The Big Picture

Taking into consideration what you have achieved in your academic and professional career thus far and what you plan to do in the future, what are your thoughts about “the big picture” of your life?

This can include your own personal mission or purpose, the goals you have set for yourself, and so on. Perhaps you have certain goals or plans related to pursuing a particular career path, or perhaps there is a personal passion you want to pursue. In people’s personal lives, these big-picture goals may be related to career, relationships, health, financial stability, and so forth, and they may or may not be connected to a person’s sense of mission or purpose.

In an organizational context, these “big picture” goals may also be financially focused, related to the sustainability of the organization, and connected to an organizational mission. In either context, long-term, strategic planning is key to ensuring that goals are met. And when driven by a mission or purpose, achievement of those goals can fulfill even greater outcomes than simply an individual person’s or business’s success. In this Discussion, you will consider your experiences with and knowledge of organizational culture and mission- or purpose-driven strategy to analyze the roles they play in an organization.

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To prepare for this Discussion:
Draw upon the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout your program.
Consider your experiences with and knowledge of organizational culture.
Consider the idea of an organization being mission driven or purpose driven.

BY DAY 3
Post your analysis of the role of culture, mission, and purpose in an organization’s strategy, to include the following:
In your own words, briefly explain what strategy is and how it can help business leaders to focus on “the big picture.”
Based on your own experiences and knowledge of organizational culture, identify which aspects of culture within organizations are most critical to the development and execution of business strategy. Explain why.
Analyze whether it is beneficial for an organization to base its strategy on being mission driven or purpose driven.

Explain why or why not. Are there any negatives or compromises that organizations might need to consider?

Refer to the Week 1 Discussion Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this grading rubric to assess your work.
Important Note About Discussion Rubrics: In the peer-to-peer engagement section of the Discussion, the focus of your posts and responses should be to promote quality interaction with your colleagues and Instructor, to further the dialogue on the particular topic, to deepen your mutual understanding of concepts, and to draw out new ideas.

Although you are encouraged to provide support for ideas you bring in from other sources, which is appropriate for discourse within a master’s-level classroom, emphasis is placed on the quality of the engagement as noted in the Discussion rubrics, with 40% of your score based on your level of engagement in the ongoing conversation with your colleagues.

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