31LANGUAGE
Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of 
Slovenian Enterprises
ABSTRACT
The study analyzes the discourse of a sample of mission statements of Slovenian Micro, Small 
and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and large companies across six different industries. First, 
we assess how distinctive these statements are, both at the level of individual companies 
and within entire industries, using a custom similarity analysis. Then, through a discourse 
analysis approach, we examine the methods employed by these companies when creating 
their mission statements. The results reveal that Slovenian organizations often rely on 
conservative, company-focused mission statements that place less emphasis on stakeholders. 
Additionally, despite significant variations among individual statements, there are common 
themes observed when these statements are grouped by industry.
Keywords: mission statements, discourse analysis, text similarity analysis
Diskurzna analiza poslanstev slovenskih podjetij
IZVLEČEK
Članek analizira diskurz poslanstev slovenskih podjetij v različnih gospodarskih panogah. 
Najprej smo s pomočjo analize podobnosti, ki smo jo sami razvili, ocenili stopnjo edinstvenosti 
poslanstev na ravni posameznih podjetij in po panogah. Zatem smo z uporabo analize 
diskurza ugotavljali, kako slovenska podjetja oblikujejo diskurz poslanstev. Ugotovili smo, da 
so poslanstva slovenskih podjetij pogosto precej konservativne narave, saj so osredotočena na 
podjetje, pri čemer redko omenjajo notranje deležnike. Poleg tega pa so si poslanstva kljub 
individualnim razlikam med seboj precej podobna, če jih združimo po panogah. V zaključku 
predlagamo prihodnje raziskave na obravnavanem področju in podamo nekatere omejitve 
naše raziskave.
Ključne besede: poslanstva podjetij, diskurzna analiza, analiza podobnosti besedil
2024, Vol. 21 (1), 31-43(316)
journals.uni-lj.si/elope
https://doi.org/10.4312/elope.21.1.31-43
UDC: 81'42:658(497.4)
Aleksandr Gaisov 
University of Primorska, Slovenia 
Igor Rižnar
University of Primorska, Slovenia
32 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
1 Introduction
Strategic management, as defined by David (2011, 6), comprises: “integrating management, 
marketing, finance/accounting, production/operations, research and development, and 
information systems to achieve organizational success.” This organizational process is split 
into three stages: development, execution, and evaluation of a strategic plan. The creation of 
a mission statement takes place at the first stage, along with the identification of the vision and 
values, SWOT analysis, and the establishment of long-term goals (David 2011, 6).
A corporate mission statement, in turn, is a formal declaration of a company’s core objective, 
identifying its products and market focus (David 2011, 11). The ongoing deviation from 
this basic notion greatly contributes to the ambiguity that exists between the concepts of 
the mission, vision, and values of a company (Salem Khalifa 2011). Some researchers even 
argue that a single mission statement is enough because it already includes all the elements 
of vision and values (Powers 2012; Stallworth Williams 2008). Furthermore, due to the lack 
of standards and common practices, mission statements differ in a variety of ways, including 
inconsistent length, scope of meaning, and terminology used, among others (Dermol 2013).
Mission statements have gained in popularity in the last three decades (Alegre et al. 2018; 
Stallworth Williams 2008) mainly due to their perceived positive impact on operational 
performance, strategic planning, organizational culture, leadership, and communication with 
stakeholders (Dermol 2013). 
Therefore, a key purpose of mission statements is to communicate with a company’s 
stakeholders (David 2011, 49; Klemm, Sanderson, and Luffman 1991), both internal and 
external, each with different goals and motivations. Internally, mission statements inspire and 
coordinate employees, while externally they enhance brand recognition and foster external 
relationships (Alegre et al. 2018). Although these processes are not mutually exclusive, 
effectively conveying a company’s mission to these distinct groups may require diverse modes 
of communication. As a result, companies often incorporate their mission statements into 
various documents, such as annual reports, loan requests, agreements with suppliers and 
customers, labour contracts, and internal business plans (David 2011, 43).
In this sense, most Slovenian senior managers of medium and large businesses are aware of the 
primary functions of mission statements as both strategic and managerial tools. Nevertheless, 
micro and small firms are more reliant on direct communication with their stakeholders 
(Babnik et al. 2014). 
