A Neurosemantic Approach to Vision and Mission Alignment:Construct Formalization, Metric Design, and Pilot PlausibilityTesting

Abstract

This paper proposes that semantic alignment between corporate vision and mission statements is a probabilistic predictor of excess stock returns. Grounded in Learnable Theory and integrated with signaling theory, organizational legitimacy, and cognitive consistency, it introduces the Complementary Semantic Distance Index (CSDI): a non-linear measure of neurosemantic distance based on an 81-class taxonomy derived from four core human needs and three affective polarizations. The contribution is primarily conceptual and instrumental, and the empirical analysis is exploratory. Using a sample of 100 US firms (n = 65 with valid excess return data), results show a significant positive association between CSDI and excess returns (r = 0.370, p = 0.002, R² = 13.7%). This result holds up under a robustness programme of ambiguity reclassification and Monte Carlo perturbation testing, both of which indicate the association is not an artifact of single-coder classification variance. Three boundary conditions (sectoral moderation, macro-shock override, and communication competence) define the scope of the claim, and a structured agenda specifies what confirmatory testing will require.