ABSTRACT
When establishing its sustainability objectives, Dow Chemical could boast support from the company's CEO as well as shop-floor workers, clients, suppliers and environmentalists. A common refrain heard from employees and managers in many organizations is that they don't know the aims of the company in which they work and they have never been taught their employer's values and priorities – a situation that usually boils down to a lack of communication. In the USA, the Bradley Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial washroom fixtures, proclaimed a comparable vision which led to its products becoming 'environmental solutions instead of environmental problems'. Mission statements individualize a business by defining its purpose and uniqueness. The final stage of the objective process is to identify short-term goals for unit, departmental or individual use, along with timelines to avoid procrastination as well as forms of measurement to ensure that progress is being made.