The relationship between mission statements and business performance is a topic of ongoing 
debate, and the research findings are varied. Researchers approach this link in different ways, 
some examining individual components within mission statements, while others consider the 
presence or absence of the entire statement.
Thus, for US and Canadian organizations, researchers generally agree that three major 
components within mission statements – purpose, values, and competitive advantages – are 
positively correlated with company performance, particularly regarding employees (Bart and 
Baetz 1998; Bart and Hupfer 2004; Pearce II and David 1987). In contrast, Slovenian firms 
Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar
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tend to emphasize the growth of the business, cooperation, and partnership in their mission 
statements (Babnik et al. 2014; Breznik 2012; Dermol 2013).
The link between companies’ performance and the presence of a mission statement is also 
ambiguous. Alegre et al. (2018) identified several major groups of studies that have examined 
various aspects of corporate performance in connection with mission statements, including 
their impact on employees’ behaviour, customer orientation, financial performance (especially 
return on sales and assets), effects on management, and communication with stakeholders. 
Furthermore, Dermol (2013) suggests a positive correlation between the presence or absence 
of a mission statement and the value added per employee, a critical business performance 
indicator.
Although these and other studies report the positive influence of mission statements on various 
performance measures (Desmidt, Prinzie, and Decramer 2011), some researchers argue that 
there is not enough empirical evidence to establish a strong link between mission statements 
and performance (Stallworth Williams 2008). The evidence typically demonstrates a weak-
to-moderate correlation with individual performance measures, and studies tend to focus on 
a limited set of such measures, making their selection subjective.
In this sense, Salem Khalifa (2011) emphasizes that high-performing organizations might 
excel in many areas, including creating better mission statements, suggesting that the 
connection between mission statements and business performance is not straightforward 
cause and effect. Researchers’ conclusions are further undermined by the limitations of their 
studies, such as sample size and sampling methods.
On this premise, we argue that organizations confront at least two key issues in terms of 
mission statements. First, they must consider how to effectively communicate their purpose 
to both internal and external stakeholders. This involves examining the meaning embedded 
in the company’s mission statement and how it is understood and interpreted by individuals 
within and outside the organization. 
Second, assuming that a company’s purpose contributes to its prosperity, it is desirable for 
that purpose to be unique. In other words, a firm cannot effectively compete in the market 
if it offers similar things to its clients as its competitors do. Therefore, if a company’s purpose 
reflects what sets it apart and its mission statement is aligned with that purpose, it must be 
special and stand out from other companies’ mission statements.
Slovenian companies are no less affected by these challenges and are no exception in their 
need for high-quality mission statements. Therefore, this study aims to understand and 
evaluate how Slovenian companies employ mission statements to convey their purpose to 
stakeholders, and how distinctive these mission statements are at both individual company 
and industry levels.
One way of approaching this is through discourse analysis (DA). DA is a method of studying 
discourse, which comprises meaningful symbolic communication through language. This 
includes both the communicative action itself and its surrounding sociocultural context 
34 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
(Johnstone 2008, 2–3). Thus, analysing mission statements using DA goes beyond just 
the text and considers the social context, allowing for a better understanding of individual 
mission statements and the intended message of the author.
DA gained prominence in the 1970s, particularly through the works of the French philosopher 
Michel Foucault, who is considered a key proponent of discourse theory (Pedersen 2009). 
Foucault challenged the notion of linear development in discourses, suggesting that they 
can experience abrupt shifts in previously held beliefs and meanings. These transformations 
are driven by a combination of internal and external factors and are central to Foucault’s 
principle of discontinuity, which states that every historical period has its own distinctive way 
of looking at things (Choque Aliaga 2018). 
Hence, Foucault emphasized the role of language in shaping ideas, leading to commonly 
accepted knowledge that gets institutionalized and carried forward in future discourses. In this 
sense, DA is a way to study the history of knowledge, that is, its creation, evolution, and the 
limitations imposed by language, institutions, and technology (Pedersen 2009). Therefore, 
DA focuses on understanding the dynamics of ideas and nodal points of discourse and follows 
three core directives (McHoul and Grace 2015, 49): discourse must be considered within its 
historical context, identifying the prerequisites that led to its emergence, and focusing on 
practical rather than theoretical applications of discourse.
