An Analysis of the Mission Statements of Premier Universities in Malaysia

Abstract

Background:This study takes notes from a previous empirical inquiry which had analysed and explored the key areas of the mission trait (vision, goals, objectives, strategic direction, and intent) in the culture of top-ranked public and private universities around Klang valley. Methods:The purpose of this study is to compare the three facets of a university's mission using the conceptual framework and the survey instrument. This study is quantitative in nature, using data from 1440 university students from various faculties at four top-ranked universities. The survey was partially adapted from Denison's Organizational Culture Diagnostic Instrument (OCDI); as it is typically used for businesses firms, most of the items had been re-phrased for the university setting. Results:The instrument's reliability was assessed in the pilot study, whereby Cronbach's alpha values of between 0.690 and 0.876 were attained, indicating high levels of reliability. Discussion:Based on the results, it can be concluded that public university students view their university's mission, leadership, and goals more favorably than their counterparts in private universities. This may be due to the public universities under study have higher global rankings compared to the private universities, leading to a more favorableleadership impression for the former. Conclusion:The findings lead to the suggestion that universities must explicitly state their vision, mission, and core values. These statements could be posted on their websites and serve as a source of motivation, aspiration, and guidance for their community, including the students, faculty members, and management team