Abstract
Sustainable consumption calls for organizations to act responsibly for the future generation. In response, companies are embracing sustainability into their strategy. A great strategy starts with a mission statement as a way to differentiate a company from its rivals. The significance of sustainability mission statements not only informs customers about the commitment of a firm to embracing sustainable development goals, but also creates values for customers who are likely to self-identify with the company of being good and return the company favorably with supportive purchasing actions. The rationale leads to the research objective to investigate the relationships between a sustainability mission statement and the intention of the identification of the consumer to purchase. A quantitative causal and survey methodology was designed and a sample of 245 Taiwanese respondents was collected. The results in the research model one showed that only environmental and economic sustainability have an effect on consumer purchase intention. When model two explored the mediation effect of consumer-company identification, the relationship between sustainability mission statement and consumer purchase intention was significantly strengthened, indicating that consumer-company identification is a complementary mediator, despite the mediation role, environmental sustainability directly and positively affected consumer purchase intention. With mediation, social sustainability became critical to influence consumer behavior, and the relative strength is first environmental sustainability, followed by social and economic sustainability. This research contributes to the gap in the marketing literature by first incorporating corporate sustainability into mission statements and further explores the effect of sustainability mission statements on consumer behavior. Furthermore, the study was the first to examine the mediation role of consumer-company identification based on social identity theory in the field of corporate sustainability. Managerial implications are provided for companies to prioritize and articulate their sustainability statement as their marketing communication strategy to have a head start.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (both in the manuscript and in the supplementary files) and are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Ackoff, R. L. (1987). Mission statements. Planning Review, 15(4), 30–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054196
Ahearne, M., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Gruen, T. (2005). Antecedents and consequences of consumer-company identification: Expanding the role of relationship marketing. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(3), 574–585. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.3.574
Albert, S., & Whetten, D. A. (1985). Organizational identity: Research in organizational behavior. Greenwich, CT.
Alegre, I., Berbegal-Mirabent, J., Guerrero, A., & Mas-Machuca, M. (2018). The real mission of the mission statement: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Management & Organization, 24(4), 456–473. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2017.82
Allison, J. (2017). Advancing strategic communication through mission statements: Creation of a natural language taxonomy. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 16(3), 1–15.
Amato, C. H., & Amato, L. H. (2002). Corporate commitment to quality of life: Evidence from company mission statements. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 10(4), 69–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2002.11501927
Amoako, G. K., Dzogbenuku, R. K., Doe, J., & Adjaison, G. K. (2022). Green marketing and the SDGs: Emerging market perspective. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 40(3), 310–327.
Amran, A., Lee, S. P., & Devi, S. S. (2014). The influence of governance structure and strategic corporate social responsibility toward sustainability reporting quality. Business Strategy and the Environment, 23(4), 217–235. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1767
Amran, N. A. (2012). Mission statement and company performance: Evidence from Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 2(4), 98–107.
Ancell, D. (2016). Clipped wings: Corporate social and environmental responsibility in the airline industry. Routledge.
Aquino, K., & Reed, I. I. (2002). The self-importance of moral identity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(6), 1423–1440. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.6.1423
Awan, U. (2011). Green marketing: Marketing strategies for the Swedish energy companies. International Journal of Industrial Marketing, 1(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijim.v1i2.1008
Awan, U., Kraslawski, A., & Huiskonen, J. (2018). Understanding influential factors on implementing social sustainability practices in manufacturing firms: An interpretive structural modelling (ISM) analysis. Procedia Manufacturing, 17, 1039–1048.
Awan, U. S. A. M. A., & Raza, M. A. (2012). Green consumer behavior: Empirical study of Swedish consumer behavior. Recent Researches in Economics, 1, 89–104.
Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02723327
Bansal, P. (2005). Evolving sustainably: A longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development. Strategic Management Journal, 26(3), 197–218.
Bart, C. K. (1997). Sex, lies and mission statements. Business horizons, (Nov–Dec.), (pp. 9–18). Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=716542
Bart, C. K. (1996). The impact of mission on firm innovativeness. International Journal of Technology Management, 11(3–4), 479–493. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.1996.025446
Bart, C. K., Bontis, N., & Taggar, S. (2001). A model of the impact of mission statements on firm performance. Management Decision, 39(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005404
Bart, C. K., & Tabone, J. C. (1998). Mission statement rationales and organizational alignment in the not-for-profit health care sector. Health Care Management Review, 23(4), 54–69.