This made DA particularly relevant in areas that study interpersonal interaction, social identity, 
ethnicity, culture, and language (Johnstone 2008, 7), evolving into an interdisciplinary field 
associated with anthropology, linguistics, sociology, and psychology (Fairclough 2013a, 4). 
Due to the internal dynamics and inherent biases of these domains, the study of discourse has 
branched into two primary models: one based on linguistics and sociolinguistics, the other 
rooted in sociology and social psychology. 
The two models diverge in their primary areas of focus. The linguistic model places its focus 
on language and its linguistic attributes, including grammar, phonology, morphology, syntax, 
and semantics, within social contexts. Conversely, the sociological model is more focused on 
social phenomena, where language is just one component (Taylor 2013, 2–3).
Both approaches emphasize the interconnectedness of discourse, language, and the 
sociocultural context. This connection comprises the power relations (Fairclough 2013b, 
46–51), knowledge development through language usage (Dijk 2014, 5–12), and meaning 
formation that all occur through various social interactions (Gee 2011, 16). As a result, various 
justifications for this relationship have led to the development of different methodologies 
within the field of DA. These methodologies range from formal linguistic analysis, empirical 
analysis of conversations and genres, to critical analysis of sociocultural elements (Hodges, 
Kuper, and Reeves 2008). 
While there could be some value in examining individual mission statements in detail, our 
main focus in this study is on a broader perspective. Therefore, we opt for critical discourse 
analysis (CDA) as our approach. CDA operates within a three-dimensional framework that 
includes evaluations of: (1) the discourse’s products (in our case, mission statements); (2) 
35LANGUAGE
how they are created, shared, and used; and (3) the sociocultural context in which they exist 
(Fairclough 2013a, 59).
2 Materials and Methods
We drew a convenience sample from the population of Slovenian companies with domestic 
capital sources, ensuring they originated from Slovenia. The data was collected from the 
SloExport website (SloExport 2022), which is based on annual surveys conducted on firms 
in the Slovenian market, updated in 2022. For each company, we recorded their name, size 
(micro, small, medium, or large), industry, and mission statement.
Certain companies have explicitly shared their mission statements, clearly indicating them 
with formatting features like bullet points, bold fonts, or titles within their company 
descriptions. However, in cases where mission statements were not immediately apparent 
due to unclear beginnings and endings, we identified them based on the presence of the word 
“mission” and related terms, as well as their contextual position within the text:
•	 At the beginning of a sentence: “Company X’s mission is...”, “Our main goal is...”, 
“Our primary activity is...”, etc.
•	 In the middle of a sentence: “...with the mission to...”, etc.
•	 At the end of a sentence: “...is our mission”, etc.
Occasionally, these sentences were surrounded by other sentences that did not exactly fit these 
criteria, but still expressed the fundamental goals of a company. In such cases we combined 
them into a single mission statement to ensure we did not miss any relevant data.
Table 1. Representation of industries within the sample.
Industry Number of companies Percentage of the sample
Agriculture 19 18%
Commerce 24 22%
Electronics, IT and Telecoms 14 13%
Industrial Manufacturing and Materials 21 20%
Services 19 18%
Transport and Logistics 10 9%
TOTAL 107 100%
Subsequently, we determined the six most prevalent industries among the sampled companies, 
excluding those industries that constituted less than 9% of the sample. The remaining 
industries, along with their updated respective sizes, are presented in Table 1.
To achieve our primary objective, the method was structured into two empirical sections. 
The first section featured a similarity analysis (SA) of mission statements within the research 
sample and served a dual purpose. It evaluated the similarity among the mission statements 
of Slovenian companies, as well as categorizing them by industry to identify more distinct 
fields. In turn, the SA employed in this study included two complementary techniques: term 
frequency–inverse document frequency (TF–IDF) weighting and cosine similarity.
