Any new hire within the company structure should understand what is expected of them. It enables a new employee to perform on merits found to be in the best interests of the organization, its partners, customers and shareholders. This alignment can be achieved in several ways. This includes a published code of ethics, a mission statement, and an overarching corporate vision, to name a few. A vision Let's start with the most general concept first: the Vision Statement. A vision statement is a brief description of what an organization aims to achieve in a certain future scope. Typically this scope is a medium-term or long-term intangible future. For example, Amerigen Pharmaceuticals publicly indicates that their vision is “to be at the forefront of [their] industry in bringing complex oral generic products to patients in the markets [they] serve.” They then go on to state that “target products are carefully selected to ensure that [their] resources, expertise and energy are focused on opportunities that can bring the greatest benefit to all our stakeholders.” And finally that they “rely on great science and passionate execution to bring [those] opportunities to fruition.” In these three short sentences Amerigen has indicated a series of things. Their vision is long-term and is continually implemented in the short term. It is also perpetually unattainable as it will never be finished. The company will always have a purpose in trying to bring its products to the patients it serves, and everyone who represents or knows it will understand that they seek to do so with a precise and utilitarian approach. A Mission Statement As we zoom in on the scope of purpose we find a mission statement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While an organization's vision is an overall view of what it aims to achieve, its mission is instead what its purpose is and why it seeks end goals. It is said that a mission statement actually has two purposes. The first is to clarify what the organizers of the company itself are fundamentally looking for. In bringing together vision, mission, and ethics in organizations, these organizers come together to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the mission statement. The second purpose of a mission statement is therefore to communicate it to both future members of the organization and interested parties. It will express its understanding of the needs of communities and how its skills, resources and capabilities can align to meet those needs. In other words, mission statements define the nature, purpose, and role of organizations, focus resources, and guide planning (Keeling, 2013). A mission statement unifies the members or employees under its purview. It is a public statement about the company's goals along with how those goals can be addressed and in what ways. In this regard, a mission statement functions as a definition of priorities to focus on. Because of its potentially public nature, it allows outsiders to know and understand where an organization is coming from philosophically and what it hopes to achieve. A code of ethics Zooming even further we come across a code of ethics. This is the core on which the others rest. In general, the code of ethics defines the method by which various entities within the organization should deal with different situations. Of course, its breadth and length could be as concise or comprehensive as the organization chooses. But why have acode of ethics? Business isn't always black or white. There are many gray areas that arise over time, and without proper guidance, members of an organization may lose ground or diverge on how to handle what may become common gray areas. These inconsistencies create avoidable stress for both the public and the entities directly involved in the organization. Unity These three elements, vision, mission and code of ethics, come together to form the backbone of an organization's purpose, breadth and response. They could help predict why a company will decide to expand into a new technology or field or not to expand. It helps both external and internal Vision, Mission and Ethics in organizations to understand the course of action an organization can take. This understanding creates reliability and comfort for stability and longevity. However, these matters are not always as simple as they seem. Ethics are not always cut and dry, black or white. For example, in criminology there are two main categories that crimes can fall into. These are those that all societies agree are wrong, known in Latin as “mala in se,” and those that are considered wrong only because society believes so, known as “mala prohibita.” This simple distinction between these two criminal categories alone already raises questions. Surely there are ethical concerns that we all agree should be considered wrong and not pursued. But are there concerns that are wrong just because our society says so? What if our society deems it acceptable but another society doesn't? If the organization were to become international, will disagreements with others' ethics be resolved only within their territory? Continuing this, Marques indirectly raises the question of whether a business should follow consequentialism (utilitarian approach) or a deontological approach. In consequentialism you are expected to do what is best for the most people. From a business perspective this could be reframed as what is best for the company. However, with a deontological approach you would do what is considered "right" regardless of any sanctions that may exist for doing so. As an example of how implausible this can be at times, if one followed ethics to its extremes, they would never lie. Regarding the code of ethics, Marques leaves several points for the reader to consider. What you consider ethical may be based on your cultural background. This could lead to some philosophies and practices that are difficult to implement for today's diversified international companies. Returning to the utilitarian (consequentialist) versus deontologist, a simple dilemma is worth considering. A company should fire 10% of its workforce to save the remaining 90%, proving itself to be universalist, or it should try to refrain from doing so even at the risk of putting everyone at risk, proving itself to be a deontologist. Vision, Mission, and Ethics in Organizations Conclusion In the above vision Amerigen Pharmaceuticals indicated that they wanted their resources, skills, and energies to be focused on opportunities that would bring the greatest benefit to all of their stakeholders. Is it consequentialism or universalism? It's easy to argue about the benefits, but a much more difficult task lies in how to manage the costs. Without their own vision, an investor may be left wondering what future treatments they will pursue or what mode of action their drugs will be. They prefer and concentrate on a single disease because they appreciate the benefit that those who suffer from it will derive from this effort, or they will concentrate.