Goal Setting Theory

Goal Setting
Goal: What an individual is trying to
accomplish through his or her behavior and
actions.
Goal Setting Theory: A theory that focuses
on identifying the types of goals that are
most effective in producing high levels of
motivation and performance and why goals
have these effects.
Goal setting can operate to enhance both
intrinsic motivation (in the absence of any
extrinsic rewards) and extrinsic motivation
(when workers are given extrinsic rewards
for achieving their goals).

Solid Goal Characteristics

S Specific
M Measurable
A Achievable
R Result based
T Time specific

Goal Setting

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Major Dimensions of Goal Setting

Research on the Impact of Goal Setting
The Importance of Specific Goals
The Importance of Difficult and
Challenging Goals
Goal Acceptance, Participation, and
Commitment
Self-Efficacy and Goals
Objective and Timely Feedback

Characteristics of
Motivating
Goals
Specificity
Often quantitative

Difficulty
Should be hard but not impossible for
most workers to achieve

Acceptability
Especially important when managers set
goals for subordinates

Feedback
So that workers know how well they are
doing

Specific, Difficult Goals Affect

Motivation and Performance by:
Directing workers attention and
action toward goal-relevant activities
Causing workers to exert higher
levels of effort
Causing workers to develop action
plans to achieve their goals
Causing workers to persist in the face
of obstacles or difficulties

Limits to Goal Setting Theory

There are two circumstances under which
setting specific, difficult goals will not
lead to high motivation and performance:
When workers lack the skills and abilities
needed to perform at a high level.
(never forget: performance = ability * motivation *
support)

When workers are given complicated and

difficult tasks that require all of their
attention and require a considerable amount
of learning.

Management by Objectives
(MBO)
A goal-setting process in which a manager

meets with his or her supervisor to set goals

and evaluate the extent to which previously
set goals have been achieved.
Although less common, MBO can also be
used as a motivational tool for
nonmanagers.
Necessary characteristics for MBO success:
Set goals should contribute to organizational
effectiveness.
Goals should be specific and difficult.
A certain amount of trust and rapport must exist
between managers and their supervisors.

Goal Setting

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SKINNERS reinforcement
theory
Positive reinforcement or behaviour
modification holds that individuals
can be motivated by proper design of
their work environment and by praise
for
their
performance,
while
punishment for poor performance
produces negative results

Develop Your Goal

List 3-5 milestones or sub-goals that you will
need to accomplish along the way. Maybe draw it
in a sequence if you wish.
Take a moment and think about what will prevent
you from accomplishing the goal. These are
obstacles.
Write down 3-5 of these obstacles.
Write down what you will do to overcome the obstacles

Write down who you can have hold you

accountable and share this plan with them.

SPECIAL MOTIVATIONAL
TECHNIQUES
MONEY
OTHER REWARD CONSIDERATIONS
Intrinsic rewards(may include a feeling
of accomplishment and selfactualisation)
Extrinsic rewards (include benefits,
recognition, status, symbols,and money)
Pay may be based on individual, group
and organizational performance

 Participation
Quality of working life

Job enlargement and

enrichment
Job enlargement attempts to make a
job more varied by removing the
dullnes associated with performing
repetitive operations.It is defined as
the enlarging the scope of the job by
adding
similar
tasks
without
enhancing
responsibility.

 Job enrichment is building into jobs a

higher sense of challenge and
achievement. Jobs may be enriched by
variety.
Freedom, participation and interaction
between workers, personal responsibility,
giving proper feedback, involving workers
in layout, plant, temperature, lighting and
cleanliness, taking steps to make sure
that workers can see how their tasks
contribute to a finished product and to
the welfare of the enterprise.

How to make job

enrichment effective

Organisation should know what

people want
The worker should be shown the
benefit
Considering people ,consulting,
Make the people feel that their
managers are truly concerned with
their welfare