36 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
TF–IDF is a statistical approach to calculate the importance of a term based on its frequency 
within a specific document and across a set of documents (Sheng, Wei, and Yang 2018). In 
this sense, higher TF–IDF weights indicate greater importance (Qaiser and Ali 2018). In 
our case, mission statements were treated as documents and individual words as terms. The 
process was automated using a Python (Python 2022) script and the Scikit-learn (Pedregosa 
et al. 2011) library’s ‘TfidfVectorizer’ class.
Once the TF–IDF weights for each mission statement were obtained, the subsequent step 
involved determining their similarities through a cosine similarity matrix, a widely recognized 
approach for determining document similarity (Manning, Raghavan, and Schütze 2009, 
121). This is achieved by comparing the cosine values of two term vectors within the 
documents. As a result, the cosine similarity value reflects the degree of relevance between the 
documents (Rahutomo, Kitasuka, and Aritsugi 2012). The Scikit-learn library also provides 
a ‘cosine_similarity’ method that takes the TF–IDF weight matrix as input and computes the 
cosine similarity for each pair of rows (representing companies’ mission statements). 
The method returned a symmetric matrix with a size equivalent to the total number of 
documents in the corpus (i.e., 107 mission statements). Values within this matrix spanned 
from zero to one, with one signifying identical mission statements and zero indicating a lack 
of common terms. Based on the cosine similarity matrix, it was deduced that agriculture, 
followed by electronics, IT and telecoms, along with transport and logistics, emerged as the three 
most distinct industries in terms of their mission statements.
In the second empirical section, Fairclough’s (2013b) CDA was applied to the mission 
statements of three randomly chosen Slovenian companies representing distinct industries: 
Pomurske Mlekarne d.d. (agriculture), Metra Inženiring d.o.o. (electronics, IT and telecoms), 
and Dars d.d. (transport and logistics). In turn, CDA is divided into three key stages 
(Fairclough 2013b, 21–22): description, interpretation, and explanation.
The description stage involved text analysis, which is shaped by productive and interpretative 
processes. These processes are influenced by participants’ individual knowledge, beliefs, 
stereotypes, and experiences, collectively referred to as the members’ resources (Fairclough 
2013b, 20). Members’ resources impact the formal aspects of discourse, such as vocabulary, 
grammar, and textual structures (Fairclough 2013b, 92–93).
Additionally, Fairclough (2013b, 93) identified three types of values derived from these 
discourse aspects: experiential (agents’ knowledge and experiences), relational (relationships 
between agents), and expressive (agents’ social identity).
During the interpretation stage, we focused on understanding how discourse processes are 
influenced by members’ resources and context (Fairclough 2013b, 117–18). Therefore, 
we analysed the situational and intertextual contexts to determine discourse type and 
presuppositions (Fairclough 2013b, 122–27). Interpretation also involved assessing language 
use, semantics, internal connections, and the main point of the discourse (Fairclough 2013b, 
119–20).
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In the explanation stage, we explored how discourse interacted with broader social structures. 
This included examining power relations, ideologies, and the sustainability of the discourse at 
situational, institutional, and societal levels. Furthermore, it involved studying the utilization 
of members’ resources in the context of the discourse (Fairclough 2013b, 135–38).
3 Results
The results of the SA (the cosine similarity matrices) were visualized as heatmaps via two 
commonly used Python libraries: Pandas (McKinney 2010) and Seaborn (Waskom 2021). 
To simplify visualization, mission statements were sorted alphabetically according to their 
respective industries, allowing for reference through index numbers rather than displaying 
the full list of company names directly on the heatmaps. The indices for companies’ mission 
statements, grouped by industry, are thus provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Indices of companies’ mission statements grouped by industry.
Industry Range of indices
Agriculture 0–18
Commerce 19–42
Electronics, IT and Telecoms 43–56
Industrial Manufacturing and 
Materials
57–77
Services 78–96
Transport and Logistics 97–106
Figure 1. Cosine similarity heatmap of mission statements (microlevel).
The interpretation of the cosine similarity matrix of mission statements is conducted at both 
the microlevel (individual companies) and macrolevel (industries). At the microlevel, the 
heatmap (Figure 1) has an obvious diagonal line, as mission statements are naturally identical 
to themselves (i.e., cosine similarity values are equal to 1). In general, however, there is very 
38 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
little similarity between individual companies’ mission statements (i.e., near-zero cosine 
similarity values).
