The Critical Role of Mission and Vision: Amazon Inc. Case Study

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Amazon Inc.'s mission and vision statements, highlighting their significance in shaping the company's customer-centric approach and overall business strategy. The essay explores how Amazon's mission, focused on low prices, selection, and convenience, and its vision, aiming to be the most customer-centric company, guide its actions and decisions. It examines how Amazon's practices, such as its vast product selection, efficient delivery, user-friendly website, and customer-friendly return policies, align with its core values. The essay also discusses the role of mission and vision in guiding employees, emphasizing the importance of customer satisfaction and retention. Furthermore, it explains the potential negative impacts of lacking a clear mission and vision, stressing their importance in establishing goals, guiding employees, and achieving long-term success. The essay concludes by reinforcing the critical role of mission and vision in a business's success and brand positioning.

Importance of mission and vision
Amazon Inc.

Amazon Inc.’s mission
Mission of a business drives the business and defines what the business does at its very core.
Mission also defines business objectives and the business’s brief strategy to accomplish these
goals.
Amazon Inc.’s mission is “We strive to offer our customers the lowest possible prices, the
best available selection, and the utmost convenience.”
Amazon Inc.’s vision
Vision of a business gives business the right direction and a long term sense of purpose. Mission
is relatively short term as compared to the vision of the business.
Amazon Inc.’s vision is “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers
can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
Role of mission and vision
Mission and vision of a business play a significant role in the guiding the business by
establishing clear goals and a long term expectation from the business. Vision guides the long
terms goals of the business. Together, mission and vision communicate organization’s purpose to
the business’s stakeholders (Cady et. al., 2011). Mission and vision of the business also guides
business employees about the long term goals of the business.
Evaluation of company’s actions and their alignment with the mission and vision
Amazon Inc.’s actions are absolutely in line with the company’s vision and mission. As defined
in the company’s vision, the business is highly customer centric. Consumers can purchase a wide
variety of products through Amazon including clothes, furniture, utensils, grocery items,
decorative products, electronics, books or even beauty products. Within these categories, there
are numerous sub-categories; each containing hundreds of unique products to select from.
Products sold by Amazon are delivered on time and regular updates are sent to customers on
their mobile phones and email address. Amazon also offers the option of delivering the product

to neighbors in case the recipients are not at home (Fader, 2012). Amazon also carefully allows
users to save their addresses as work and home. This is done to ensure that delivery of products
at work address would only be made during weekdays and office hours.
Return procedure of the Ecommerce giant is also highly effective. The procedure is extremely
simple and customers can return their products and receive return or replacement through a
single click. Upon filing for return, Amazon sends an agent to collect the product and initiates
refund.
The mobile application as well as the website of Amazon is extremely user friendly and easy to
browse through. All these factors are signs of being a customer centric company. This customer
centricity has been achieved owing to the clear vision and mission of the company.
How mission and vision guide organizational employees
As an organizational manager, the mission and vision guide employees about their behavior and
attitude towards all their stakeholders. Amazon ensures that its delivery executives are also well
behaved and punctual. Employees of amazon work towards customer satisfaction and repeat
customer purchases with the brand. If I were an employee of Amazon, I would put efforts in
introducing unique strategies to ensure customer satisfaction and retention in the long run. As an
employee, I would also try to focus upon identifying consumer needs and aim at fulfilling them
in an effective manner.
Impact of not having a mission or vision
An organization that does not has a clear mission or vision will neither be able to guide itself to a
long term success nor will it be able to communicate its inherent aim to its stakeholders. Not
having a clear vision for the brand will even make it difficult for the business to establish short
terms goals. This would adversely impact the business’s performance and lead to a poor brand
positioning. Vision and mission are also important as they guide employees on a daily basis.
Hence, an absence of these two would also leave employees unguided and clueless.
Mission and Vision plays a critical role in the success of the business. It is imperative to define
both the vision and mission during the initial stage of the business in order to ensure that they

continue to guide the business in the right direction. Together, they also allow the brand to
establish the right positioning of the business’s brand.

References
Cady, S. H., Wheeler, J. V., DeWolf, J., & Brodke, M. (2011). Mission, vision, and values: what
do they say? Organization Development Journal, 29(1), 63.
Fader, P. (2012). Customer centricity: Focus on the right customers for strategic advantage.
Wharton digital press.