Bartkus, B. R., & Glassman, M. (2008). Do firms practice what they preach? The relationship between mission statements and stakeholder management. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(2), 207–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9612-0
Bartkus, B., Glassman, M., & McAfee, R. B. (2000). Mission statements: Are they smoke and mirrors? Business Horizons, 43(6), 23–28.
Baumgartner, R. J. (2014). Managing corporate sustainability and CSR: A conceptual framework combining values, strategies and instruments contributing to sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 21(5), 258–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1336
Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2003). Consumer–company identification: A framework for understanding consumers’ relationships with companies. Journal of Marketing, 67(2), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.67.2.76.18609
Bianchi, E., Bruno, J. M., & Sarabia-Sanchez, F. J. (2019). The impact of perceived CSR on corporate reputation and purchase intention. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 28(3), 206–221. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-12-2017-0068
Bonini, S., & Gorner, S. (2011). The business of sustainability. McKinsey.
Bradbury, H. (2003). Sustaining inner and outer worlds: A whole-systems approach to developing sustainable business practices in management. Journal of Management Education, 27(2), 172–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562903251414
Brønn, P. S. (2001). Corporate mission as a driver of corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Advertising, 20(2), 1–31.
Brown, W. A., & Yoshioka, C. F. (2003). Mission attachment and satisfaction as factors in employee retention. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 14(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.18
2030 Builders. (2020). Use the SDGs to bring value to your marketing and sales communication. Retreived from https://2030.builders/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/eBook3-Marketing-Communication.pdf
Byars, L. L., & Neil, T. C. (1987). Organizational philosophy and mission statements. Planning Review, 15(4), 32–35. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054197
Campbell, A., & Yeung, S. (1991). Creating a sense of mission. Long Range Planning, 24(4), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(91)90002-6
Carroll, A. B., & Buchholtz, A. K. (2014). Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Nelson Education.
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Eds.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295–336).
Chun, R., & Davies, G. (2001). E-reputation: The role of mission and vision statements in positioning strategy. Journal of Brand Management, 8(4), 315–333. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540031
Claro, P. B. O., & Esteves, N. R. (2021). Sustainability-oriented strategy and sustainable development goals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(4), 613–630. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-08-2020-0365
Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1991). Organizational vision and visionary organizations. California Management Review, 34(1), 30–52.
Cornelissen, J. P. (2008). Corporate communication. The International Encyclopedia of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405186407.wbiecc143
Cornwell, T. B., & Coote, L. V. (2005). Corporate sponsorship of a cause: The role of identification in purchase intent. Journal of Business Research, 58(3), 268–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(03)00135-8
Crespo, A. H., & del Bosque, I. R. (2005). Influence of corporate social responsibility on loyalty and valuation of services. Journal of Business Ethics, 61(4), 369–385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-5841-2
Darbi, W. P. K. (2012). Of mission and vision statements and their potential impact on employee behavior and attitudes: The case of a public but profit-oriented tertiary institution. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(14), 95–109.
David, F. R., & David, F. R. (2003). It’s time to redraft your mission statement. Journal of Business Strategy, 24(1), 11–14.
Dodd, M. D., & Supa, D. W. (2011). Understanding the effect of corporate social responsibility on consumer purchase intention. Public Relations Journal, 5(3), 1–19.
Dodd, M. D., & Supa, D. W. (2015). Testing the viability of corporate social advocacy as a predictor of purchase intention. Communication Research Reports, 32(4), 287–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2015.1089853
Drucker, P. (1974). Management: Tasks, responsibilities and practices. Harper & Row.
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2007). Reaping relational rewards from corporate social responsibility: The role of competitive positioning. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24(3), 224–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2007.01.001
Dyllick, T., & Hockerts, K. (2002). Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 11(2), 130–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.323
Fatma, M., Khan, I., & Rahman, Z. (2018). CSR and consumer behavioral responses: The role of consumer-company identification. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 30(2), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-01-2017-0017
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Galpin, T., & Lee Whittington, J. (2012). Sustainability leadership: From strategy to results. Journal of Business Strategy, 33(4), 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756661211242690
Galpin, T., Whitttington, J. L., & Bell, G. (2015). Is your sustainability strategy sustainable? Creating a culture of sustainability. Corporate Governance, 15(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-01-2013-0004
Gunawan, D. D., & Huarng, K.-H. (2015). Viral effects of social network and media on consumers’ purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 68, 2237–2241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.06.004
Hackley, C. (1998). Mission statements as corporate communications: The consequences of social constructionism. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 3(3), 92–98. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb046557
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2011). PLS-SEM: Indeed a silver bullet. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679190202
Hoffman, A. J., & Bazerman, M. H. (2007). Changing practice on sustainability: Understanding and overcoming the organizational and psychological barriers to action. In. S. Shama, S. Maark., & B. Husted (Eds.), Organizations and the sustainability mosaic. Crafting long-term ecological and societal solutions, (pp. 84–105). https://doi.org/10.4337/9781847205544
Huang, M. H., Cheng, Z. H., & Chen, I. C. (2017). The importance of CSR in forming customer–company identification and long-term loyalty. Journal of Services Marketing, 31(1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2016-0046
Ireland, R. D., & Hitt, M. A. (1992). Mission statements: Importance, challenge, and recommendations for development. Business Horizons, 35(3), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(92)90067-J
Islam, G. (2014). Social identity theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(1), 741–763.
