This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment. The instructor will place students into groups.  This assignment asks you to analyze various companies’ organizational vision and mission statements to determine how such statements guide leadership practices within an organization. The vision statement reflects a desired future state worthy of pursuing, while the mission statement is what is done almost daily in order to eventually realize the vision. Select a vision and mission statement from one company that professes to practice servant leadership and one that practices a standard leadership model. Some well-known companies that practice servant leadership are Southwest Airlines, REI, and Aflac. Conduct additional research to locate others. Once you have selected two companies, write an analysis (1,000-1,250 words) that addresses the following: 1. Compare the vision and mission statements of the two companies. What are the similarities and differences? How do you think these statements impact the culture of each organization? 2. What servant leadership principles or values are either explicitly or implicitly apparent in the vision and mission statements of the company that professes to be servant-led? 3. Explain how you see the principles or values expressed in the statements manifested in each company’s public reputation, and how they treat their employees in the services they provide, their marketing, etc. Provide a few specific examples to demonstrate your points. ***My Portion only 1,2, and 4 will be completed my classmates 4. Do you think each company is living out the principles or values expressed in their statements? Why or why not? If the more traditionally led company adopted a servant leadership model, what revisions to their vision and mission statements would be warranted? Be sure to comment on your understanding of how such vision and mission statements can or should guide a company’s treatment of its employees and clients. Include the vision and mission statements of the companies you selected in your analysis. You are required to locate four articles that support your selected organization's vision and mission statements. Two of the selected articles must be peer review journal articles. Include information from the articles in your discussion. I have added the thesis and the answer to number one to help with guidance with question 3  THESIS:     …  Starbucks versus New York Times The company's vision and mission are important factors in a company's performance and competitiveness. The vision describes the future desired image of a company, while the mission explains the social benefit or why the company exists. Mission and vision are therefore to be understood as elements of the company's philosophy. They convey what purpose the company is serving and what goal should be achieved in the future. In this analysis we will determine Starbucks and New York Times vision and mission statements as well as determine ...

1. This is a Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) assignment.
The instructor will place students into groups.
This assignment asks you to analyze various companies’
organizational vision and mission statements to determine how
such statements guide leadership practices within an
organization. The vision statement reflects a desired future state
worthy of pursuing, while the mission statement is what is done
almost daily in order to eventually realize the vision.
Select a vision and mission statement from one company that
professes to practice servant leadership and one that practices a
standard leadership model. Some well-known companies that
practice servant leadership are Southwest Airlines, REI, and
Aflac. Conduct additional research to locate others.
Once you have selected two companies, write an analysis
(1,000-1,250 words) that addresses the following:
1. Compare the vision and mission statements of the two
companies. What are the similarities and differences? How do
you think these statements impact the culture of each
organization?
2. What servant leadership principles or values are either
explicitly or implicitly apparent in the vision and mission
statements of the company that professes to be servant-led?
3. Explain how you see the principles or values expressed in the
statements manifested in each company’s public reputation, and
how they treat their employees in the services they provide,
their marketing, etc. Provide a few specific examples to
demonstrate your points. ***My Portion only 1,2, and 4 will be
completed my classmates
4. Do you think each company is living out the principles or
values expressed in their statements? Why or why not? If the
more traditionally led company adopted a servant leadership
model, what revisions to their vision and mission statements
would be warranted? Be sure to comment on your understanding
of how such vision and mission statements can or should guide

2. a company’s treatment of its employees and clients.
Include the vision and mission statements of the companies you
selected in your analysis.
You are required to locate four articles that support your
selected organization's vision and mission statements. Two of
the selected articles must be peer review journal articles.
Include information from the articles in your discussion.
I have added the thesis and the answer to number one to help
with guidance with question 3
THESIS: … Starbucks versus New York Times
The company's vision and mission are important factors in a
company's performance and competitiveness. The vision
describes the future desired image of a company, while the
mission explains the social benefit or why the company exists.
Mission and vision are therefore to be understood as elements
of the company's philosophy. They convey what purpose the
company is serving and what goal should be achieved in the
future. In this analysis we will determine Starbucks and New
York Times vision and mission statements as well as determine
how such statements guide leadership practices within the
specific organizations. (96 words)
#1:Compare the vision and mission statements of the two
companies. What are the similarities and differences? How do
you think these statements impact the culture of each
organization?
Missions and visions are created in companies in order to be
successful in the long term. It inspires not only their own
employees, but also the customers and interest groups. The two
companies, Starbucks and New York Times, describe the ideal
state of the company in the distant future and thus answer the
question of what the company wants to achieve in the long term.

