At this point in the economic downturn, organizations have either continued to live by their mission statements and core values, or have abandoned them for the urgent.
A mission statement is basically a statement of the purpose of a company and it guides the actions of the company, clearly defining its goal, and guiding decision making. The core values of an organization are those values forming the foundation on which a company conducts itself.
A company’s culture is best described as the shared values, traditions, customs, philosophy, and the professional atmosphere that grows from these, affecting both behavior and performance. Not every company has a mission statement or core values, yet every company has a culture. One of the most interesting things about culture is how quickly it can change when stressed.