Kantabutra, S. (2020). Toward an organizational theory of sustainability vision. Sustainability, 12(3), 1125.
Kemp, S., & Dwyer, L. (2003). Mission statements of international airlines: A content analysis. Tourism Management, 24(6), 635–653. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(03)00049-9
Kent, P., & Chan, C. (2009). Application of stakeholder theory to corporate environmental disclosures. Corporate Ownership & Control, 7(1–3), 394–410. https://doi.org/10.22495/cocv7i1c3p6
Kim, J., Taylor, C. R., Kim, K. H., & Lee, K. H. (2015). Measures of perceived sustainability. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 25(2), 182–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2015.1015473
King, D. L., Case, C. J., & Premo, K. M. (2010). Current mission statement emphasis: Be ethical and go global. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 9(2), 71–87.
Klemm, M., Sanderson, S., & Luffman, G. (1991). Mission statements: Selling corporate values to employees. Long Range Planning, 24(3), 73–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(91)90187-S
Law, K. M., & Breznik, K. (2018). What do airline mission statements reveal about value and strategy? Journal of Air Transport Management, 70, 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2018.04.015
Lee, J., & Lee, Y. (2015). The interactions of CSR, self-congruity and purchase intention among Chinese consumers. Australasian Marketing Journal, 23(1), 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2015.01.003
Leuthesser, L., & Kohli, C. (1997). Corporate identity: The role of mission statements. Business Horizons, 40(3), 59–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0007-6813(97)90053-7
Lichtenstein, D. R., Drumwright, M. E., & Braig, B. M. (2004). The effect of corporate social responsibility on customer donations to corporate-supported nonprofits. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 16–32.
Lii, Y. S. (2011). The effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives on consumers identification with companies. African Journal of Business Management, 5(5), 1642–1649. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM10.508
Lii, Y. S., Wu, K. W., & Ding, M. C. (2013). Doing good does good? Sustainable marketing of CSR and consumer evaluations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 20(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.294
Lin, Y., & Ryan, C. (2016). From mission statement to airline branding. Journal of Air Transport Management, 53(June), 150–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.02.013
Lopez, Y. P., & Martin, W. F. (2018). University mission statements and sustainability performance. Business and Society Review, 123(2), 341–368.
Lubin, D. A., & Esty, D. C. (2010). The sustainability imperative. Harvard Business Review, 88(5), 42–50.
Macedo, I. M., Pinho, J. C., & Silva, A. M. (2016). Revisiting the link between mission statements and organizational performance in the non-profit sector: The mediating effect of organizational commitment. European Management Journal, 34(1), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2015.10.003
Marjanova, T. J., & Sofijanova, E. (2014). Corporate mission statement and business performance: Through the prism of Macedonian companies. Balkan Social Science Review, 3, 179–198.
Martínez, P., & del Bosque, I. R. (2014). Sustainability dimensions: A source to enhance corporate reputation. Corporate Reputation Review, 17(4), 239–253. https://doi.org/10.1057/crr.2014.13
Moisescu, O. I. (2018). From perceptual corporate sustainability to customer loyalty: A multi-sectorial investigation in a developing country. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 31(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2017.1421998
Montiel, I. (2008). Corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability separate pasts, common futures. Organization & Environment, 21(3), 245–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026608321329
Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory. McGraw-Hill.
Park, H., & Kim, Y. K. (2016). An empirical test of the triple bottom line of customer-centric sustainability: The case of fast fashion. Fashion and Textiles, 3(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-016-0077-6
Pearce, J. A., & David, F. (1987). Corporate mission statements: The bottom line. Academy of Management Perspectives, 1(2), 109–115.
Pearce, J. A., & Roth, K. (1988). Multinationalization of the mission statement. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 53(3), 39–44.