3. Starbucks mission is “To Inspire and Nurture the Human Spirit
– One Person, One Cup, and Neighborhood at a Time.”
(Starbucks, 2020). New York Times mission “Our mission is
simple: We seek the truth and help people understand the world.
This mission is rooted in our belief that great journalism has the
power to make each reader's life richer and more fulfilling, and
all of society stronger and more just. At The Times, our mission
and values guide the work we do every day.” (New York Times
Company, n.d.).
Both are extremely successful companies whose mission is to
demonstrate the purpose of the company. The commonality of
the two companies is that the statements clearly state why
employees are going to work and why they are doing their job.
This is evident in that both strive to connect the customer with
the world, Starbucks by coffee and The Times by news.
The difference lies in the vision, it is clear that Starbucks vision
shapes its culture into serving by saying “establish Starbucks as
the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while
maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow”
(Gregory, 2019). The words “while we grow” is a concrete and
pictorial idea of a team, its “focus on leadership is a motivator
that challenges management and other members of the
company’s human resources” (Gregory, 2019). The New York
Times is known to be a truthful newspaper and it emphasizes
“the standards that it enforces in everyone who works with the
company” through their simple vision “To bring you the world”
(Mission Statement Academy, 2020).
(314 words)....not counting the references in ( )!!!
Starbuck versus New York Times
Yes, Robin, each section goes off of the points of the first three
sections but also your own research and opinion. It I shard,
especially if we have to keep it under 1250 words, but it’s
doable, we really do not have to overthink it or write too much.

4. I believe that it will be okay if we are over our wordcount by a
few words. I’d say each section should be around 250-350
words plus thesis and conclusion and then we are already over
the word count. I'll check with Prof. Saldana about word count
and will post it here as soon as I have an answer. Let me know
if there is anything else you need help with. Thank you for
choosing the last section including the conclusion.
Shanika, you are correct about the vision and mission
statements:
Starbucks mission is “To Inspire and Nurture the Human Spirit
– One Person, One Cup, and Neighborhood at a Time.”
Starbucks values are “Creating a culture of warmth and
belonging, where everyone is welcome. Acting with courage,
challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow our
company and each other. Being present, connecting with
transparency, dignity and respect. Delivering our very best in
all we do, holding ourselves accountable for results. We are
performance driven, through the lens of humanity.”
Starbucks vision “Starbucks Coffee’s corporate vision is to
establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee
in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles
while we grow”
New York Times mission “Our mission is simple: We seek the
truth and help people understand the world. This mission is
rooted in our belief that great journalism has the power to make
each reader's life richer and more fulfilling, and all of society
stronger and more just. At The Times, our mission and values
guide the work we do every day.”
New York Times values “Independence Over a hundred years
ago, The Times pledged “to give the news impartially, without
fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.”
That commitment remains true today: We follow the truth,
wherever it leads.
Integrity The trust of our readers is essential. We renew that
trust every day through the actions and judgment of all our

5. employees — in our journalism, in our workplace and in public.
Curiosity Open-minded inquiry is at the heart of our mission. In
all our work, we believe in continually asking questions,
seeking out different perspectives and searching for better ways
of doing things.
Respect We help a global audience understand a vast and
diverse world. To do that fully and fairly, we treat our subjects,
our readers and each other with empathy and respect.
Collaboration It takes creativity and expertise from people in
every part of the company to fulfill our mission. We are at our
best when we work together and support each other.
Excellence We aim to set the standard in everything we do. The
pursuit of excellence takes different forms, but in every context,
we strive to deliver the very best.”
New York Times vision: “To bring you the world”
References:
https://www.nytco.com/company/mission-and-values/
https://mission-statement.com/new-york-times/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-
fix/wp/2015/10/08/the-9-sentences-that-matter-in-the-new-york-
timess-new-mission-statement/
Gregory, L. (02/16/2019). Starbucks Coffee’s Mission
Statement & Vision Statement (An Analysis).Retrieved
from http://panmore.com/starbucks-coffee-vision-statement-
mission-statement
Needham, M. (2019). The Impact of Two Behavior
Characteristics of the Servant Leadership Theory on the
Employee Turnover in Fast-Casual Restaurants. International
Journal of Management and Human Resources, 1, 66. Retrieved
from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscoho
st.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.6193057
54&site=eds-live&scope=site
Starbucks (2020). Our Mission. Retrieved
from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-