As for the macrolevel, Figure 1 does not demonstrate any apparent similarities between the 
mission statements of companies operating in the same industry. To illustrate this, Figure 2 
provides an extreme example of what the heatmap would look like if all companies’ mission 
statements were primarily similar only to those within their respective industries.
To further investigate potential collective similarities in mission statements, we categorized 
all the cosine similarity values of mission statements into groups based on their respective 
industries. Next, we manually selected sets of values, considering the two industries being 
compared, and computed the mean value for each set. To enhance clarity, we rounded 
these average values and multiplied them by 1,000. Finally, we constructed a new heatmap 
(Figure 3) consisting of these averaged cosine similarity values, organized by industry.
Therefore, Figure 3 illustrates the degree of similarity among six industries in the Slovenian 
market, where the highest similarity values are once again concentrated along the diagonal 
line, suggesting that industries tend to be more similar to themselves. Nevertheless, we 
acknowledge that the statistical significance of this correlation can be considered, at best, 
only moderate.
The results of CDA reveal that Slovenian companies commonly employ mission statements 
characterized by vocabulary and grammar rich in experiential and expressive values. These 
mission statements mainly draw upon the authors’ personal knowledge, beliefs, and social 
identity. This is reflected by the classic classification schemes primarily related to the locations 
(e.g., “… milk from East Slovenia region …”, “… Slovenian motorway network …”) and 
qualities (e.g., “… premium quality and healthy dairy products …”, “… high-quality 
electronic locking and access control systems …”, “… ensure safety and comfort …”) of 
products and services.
Figure 2. Cosine similarity heatmap of mission statements (extreme example).
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Furthermore, they provide clear definitions of the key processes and agency (the company 
itself ). Additionally, these mission statements tend to employ active and positive sentence 
structures.
However, these mission statements frequently neglect relational values, making them less 
relatable to their intended audience. Stakeholders other than external parties are rarely 
mentioned explicitly, with even customers remaining vaguely defined. As a result, mission 
statements appear to be heavily centred on the company itself, as evidenced by the absence of 
pronouns other than “we” (referring to the company) and lack of personalization.
Moreover, the interpretation of a company’s purpose can vary among participants based on 
the situational and intertextual context. These mission statements often draw upon related 
discourse types, such as those on the company’s expertise and corporate values, leading to 
different customer understandings depending on their background knowledge and focus 
(e.g., product qualities or company values).
Lastly, the analysed mission statements are influenced by power relations at various levels, 
including organizational structure, market competition, and consumer attitudes and 
demands. While they address common social issues such as environmental responsibility 
(e.g., “… treasures of pure nature …”, “… acting responsibly towards the environment …”), 
traditions (e.g., “… rich tradition of milk production …”), and modernization (e.g., “… 
Figure 3. Cosine similarity heatmap of mission statements (macrolevel).
40 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
reliable and modern tailor-made solution …”, “… taking modern approaches …”), these 
concerns are often not emphasized, and existing power relations are not challenged, resulting 
in a relatively normative discourse.
4 Discussion
We acknowledge that the results of DA may lack consistency due to factors like analyst 
subjectivity, the dynamic nature of discourse, and a lack of standardized approaches. It must 
also be noted although mission statements may show correlations with business performance, 
they may not necessarily be the direct cause of it, and as such the significance of their presence 
or contents might be overstated. 
We also recognize a significant language challenge with regard to SA and DA, as these 
analyses were conducted in English, whereas the mission statements were from Slovenian 
companies. As a result, we faced two options: either translating all the mission statements 
into English after collecting them, or solely collecting those mission statements that were 
originally written or translated into English by the business owners. We chose the latter 
option to avoid introducing any translation bias from our side. However, this approach does 
not completely eliminate the issue because English is not the primary language for Slovenian 
entrepreneurs. Thus, there remains a risk of losing or misinterpreting the original meaning in 
Slovenian and the potential for flawed translations.
Another major complication of the study lay in the difficulty of identifying and isolating the 
individual mission statements from the overall company description, particularly when they 
were not explicitly labelled as such. Nevertheless, we encountered many cases where one or 
more sentences closely resembled a mission statement in terms of conveying the company’s 
purpose and primary objectives. We thus chose to consider these as valid mission statements 
to expand the sample size.