Peter, J. P., & Donnelly, J. H. (1995). Marketing management: Knowledge and skills. Irwin.
Peyrefitte, J. (2012). The relationship between stakeholder communication in mission statements and shareholder value. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 9(3), 28–40.
Rajasekar, J. (2013). A comparative analysis of mission statement content and readability. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 14(6), 131–147.
Rarick, C. A., & Vitton, J. (1995). Corporate strategy: Mission statements make cents. Journal of Business Strategy, 16(1), 11–12. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb039673
Salas-Zapata, W. A., & Ortiz-Muñoz, S. M. (2019). Analysis of meanings of the concept of sustainability. Sustainable Development, 27(1), 153–161.
Sattari, S., Pitt, L. F., & Caruana, A. (2011). How readable are mission statements? An exploratory study. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 16(4), 282–292. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281111186931
Scott, S. G., & Lane, V. R. (2000). A stakeholder approach to organizational identity. Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 43–62. https://doi.org/10.2307/259262
Sen, S., & Bhattacharya, C. B. (2001). Does doing good always lead to doing better? Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(2), 225–243. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.38.2.225.18838
Sheehy, B., & Farneti, F. (2021). Corporate social responsibility, sustainability, sustainable development and corporate sustainability: What is the difference, and does it matter? Sustainability, 13(11), 5965. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115965
Sheth, J. N., Sethia, N. K., & Srinivas, S. (2011). Mindful consumption: A customer-centric approach to sustainability. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0216-3
Sufi, T., & Lyons, H. (2003). Mission statements exposed. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 15(5), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110310482173
Tajfel, H., Turner, J. C., Austin, W. G., & Worchel, S. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In M.A. Hogg & D. Abrams (Eds.), Organizational identity: A reader (pp. 56–65).
Trivedi, K., Trivedi, P., & Goswami, V. (2018). Sustainable marketing strategies: Creating business value by meeting consumer expectation. International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, 7(2), 186–205.
Turner, J. C., & Tajfel, H. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W.G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7–24).
Wang, Y., & Lin, J. (2011). Empirical research on influence of mission statements on performance of nonprofit organization. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 11(A), 328–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2011.12.052
White, G. B. (2005). How to report a company’s sustainability activities. Management Accounting Quarterly, 7(1), 36–44.
Wilson, I. (1992). Realizing the power of strategic vision. Long Range Planning, 25(5), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-6301(92)90271-3
Woolverton, A., & Dimitri, C. (2010). Green marketing: Are environmental and social objectives compatible with profit maximization? Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 25(2), 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170510000128
Wu, W. Y., & Tsai, C. H. (2007). The empirical study of CRM: Consumer-company identification and purchase intention in the direct selling industry. International Journal of Commerce and Management, 17(3), 194–210. https://doi.org/10.1108/10569210710833617
Yamauchi, K. (2001). Corporate communication: A powerful tool for stating corporate missions. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 6(3), 131–137. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005736
Yazhou, W. A. N. G., & Jian, L. I. N. (2011). Empirical research on influence of mission statements on the performance of nonprofit organization. Procedia Environmental Sciences, 11(A), 328–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proenv.2011.12.052
Zahan, M., & Sultana, H. (2019). Sustainability mission statement of international firms: An empirical study. The Jahangirnagar University Journal of Business Research, 20, 37–53.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Appendix
1.1 A fictious sustainable mission statement
Below is a mission statement from an airline company. Please read the mission statement before moving on to the next part.
As a socially sustainable company, we strive to do things right by serving our customers with the best service quality to achieve long-term survival. Therefore, we are dedicated to doing the following: |
1. To provide a satisfactory flight experience for every passenger by providing products and services of excellent quality |
2. To achieve sustained profitability for the benefit of our stakeholders |
3. To integrate environmental protection and resource conservation into our business practices to facilitate the development of environmentally compatible aviation |
4. To exploit innovative technology for long-term growth |
5. To take good care of the most valuable asset, our employees, and to help them in reaching their life goals |
6. To help and maintain our community relations by partnering with local markets to grow sustainably hand in hand |
Overall, we are fully committed to becoming a sustainable company that is friendly to the environment and promotes the economic development of society |
Source: Extracted from Table 1 (Crespo & del Bosque, 2005; Kim et al., 2015; Lin & Ryan, 2016; Martínez & delBosque, 2014; Moisescu, 2018).
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ding, MC., Lii, Y.S. & Lai, K.F. A great start? Sustainability mission statements affect consumer behavior. Environ Dev Sustain (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-04247-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-04247-0