Free Essay with Organizational Vision Statement Analysis: Toyota Vision Statement

Toyota is a motor-vehicle manufacturing company founded in 1937 in Japan. Over the years, it has grown immensely because of the innovativeness and high-quality products that match the tastes of its customers around the world. Its products range from small cars to vans, jeep, trucks, and even buses. Recently, the organization came up with a new hybrid vehicle, which was previously a concept alien to the auto-vehicle industry. Some of the most known brands include Landcruiser, Yaris, Prius, Corolla, among others. Toyota prides itself on a rich history of strategic planning with robust strategies and clear objectives. Its vision statement echoes the long-term strategic direction it has taken and enables it to achieve an edge in the highly competitive industry. The statement reads, 'Toyota will lead the way to the future of mobility, enriching lives around the world with the safest and most responsible ways of moving people. Through our commitment to quality, constant innovation, and respect for the planet, we aim to exceed expectations and be rewarded with a smile. We will meet our challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way' (Toyota Corporation, 2019)

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Three significant attributes make the vision statement meaningful and relevant in the industry. First is the aspect of brevity. This facet is about the statement being communicated efficiently to the workforce (Quigley, 2014). The organization reveals that it concerns itself with breakthroughs, especially in the sense of innovativeness and technology, a factor that gives it an edge over most of its competitors. In its quest to be the most successful, the company has emphasized various means to trample the impediments between its efforts and success, thereby validating its desire to be the best in its respect. Over the years, the organization has made remarkable progress that reveals not only where the company has come from but also its projected trajectory in the future (Quigley, 2014). The second attribute that makes Toyota vision meaningful is clarity, which is about the vision uniting the organization and providing a transcendent goal. The industry peers have accorded Toyota immense respect, mainly because of the creatively designed vehicles that have marked its success over the years. To achieve the feat, the organization leverages on aesthetic and performance aspects of its products for its client base. Finally, the vision statement sets a desirable goal. Toyota encapsulates this goal in its focus on being an industry leader through its cutting-edge designs. This aspect has led to the organization being branded the most dependable in the industry, thereby being a role model to other players.

Toyota's vision statement is appropriate for the organization in several ways. First is the positivity it exudes. In this respect, the statement does not distort the organization's image in any manner (David, 2015). Instead, all parts of it build an aura of positivity not only among the employees but also the management and stakeholders at large. The objective of a vision statement is to make everyone involved in the various processes in the organization feel good and connected to the company. Another reason the vision is appropriate for the company is that it is universally understandable. It then means that anybody can read the statement and get the message instantly without straining. Not only are the words succinct, but they also lack the technicality that can make the vision challenging to understand. The vision statement is also appealing to stakeholders in both cognitive and emotional levels. It is because it is achievable for anyone despite their levels in the organization. The fact that it is not particular to any sector of the business makes it possible for every stakeholder to relate with it.

It is also true to say that the vision statement encourages organizational change on many fronts. In its bid to exceed expectations, the organization has reiterated, through its vision statement, that it will meet its most challenging goals by recruiting talented personnel that goes out of its way to ensure the company achieves both its short and long-term goals (David, 2015). The last part of the statement that goes 'we will meet our challenging goals by engaging the talent and passion of people, who believe there is always a better way', is an embodiment of the company's commitment to initiate organizational change by bringing in people who can conform to the changing landscapes of the industry. Furthermore, the vision statement encourages organizational change in how it tries to team with the individual goals of employees. Every employee makes the vision statement an integral part of their everyday work-life and thus strives to achieve their best. Being an integral part of their life in the organization means that the employees can always tweak their attributes to conform to the changes the organization may want to implement in its bid to be an industry leader. Even so, it is worth reiterating that Toyota has made a rather generic vision considering the automobile manufacture industry is one of the most dynamic in business (David, 2015). Consumers have also become more aware of their environment and are seeking products that reflect sustainability in the environment. Therefore, Toyota's vision statement should be specific about what it looks to do to achieve the anticipated future.

Cisco is a company that develops networking systems. Its vision statement is 'Changing the Way We Work, Live, Play, and Learn' (Cisco, 2019). Like Toyota's vision statement, Cisco's is straight forward and does include any technical terms. At the same time, it is correct to mention that the vision statement is outdated and could be changed to reflect a future position for the brand. As discussed in previous sections, Toyota suffers the same plight as it is not clear from the vision statement of how the organization will move into the future. On a different note, the attributes for Toyota's vision statement differs from that of Cisco since that of Toyota is not as abstract and challenging as that of Cisco. Toyota mentions its goal more concretely and is not thought-provoking as that of Cisco.

References

Toyota Corporation. (2019). Toyota Global Vision | Vision & Philosophy | Company | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website. Retrieved 9 October 2019, from https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/global-vision/

Quigley, J. V. (2014). Vision: How leaders develop it, share it, and sustain it. Business Horizons, 37(5), 37-42.

David Meier, L. (2015). The Toyota way fieldbook. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Cisco. (2019). Culture and Values.Retrieved 9 October 2019, from https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/about/careers-home/professional-careers/consulting-services/consulting-team/culture-values.html