1.

Assess Mercks core values and mission versus its actions; are
they in congruity?

As per the Building Your Companys Vision article, core values are the essential
and enduring tenets of an organization. A small set of timeless guiding principles,
core values require no external justification; they have intrinsic value and
importance to those inside the organization. A company should not change its core
values in response to market changes; rather it should change the markets, if
necessary, to remain true to its core values.
Mercks core values are a) Corporate social responsibility, b) Unequivocal
excellence in all aspects of the company, c) Science-based innovation, d) Honesty
and Integrity and e) Profit, but profit from work that benefits humanity
Core purpose is a companys reason for being which for Merck is to preserve and
improve human life (as per the Building Your Companys Vision article).
Mercks mission statement is To provide society with superior products and
services by developing innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life and
satisfy customer needs, and to provide employees with meaningful work and
advancement opportunities, and provide investors with a superior rate of return.
According to Richard Clark, Mercks products address 60% of the top 20 global
burdens of disease defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). They are
committed to improving access to their products for all who can benefit, wherever
they live. A company self-described as dedicated to put patient first, the company
discovered, developed, manufactured, and marketed vaccines and medicines to
address unmet medical needs. Drug innovations developed by Merck included:
Streptomycin, Cortisone, statin such as ZOCOR, antiretroviral (ARVs) and ISENTREES
for HIV/AIDS, COZAAR and HYZAAR for hypertension; and SINGULAIR for Asthma
and seasonal allergies. The company had developed dozens of vaccines, including
vaccines to prevent measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
rotavirus infection, and the human papillomavirus infection.
The company had employed 60,000 employees worldwide, and operated 28
manufacturing plants and nine research sites. In 2007, Mercks worldwide sales
were $24.2 bln and its net income was $3.275 bln. The revenue for Pharmaceutical
segment was $20.1 bln and $3.8 bln for vaccine segment. Nearly 60% of the
companys sales revenue came from the Unites States, 20% from the Europe and
6% from Japan.
Merck consistently ranked among the top two donors in the annual ranking
published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. In 2007 the value of Mercks
philanthropic contributions totaled $828 M. This included $62 M in cash, $161 M in
Product donations and $605 M through medical outreach program.
So, in my opinion, Mercks mission and core values are congruent with their actions.