institu-

tions of higher education. We examine mission statement

constructs and the degree to which higher educational insti-

tutions meet specific sustainability criteria in line with the

College Sustainability Report Card. Our sample consists of

347 universities from the Sustainable Endowment Insti-

tute’s (2011) Green Report Card. Previous research suggests

that mission statements are essential for superior organiza-

tional performance outcomes. We examine the relationship

between university mission statement content and sustain-

ability practices. Findings indicate that the greater the num-

ber of specific terms used in the university mission

statements, the higher the statistical likelihood that those

universities had higher sustainability ratings. Findings also

indicate that private institutions and nonreligious-affiliated

institutions are more likely to include sustainability

Yvette P. Lopez is an Associate Professor in the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul Univer-

sity, where she teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in management,

organizational behavior, and leadership. Her research interests are in the areas of workplace

violence, workplace deviance, workplace bullying, business ethics, psychological contracts, and

leadership. E-mail: ylopez9@depaul.edu. William F. Martin is a professor of management &

entrepreneurship at DePaul University. His research focuses upon ethics as applied to univer-

sities and healthcare organizations. E-mail: martym@depaul.edu.

V

C2018 W. Michael Hoffman Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University. Published by

Wiley Periodicals, Inc., 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA, and 9600 Garsington

Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK. DOI: 10.1111/basr.12144

Business and Society Review 123:2 341–368

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constructs in their mission statements than colleges and

universities with religious affiliation and public institutions.

Several propositions to guide future research are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Mission statements are often heavily regarded as the criti-

cal starting point for almost every major strategic initia-

tive (Bart et al., 2001). They provide the most

fundamental information for every organization: they define the

business, state the company’s purpose, identify the organization’s

product/service, identify the customer, and distinguish the organi-

zation from its competition. Mission statements have often been

described as a critical component of the strategy formulation pro-

cess, and research indicates that those organizations that engage

in strategic planning consistently outperform those organizations

that do not (Dess and Davis, 1984; Fredrickson and Mitchell,

1984; Robinson, Jr. and Pearce II, 1983).

The mission statement often serves two purposes: (1) to provide

a simple statement of purpose as originally described by Drucker

(1973) and (2) to provide a more publicized mission that serves as a

portrayal of the organization. In the most basic sense, the mission

statement provides a sense of direction and purpose for those

within the company. Internally, it helps guide decision making and

behavior. Externally, it creates a publicized image of the organiza-

tion and communicates the organization’s intentions and overall

identity to stakeholders (Leuthesser and Kohli, 1997). Therefore,

one of the most critical aspects of the mission statement and the

strategy formulation process is the expectation that the two com-

plement each other.

In the same way that mission statements provide purpose and

strategic direction for a company in addition to providing a public

image, mission statements for colleges and universities are

expected to have a fundamental basis that states the university’s

envisioned future, along with the inspiration and motivation of the

vision (Velazquez et al., 2006). According to the Higher Learning

Commission and the Association to Advance College Schools of

Business (AACSB), mission statements for colleges and universities

342 BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW