Synonyms
Definition
Goal-setting theory, as applied to organizations, is a theory of human motivation that explains how and why individual work performance increases when organizations establish specific and challenging goals valued by employees.
Introduction
Goal-setting theory, originally formulated by Locke and Latham (1990), draws from research across a wide range of disciplines to explain how and why individuals are motivated to achieve goals. In goal-setting theory, the term goal refers to an object that directs action, and each goal is comprised of content and intensity (Locke and Latham 2013). Goal content is defined as the result one seeks to achieve. Goal intensity, on the other hand, “refers to the effort needed to set a goal, the position of a goal in an individual’s goal hierarchy, and the extent to which a person is committed to goal attainment” (Locke and Latham 2013, p. 5). Additionally, the locus of...
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References
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Davis, R.S. (2016). Goal-Setting Theory of Organizations. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_160-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_160-1
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