Defining the Firm's Purpose for Culture

Defining the Firm's Purpose for Culture

Roger Miles

25 years: Behavoural science & conduct

In order to understand how a firm’s purpose drives its culture, you need to understand how a company describes, to itself and others, the essential purpose of the firm, its products and its services, and so its reason for existing. In this video, Roger talks about generating and articulating the essential purpose of the firm.

In order to understand how a firm’s purpose drives its culture, you need to understand how a company describes, to itself and others, the essential purpose of the firm, its products and its services, and so its reason for existing. In this video, Roger talks about generating and articulating the essential purpose of the firm.

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Defining the Firm's Purpose for Culture

6 mins 11 secs

Overview

To understand how a firm’s purpose drives its culture, you need to understand how a company describes, to itself and others, the essential purpose of the firm, its products and its services, and so its reason for existing.

Key learning objectives:

  • Outline some challenging and inspiring statements of purpose

  • Outline various purpose themes

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Summary

What are some challenging and inspiring statements of purpose?

  • “To use our imaginations to bring happiness to millions”: Disney Corporation
  • “To give people the freedom to fly”: Northwest Airlines
  • “To make sustainable living commonplace”: Unilever
  • “To alleviate pain and suffering”: Johnson & Johnson

Also in other sectors, even some of the more workmanlike purpose statements have a strong element of humanity:

  • “To discover, develop and provide innovative products and services that save and improve lives”: Merck
  • “The happiness of the Partnership’s members, through their worthwhile and satisfying employment in a successful business”: John Lewis Partnership

What purpose does the conduct regulator want to see?

Several regulators and think tanks have also proposed helpful descriptions of the purpose of financial services firms to help financial firms along the way with the challenge of articulating purpose.

  • A purpose beyond just making money
  • Channelling and guiding the investment and funding with which our economy is built
  • Diversifying risks and providing affordable financial support to those in need by advancing credit
  • Vital infrastructure: facilitating every single economic transaction through the payments system
  • Delivering long-term sustainable benefits for employees, consumers and shareholders
  • Sustainable custodianship and stewardship of assets
  • Supporting markets, and mediating between savers and borrowers
  • Delivering fair value to customers and long-term value for shareholders

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Roger Miles

Roger Miles

Roger researches behavioural risks in organisations, and advises senior leaders on how best to communicate risk and conduct matters. Previously, Roger ran risk communication programmes for professional bodies and the British Government. He now runs industry-level Academies for Conduct and Culture, and produces workshops with financial firms.

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