6. information/mission-statement
Starbucks (2020). Company Information. Retrieved
from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information
General Requirements
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the
APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An
abstract is not required.
Chapter 4:
Systems and Critical Approaches to Organizational
Communication
Introduction
Consideration of the organismic metaphor
Understanding organizations from a systems perspective
Use a radical frame of reference to look at how critical
approaches view organizations as sites of domination
Systems Approaches
Systems approaches take a more macro view of organizations,
emphasizing the permeable nature of organizational boundaries
Systems approaches to understanding organizations use this
general idea to examine the component parts of an organization
and how they work together to keep an organization “alive”
General Systems Theory
Ludwig von Bertalanffy suggested systems concepts for a
variety of disciplines

7. “Novel developments” include:
Hierarchical order
Entropy
Control mechanisms
Open systems
http://isss.org/conferences/madison2008/20080714_1130_ISSS_
Drack.pdf
4
Cybernetics
Norbert Wiener’s contribution, from the Greek word for
“steersman”
Control and communication theory that examines both machine
and animal
Especially important to studying
organizational communication:
System goals
Feedback
Entropy
Gestalt (nonsummativity)
The Process of Organizing
Karl Weick’s definition of organizations includes:
Equivocality
Interdependence
In his book Making Sense of the Organization (2001) Weick
states that he views “organizations as collections of people
trying to make sense of what is happening around them” (p. 5)

8. Chaos and Complexity Theories
Used in mathematics to help explain random occurrences
Represents the collapse of order in the status quo
Chaotic behavior can appear random but can be defined
mathematically
Complexity theory suggests nature is incredibly complex but is
a result of underlying simplicity
The Organization as a System
The component parts and environment of a system interact in a
way that can be studied and understood
Parts are interdependent or naturally reliant on one another
Inputs: incoming information
Throughputs: assimilation of that information
Outputs: end results of throughput decisions
Critical Thinking Questions – Systems Characteristics
In what ways do you use feedback to make changes in your life?
Does the quality of input affect the quality of the output in an
organizational system?
Organizational System Characteristics
General terms of systems properties include:
Holism: system is more than just the sum of its parts
Nonsummative: results are more than simply adding together
each piece
Equifinality: reaching the same final state from differing initial
conditions; variety of paths
Entropy: process of degeneration
Typical of closed systems
Negative entropy: flow of information from external

9. environment; leads to growth and sustainability
Typical of open systems
Subsystems and Suprasystems
Departments in an organization need to be aware of what is
happening in other departments
There are 10 common characteristics of open systems
highlighted by Katz and Kahn (1978)
Feedback: reaction or response to a process
System goals: results for which energies and efforts of a system
are exerted
Hierarchical order: organized system of ranking
Critical Approaches
Based on the work of Karl Marx, critical theory examines
organizations from the perspective of oppression
Critical Thinking Questions – Oppression
What are some classic examples of oppression and domination
throughout history?
In what ways do we still see some of those examples being
reenacted in organizations today?
Producing Dissensus
Critical theorists seek to reveal how social an technological
structures of organizations serve to oppress workers and create
sites of domination
A way to free employees from dominant restraint
Karl Marx suggested a major imbalance between owners and
workers in a capitalistic society

10. Purpose of critical theory is to emancipate the oppressed
Feminist Perspective
Critique the marginalization and domination of women in the
workplace
Developed from the women’s liberation movement
Calls for the abolishment of a patriarchal society
Dominant and privileged male voices have limited the
advancement of women and minority groups in the workplace
Case Study: Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is one of the poorest Native
American reservations in the United States
Barren land and few jobs
Those who live there have passively supported goals of the U.S.
government, even when not in their best interests
If they develop a sense of hopelessness and accept their
situation, they would be experiencing hegemony
Is there a way for the inhabitants of the reservation to avoid a
hegemonic situation?
Hegemony and Domination
Any organization can develop a hegemonic environment
(intentionally or unintentionally)
Some examples of ways power can be used to subordinate
workers includes:
Control of resources
Control of technology
Exertion of formal authority
Control of production
Control of information

11. Critical Thinking Questions – Control
What are some other forms of control in organizations?
Will opportunities for such control increase or decrease as
newer forms of organizing continue to take shape?
Control
Communication is a major mode for exerting control
Critical theorists have helped to expose instances of
organizational sites of domination and resistance
Organizational Justice
The perception of what is fair and equitable in the workplace
Distributive justice: perceived fairness of amount and allocation
of rewards or outcomes
Procedural justice: perceived fairness of process used to
determine distribution of rewards
Interactional justice: perceived degree to which an individual is
treated with dignity, concern, respect
Certified B-Corporation
New form of organizing emerging in the United States
Committed to conducting business that is profitable and
considers the impact on employees, community, and
environment
Triple bottom line: people, planet, profit
Context Matters
For-Profit Organization
Large corporations can adjust overall system to compensate for
divisions that are struggling

