Goal Setting Theory Application the Goal Setting Essay

Goal Setting Theory Application

The goal setting theory was a product of the research conducted by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham who carried out more than 400 separate studies in this regard. They indicated that goals have a pervasive effect on the behavior of the people working within a given organization hence there is need for care and attention while setting goals since with the right conditions, goals can be powerful ways of motivating employees. The theory hence indicates that high and specific goals often lead to higher performance by individuals as compared to vague and low goals set (Locke E. & Latham P., 1990). There are various character traits that need to be explicit in a goal according to this theory:

Goals need to be specific; when there is requirement to meet some specific high standards then there is a likelihood of the organization realizing higher performance from the employees as compared to a situation where the organization does not give focused goals to the employees.

Goals must be difficult but attainable; the theory also indicates that if the goals are easily attainable then the desired increment in performance will not be realized.Goals must be accepted; this shows that simply setting the goals and making the employees aware of it is not enough hence there is need to ensure there is a general acceptance to the goals. This can be attained by allowing the employees to participate in the goal setting process hence in the process they will own the goals and lead to self-efficacy.

Feedback must be provided on goal attainment; there is need under this theory for the responsible people to give the necessary feedback to the employees. This helps in two major ways, one is to use it as a gauge and determine how well they are doing and the second aspect is for them to know the nature of the adjustment that are needed on their part.

From the above, it is clear that goal setting theory is very important in ensuring a steadfast performance as well as adherence to the desired outcome and a reliable and stable performance from the employees motivated by the feedback and regular evaluation….....