Goal Theory & Motivating Workers

Ivancevich (1998) says that goal setting is designed to improve an individualÆs ability to set and achieve goals. Goals are the object of an action or what a person intends to accomplish. Goal setting theory was proposed initially by Edwin A. Locke (1968) and was based on the understanding of goal setting as a cognitive process of some practical utility. LockeÆs (1968) view is that an individualÆs conscious goals and intentions are the primary determinants of behavior. The theory places specific emphasis on the importance of conscious goals in explaining motivated behavior. The attributes of goals highlighted by Locke (1968) are specificity, difficulty, and intensity.

From a managerial perspective, the key steps in goal setting are: 1) diagnosis; 2) preparing the employees for goal setting by increased personal interaction, communication, training, and action plans; 3) emphasizing the attributes of goals that should be understood by a manager and subordinat

. . .
riments conducted in university settings to test aspects of goal setting theory. One view of this theory holds that when goal difficulty is constant, there are virtually no differences in goal commitment or performance, regardless of whether the goal was a sign or set participatively. An alternative view is that participation in goal setting is crucial to goal commitment. If a person does not participate, there is little or no commitment to achieving the goal. The university experiments tended to demonstrate that as participation in goal setting increased, so did commitment to achieving the goals and actual task completion. Additionally, Ivancevich (1998) makes note of the fact that there are often individual differences that influence the efficacy of goal setting as a motivational tool. Personality and work orientation are among the variables that appear to impact upon an individualÆs responsiveness to goal setting. Generally, individuals who are already self-motivating tend to be more enthusiastic participants in goal setting and to value goals as benchmarks against which their performance can be measured. This is validated by Baker, Marshak, Rice, and Zimmerman (2001), who examined the motivational effects of
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Atkins Bright, Frink Ferris, Edwin Locke, Martin Manning, Rice Zimmerman, Tinetti Inouye, Additionally Ivancevich, goal setting, , D Ferris, McGraw-Hill Locke, ivancevich 1998, achieve goals, martin manning 1995, manning 1995, goals individuals, martin manning, locke 1968, physical therapy, setting performance, performance evaluation, atkins bright 1999, performance evaluation process, goal setting theory, goal setting performance,
Approximate Word count = 1401
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Goal Theory & Motivating Workers