12. Entrepreneurship – Small Businesses
Struggling parts of a small system felt more quickly
Nonprofit Organizations
Negative press for partners can affect nonprofits
Government Sector
Change to one component can lead to systemic changes
Chapter 5:
Cultural Approaches to Organizational Communication
Introduction
Culture affects communication
Culture can create barriers that prevent us from understanding
others
Ideologies and paradigms guide our thinking and impact our
understanding of the world around us
Case Study: Avianca Flight 052
Avianca Flight 52 was flying from Columbia to New York
Due to poor weather, the flight had been repeatedly held up,
leaving both pilots panicking about fuel levels
After Air Traffic Control again told them to wait, the pilots did
not question the command
After running out of gas, the plane crashed, killing half of the
passengers

13. What cultural dimensions may have influenced this event?
Defining Culture
The acquired learning of a group that gives its members a sense
of who they are, of belonging, and works to make that group
recognizably different from other groups
Organizational culture is very similar to traditional culture in
that it provides a system of shared values, beliefs, and holds
meaning to employees
Globalization and Culture
Globalization has a tremendous impact on the way we
communicate between and within organizations
Geert Hofstede (2001) created a model of five dimensions that
act as a broad framework for understanding the cultural
differences between nations
Power distance
Individualism/collectivism
Uncertainty avoidance
Long-term vs. short-term orientation
Masculinity and femininity
Case Study: The New Job and Organizational Culture
Zeb served for five years as the branch manager of an
established local bank
Zeb always adhered to the rules of operation that governed
customer and employee expectations
Though satisfied with his job, Zeb took an opportunity to work
at Google
Zeb was startled by the very different culture of Google’s
expansive office complex, group lunches, opportunities for

14. innovation and creativity, and flexible work hours
Why is a workplace like Google so appealing to many?
Organizational Culture
Defining organizational features of a company, that separates
that company from others in terms of operations, employee
relationships, and interorganizational behavior
Moving from one organization to another can prove difficult
when the organizational cultures are vastly different
Substantial differences can cause culture shock in new
employees
Work Environment
Characteristics of the work environment are dictated by
organizational culture
Expectations of time
When does the business day begin and end?
How many hours and days of the week are expected?
Expectations for dress
What is appropriate for the workplace?
Expectations of communication behaviors
Southwest Airlines – fun and hard work
Critical Thinking Questions - Environment
What are the time expectations for your classes?
What are the dress expectations at your institution?

15. What are the behavioral expectations at your institution?
Organizational Commitment
Commitment to organizations is changing, as college students
now average over 10 job changes in their lifetime
Different generations experience different life conditions, which
influences commitment to the job
Increasing choices and opportunities impact our lives in many
ways, including careers
Organizational Identity
Core aspects of an organization’s culture include:
Innovation and risk-taking
Attention to detail
Outcome orientation
People orientation
Team orientation
Aggressiveness
Stability
Organizational Subcultures
Cultures are not always uniform in organizations
Subcultures have unique values, attributes, or behaviors
According to Schein (1983), organizational cultures become
. . . a pattern of assumptions that has worked well enough to be
considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as
the correct way to perceive, think, and feel . . .” (p. 14)

16. Critical Thinking Questions – Subcultures
What are some examples of subcultures at your institution?
How do those subcultures still maintain their organizational
identity?
Changing Organizational Culture
Is it possible to “make” organizational change happen?
Material symbols, rituals, and even specific language used by an
organization can be used to reinforce, differentiate, and
strengthen culture
Strong organizational cultures are pervasive but knowing when
to adapt and change the organizational culture to better fit the
competitive environment is sometimes difficult
Paradigm Shifts & Organizational Culture
Defined as a set of rules and regulations, paradigms do two
things:
Establish and define boundaries
Tell employees how to behave inside those boundaries to be
successful
Paradigms are effective at standardizing interactions, but can
become a hindrance if they prevent organizations from seeing
opportunities outside that specific thought pattern
At the individual level, paradigms can interfere with our ability
to see the value in other cultures, both ethnic and organizational
Critical Thinking Questions - Paradigms
How do your paradigms help navigate your everyday lives, and

17. how can they hinder you?
How do your paradigms influence your communication styles
and behaviors?
Context Matters
Consider the implications of organizational culture in the
context of these different types of industry segments:
For-profit organizations
Entrepreneurship – small business
Nonprofit organizations
Government sector