Good Mission Essay Example

Summary

The role of the mission statement is to convey the reason for the existence of the organization to various parties. The parties include customers, employees and others associated with the organization. An organization declares the mission statement through its website, annual reports and official documents. The mission statement of Vanderburgh County Health Department according to its annual report is the provision of quality health services, promotion of a healthy lifestyle and protection against diseases and preparedness to maintain the best health in the community.
Fred R. David suggests nine components of mission statements, which help to analyze the mission statement of Vanderburgh Health Department. The mission indicates in the first and last lines about the first component, the customers that the organization would like to serve the community and maintain the best health of the community. The second component products or services, is evident from the mission statement where the organization promises to provide quality health care services. The third component markets, refers to the geographical market or the community, which the organization serves. The mission statement does not mention anything about the component technology.
The fifth component refers to the growth and profitability of the organization is present in the mission statement where the organization assures to develop or grow in terms of providing quality health care. The sixth statement philosophy refers to the basic beliefs, which is evident from the overall mission statement. The next component self-concept refers to the areas of specialization or competitive advantages of the firm, which Vanderburgh Health Department did not mention. The eighth component is the concern for public image, which is present in the mission statement of the organization. Finally, the ninth component refers to the concern for employees; however the organization does not show any concern for its employees. Hence, the mission statement of Vanderburgh Health Department was able to fulfill only six out of nine components proposed by Fred R. David.

Organizational Structure

The organizational structure of Vanderburgh Health Department has eight divisions, fourteen management team members and three independent contractors. The organizational structure various positions from top to the lowest levels. The health officer is at the top followed by administrator, finance officer and other employees. The supervisors are in charge of the employees and report to the directors. It is a functional organizational structure and most common in health organizations. The structure has top, middle and lower levels and assigns the key functions according to the positions. The functional structure is enough for Vanderburgh Health Department as a large organization requires a vertical structure, which shows various levels of management. Various levels are essential to administer and provide a wide scope of health care services.
The important features of a functional structure are a strict line of command and reporting. These features help the organization to communicate effectively, assign the tasks to the employees and evaluate the performance of the workforce. The functional structure has a controlled environment and a linear line of command. Other benefits are increased specialization and division of labor. In a functional structure, the assistant officers share the responsibilities of various tasks and reduce the burden of work on the senior officers. Qualified workers under the senior officers have greater chances of promotion as they have a wide knowledge when compared to officers from other departments. However, it is necessary to make sure that they are able to handle the responsibilities successfully and promote high performance.