Goal Setting Theory & Predictions
Goal setting theory is a theory in motivation that was developed by Edwin A. Locke and Gary P. Latham in 1968. The theory can be found in organizational psychology and therefore, applied in the workplace. Goal setting theory places emphasis on focused efforts on high performance toward a goal.
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Goal
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According to Gareth R. Jones and Jennifer M. George's book, "Contemporary Management," a goal is defined as "what a person is trying to accomplish through his or her efforts and behaviors." For a student, a goal can be getting an A on his report card. For those within a sales-based organization, a goal can mean reaching a certain sales quota.
Goal Setting Theory
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Jones and George define goal setting theory as "a theory that focuses on identifying the types of goals that are most effective in producing high levels of motivation and performance and explaining why goals have these effects." In a workplace environment, consider how well leaders or managers can ensure that subordinates focus their work, time and energy toward the direction of high performance and the overall achievement of organizational goals.
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Specific and Difficult
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Goal setting theory suggests that in order to stimulate high levels of motivation and performance, goals must be specific and difficult. Specific goals are quantitative. For example, it may be a salesperson's goal to sell $500 of merchandise on a daily basis, a writer's goal to complete a novel in 1 year, or a CEO's goal to decrease debt by 50 percent.
Action Plans and Feedback
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An action plan can be a strategy, timetable or schedule to complete different activities or mini-goals that are vital toward goal attainment. The specific and difficult aspect of goal setting theory may inspire individuals or teams to create action plans toward a goal
Organizational members need to receive feedback on how they are doing. This can be done through a performance appraisal. Feedback helps make sure that efforts are aligned toward the goal after a period of time. They can also help improve future goal setting activities.
Predictions
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According to Jones and George, "easy and moderate goals have less motivational power than difficult goals". By allowing subordinates to participate in the goal setting process, this may help boost acceptance and commitment toward the goals.
Having specific and difficult goals boosts performance. For example, when a salesperson is told to sell as much as possible, she may have a higher chance of stopping on a slow day, whereas having a specific and difficult goal allows her to keep trying. They also help people focus their work into the right direction.
Specific and difficult goals may also detract from performance, depending the conditions and situations. When performing complicated and challenging tasks that also require learning, difficult goals can impair performance and may take away from learning and understanding. For work that requires room for creativity, difficult goals can be a detriment.
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References
Resources
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