During 2020, I collaborated with a friend to finish a manuscript exploring how to run a business using the principles of organic agriculture. The resulting book, Organic to the Core: Transform Your Business with the 6 Principles of Organic, is on Amazon.com. It’s sold in New Zealand, Japan, and the United States. The New Zealand library system has copies, and my local bookstore here in Wellington, New Zealand, Unity Books, stocks it.
My motivation was clear: I wanted to help other CEOs make decisions about people and the planet by focusing on what is right, not just what is profitable. Of course, profit is essential. However, if a company’s sole purpose is to create a return on investment for its shareholders, that should be its stated mission. Don’t say your company exists “to improve patient outcomes” when, in reality, the primary objective is to enrich the CEO and their family through board control.
Why Mission Statements Matter
What undermines public trust is when companies say one thing and do another. So let’s take a closer look at whether companies’ mission statements actually align with how they treat their employees and the environment. Below are ten high-profile, NYSE-listed companies and what the past decade tells us about their real-world outcomes. Doing the right thing is never easy, but it pays in ways we can measure and that matter to customers, our communities and the environment where we live.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Mission Statement: “To bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.”
- Employee Reality: High satisfaction and low turnover in technical roles. However, faced lawsuits including a $30.5M settlement and union-busting allegations.
- Environmental Impact: Ahead of schedule on 2030 carbon-neutral goal. Uses 100% renewable electricity since 2018. Over 300 suppliers aligned with climate targets.
Coca-Cola Company (KO)
Mission Statement: “To refresh the world in mind, body and spirit.”
- Employee Reality: Stable employer with improved DEI, but history of discrimination lawsuits.
- Environmental Impact: World’s top plastic polluter multiple years. Only 61% recycling rate; just 7% emissions reduction since 2015.
Walmart Inc. (WMT)
Mission Statement: “To save people money so they can live better.”
- Employee Reality: ~70% annual turnover. Increased wages and benefits, but faces anti-union criticism.
- Environmental Impact: Waste diversion over 80%, but Scope 1 and 2 emissions rose in 2023, putting targets at risk.
Nike, Inc. (NKE)
Mission Statement: “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
- Employee Reality: Settled gender discrimination and wage lawsuits. Satisfaction remains high; DEI improving.
- Environmental Impact: On track for 2025/2030 goals. Over 70% of products use sustainable materials.
IBM (IBM)
Mission Statement: “To lead in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry’s most advanced information technologies.”
- Employee Reality: Low turnover, high satisfaction. Ongoing age discrimination lawsuits.
- Environmental Impact: Surpassed 2025 emissions target. 74% of electricity from renewables.
McDonald’s Corporation (MCD)
Mission Statement: “To make delicious feel-good moments easy for everyone.”
- Employee Reality: Extremely high turnover; wage-theft lawsuits persist in franchise network.
- Environmental Impact: On track with Scope 2 goals; slower progress on Scope 3. Packaging recyclability at 82%.
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG)
Mission Statement: “To provide branded products and services of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world’s consumers.”
- Employee Reality: High satisfaction and DEI progress. No major labor violations.
- Environmental Impact: Scope 1 and 2 emissions ahead of schedule. Zero manufacturing waste to landfill achieved.
Chevron Corporation (CVX)
Mission Statement: “To develop the energy that improves lives and powers the world forward.”
- Employee Reality: Average retention. Faced contractor fatalities and environmental fines.
- Environmental Impact: Met intensity goals, but absolute emissions not reduced. Scope 3 excluded from net-zero pledge.
Boeing Company (BA)
Mission Statement: “To connect, protect, explore and inspire the world through aerospace innovation.”
- Employee Reality: 20,000 layoffs in 2020–21. Internal reports cited pressure against safety reporting.
- Environmental Impact: Cut emissions and waste. Leads in sustainable aviation fuel, but decarbonization depends on industry-wide shifts.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Mission Statement: “To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
- Employee Reality: 21,000 layoffs in 2022–23. DEI gains backtracked amid program rollbacks.
- Environmental Impact: Operations are carbon-neutral since 2018, with 100% renewable electricity. Supply chain emissions remain high.
Do These Companies Walk the Talk?
Some do, particularly in areas like renewable energy and waste reduction. But many fall short when it comes to their people: high turnover, discrimination lawsuits, and hollow DEI programs reveal the persistent gap between mission and measurable action.
It’s not easy to do the right thing. But if a company chooses to say it will, then the only responsible course is to measure and prove it.
It is difficult to find the metrics for companies that are listed on the NYSE. Just imagine trying to find that information for companies that aren’t required to have any listing.
Organic certification is a long-standing, third-party verification system that examines how a company makes its products. Consumers welcome this transparency and additional trust in the label claims companies make. It isn’t just about health; it is also about their peace of mind.
Board directors have a responsibility to ensure that every business is making a profit. My premise is that only by following their principles and delivering on their mission in a verifiable way will companies be around and loved.
Because in business, like in organic systems, integrity isn’t just a principle. It’s a practice.
If this article resonates with you, please share it, leave a comment, or explore more of my work at donaldnordeng.com. You can also buy my book Organic to the Core to learn more about applying organic principles to business leadership. Let’s keep the conversation going on what truly ethical business leadership looks like.
Organic to the Core 