As a result, we ended up with a convenience sample, which comes with inherent disadvantages, 
including the possibility for selection bias. The subjective nature of selecting companies in this 
manner could potentially impact the generalizability and representativeness of our findings 
when extrapolated to the population of Slovenian companies as a whole. 
The ability to extrapolate our findings beyond the scope of the study is further constrained 
by the relatively small sample size, which resulted in a limited number of companies and 
industries available for comparison. 
In future research within this field, there are several key areas that could be explored to 
deepen our comprehension of mission statements and their significance for Slovenian 
companies. These areas encompass: investigating the impact of mission statements on 
employee motivation and effective leadership; conducting cross-cultural analyses of mission 
statements, expanding the scope beyond Slovenia to include other countries and cultures, 
especially within the European Union; and employing various combinations and types of DA 
and SA on a larger and more diverse sample of mission statements.
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5 Conclusion
Slovenian companies predominantly use positive and active mission statements to effectively 
convey their purpose. However, these statements tend to be very conservative and often 
conform to the status quo. Thus, while some mission statements acknowledge modernization, 
sustainability, and other contemporary ideologies as positive attributes, they refrain from 
advocating for substantial change or an industry revolution, as such actions could disrupt 
existing power relations and introduce uncertainty. 
To illustrate this, consider the original: “[…] to continue with its 75 years old, rich tradition 
of milk production […] satisfying even the most demanding consumers home and abroad” 
and its revised version: “[…] to advance its 75 years of rich tradition in milk production 
[…] Apart from satisfying the most demanding consumers, we strive to support our local 
agricultural sectors by foresting a sustainable market. By implementing clean, environmentally 
friendly means of production, we challenge the current norms and contribute to the well-
being of our planet and communities.”
In the same sense, compare: “By taking modern approaches and acting responsibly towards 
the environment […]” with “In our commitment to redefine the future of transportation, we 
adopt innovative approaches and act responsibly towards the environment […]”
Additionally, these statements mostly centre around the companies themselves, with limited 
mention of stakeholders and their requirements. As a result, the primary emphasis remains 
on the companies’ goals, values, and the qualities of their products and services.
For instance, compare the original: “We develop and implement […] With the experience 
gained in many projects, we offer customers a reliable and modern tailor-made solution […]” 
with the revised version: “We leverage our collective expertise in developing and implementing 
[…] The insights gained from numerous projects are not only directed towards reliable and 
modern solutions tailored to the customers’ needs but also provide an opportunity for the 
professional growth of our team members.”
Similarly, consider “[…] we optimize traffic flow and ensure safety and comfort on the 
Slovenian motorway network” and “It is within the expertise of our team of professionals 
to enhance the Slovenian motorway network with strategies that reflect our values, abide by 
regulations, and resonate with the community.”
Regarding the evaluation of similarity, the results were somewhat ambiguous. The analysis 
revealed that even though the mission statements may appear substantially distinct across 
individual companies, a moderate level of collective similarity emerges when they are 
categorized by industry.
Several potential factors might contribute to this phenomenon. On a smaller scale, variations 
in length, content, and vocabulary among mission statements could accentuate their diversity. 
In contrast, companies within the same industry often share similar objectives, products, 
target audiences, industry-specific norms, and standards. As a result, mission statements from 
organizations operating within the same sector tend to converge and exhibit resemblances, 
resulting in a certain level of collective similarity.
42 Aleksandr Gaisov, Igor Rižnar Discourse Analysis of the Mission Statements of Slovenian Enterprises
Overall, it is noteworthy that Slovenian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) 
and large organizations use mission statements mainly to articulate their objectives, products, 
and services. Furthermore, their intended message is primarily oriented towards external 
audiences rather than internal ones. It is as if the mission statement is perceived more as a 
marketing instrument than a managerial tool. As a result, by prioritizing external stakeholders, 
especially customers, over internal ones, these companies might be overlooking the potential 
advantages of mission statements. As argued by the studies presented earlier, these benefits are 
related to employee motivation and the development of effective leadership.
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