A vision statement of a business

A company's vision statement is important in establishing its future goals, expressing its purpose to stakeholders, and creating a yardstick for success (Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 15). It keeps an organization on track and aids in the achievement of future goals. A vision statement, on the other hand, should not vary from the realistic picture, but rather should foresee a level of excellence (Kouzes & Posner, 1996, p. 14). This study will look at General Motors' vision statement, which was a pioneer in the automobile business.

General Motors is a century-old vehicle manufacturing firm and research and development center in the United States. As an industry leader and one of the largest automobile manufacturing organizations, the company sells more than 8 million vehicles annually across the world (Axson, 2013). The firm puts its effort to the mission of “earning customers for life”; its current annual income is near $166 billion US dollar and it has continued to expand its business at a global scale (GM.com, 2016).

Vision Statement

The corporate vision statement of the company reads: “to become the world’s most valued automotive company” (GM.com, 2016).

Attributes that Makes the Vision Statement Meaningful

The vision statement specifies two clear future goals that are to expand globally and to become create the strongest brand in the world. The company is already set to market and sells its products across 125 countries of the world, which clearly makes it a popular global brand (GM.com, 2016). The integration of innovative technology, the adaptability to consumer’s demand, and the ability to enhance customer satisfactions are few attributes that play important role in achieving declared future goals of the firm. Its large scale global expansion plan and its execution to the perfection have been extraordinary for the last few years. Its Chevrolet model car has awarded 2016 Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year and Green Car of the Year award. In 2016, it has sold 10 million vehicles across the world, which is the highest number for a single organization in the industry. These attributive achievements clearly reveal the company’s commitment to its vision of building a strong brand across the world.

Appropriateness of the Vision Statement to the Company and its Appeal to Stakeholders

General Motors’ vision statement is appropriate to its strategic direction. The company has been aiming to spread the brand globally and set its business strategy to acquire the global market as a leader. It has been investing heavily to capture market trend and to adapt to local and global market regulations. For example, it is focusing on electric vehicles, onboard the fourth Generation LTE communication facilities, and meeting clean-energy regulatory compliance in its automotive design for decades (GM.com, 2016).

On the other hand, the vision statement has the potential to engage partners with by clearly depicting the future picture. The potential stakeholders will learn about the expansion plan and market strategy of the company from its vision statement. The vision statement simply creates an appeal to the partner’s mind regardless of his/ her country of origin. Any stakeholder from the mother earth can relate himself both cognitively and emotionally to the company’s realistic future goal that it has shown to be on track in recent years of its development and market success.

References

Axson, D. A. (2013). The management mythbuster. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

GM.com. (2016, February 5). About General Motors | GM.com. Retrieved from https://www.gm.com/company/about-gm.html

Kirkpatrick, S. (2016). Build a better vision statement: Extending research with practical advice.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (1996, May 11). Envisioning your future: Imagining ideal scenarios. Futurist, 30, 14.