Corporate Objectives (Edexcel A Level Business)

Revision Note

Developing Corporate Objectives

  • Aims and objectives serve as a guide for the businesses' overall strategy and direction, helping to focus efforts and resources toward a common purpose

  • There is a hierarchy of objectives which cascade downwards

Pyramid diagram showing hierarchy: Aims at the top, followed by Mission Statement, Corporate Objectives, and Functional Objectives at the base.

The Hierarchy of Objectives

  • A businesses mission flows from its overall aim and is usually expressed in inspirational terms

  • From this mission corporate objectives and functional objectives which detail the achievable goals a business wants to achieve over a specified period are developed

Components of the Hierarchy Explained

Component

Explanation

Example

Aim

  • What the business is looking to achieve in the long term?

  • Often expressed as an overall vision and describes the businesses reason for being

Macmillan Cancer Support 

'To do whatever it takes to support people living with cancer

Mission Statement

  • An expression of a business's overall aim as well as its core values and context

  • Informs the development of corporate and functional objectives

  • Often expressed in inspirational terms to provide direction and a common purpose for employees

Age UK

'Making a positive difference by putting older people, and the people around them, at the heart of all we do; working with partner organisations, to improve the quality of later life and provide effective, timely support for those who need it the most

Corporate Objective

  • The specific performance goals set by senior management for the business to achieve over time

  • Derived from the firm’s overall aim and mission statement

  • Corporate objectives may focus on achieving specified levels of market share , profit, sales growth or new product/market development

Mind UK

'Provide 3 million employees in low-paid sectors with workplace wellbeing support'

Functional Objective

  • The day to day goals of functions or departments within the business, derived from corporate objectives

  • Functional objectives must be carefully aligned across departments so that all parts of the business are working towards the shared goal

Scope UK

'Working with the Government and disabled people we will create a Passenger Charter, an information resource to help disabled people find the information they need when using public transport

SMART Objectives

  • Corporate and functional objectives should be

    • Specific

    • Measurable

    • Agreed

    • Realistic

    • Time-bound

Text box stating an example of a SMART objective: "Increase the volume of annual subscription renewals by 12% during Q3 2023".

An example of a SMART sales objective 

Critical Appraisals of Mission Statements & Corporate Aims

  • Businesses need to critically assess whether corporate aims and mission statements continue to reflect the current corporate vision

    • The content and expression of business aims will likely change over time to reflect changing social attitudes and norms

      • For example Apple’s new mission statement - ‘to make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found it’ - emphasises its commitment to sustainability, a key social trend

    • Mission statements are sometimes criticised as being little more than an exercise in public relations that do little to inform objective-setting or promote a common organisational goal

      • For example in 2013 KFC’s mission was ‘To sell food in a fast, friendly environment that appeals to price conscious, health-minded consumers - in the same year it launched a burger that replaced the bread bun with extra layers of deep-fried chicken

  • Businesses should decide whether changes to the corporate aim or mission statement need to be made by considering whether

    • The short- to medium-term strategies adopted by the business support the aim and mission

    • The aim and objectives are realistic and achievable in the current trading environment

    • The mission statement message communicates effectively the aim of the business with stakeholders

  • Revising the business aim and revisiting the mission statement should be seen as a natural step for growing businesses

    • It is a chance to involve a variety of stakeholders including workers and suppliers in determining the direction of the business

    • Newly-identified opportunities and threats can be acknowledged

    • Sharing refreshed priorities, particularly with the media can generate positive publicity

Examiner Tip

When assessing the nature or effectiveness of the objectives for a specific business based on a case study provided, you should consider the following:

  • What is their purpose?

  • Who is the intended audience?

  • How does the corporate strategy followed by the business compare to the mission in reality?

  • Who is the mission statement aimed at and how does the strategy affect different groups?

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