What is goal theory examples?

In 1960’s, Edwin Locke put forward the Goal-setting theory of motivation.

This theory states that goal setting is essentially linked to task performance.

It states that specific and challenging goals along with appropriate feedback contribute to higher and better task performance.

In simple words, goals indicate and give direction to an employee about what needs to be done and how much efforts are required to be put in.

The important features of goal-setting theory are as follows:

• The willingness to work towards attainment of goal is main source of job motivation. Clear, particular and difficult goals are greater motivating factors than easy, general and vague goals.
• Specific and clear goals lead to greater output and better performance. Unambiguous, measurable and clear goals accompanied by a deadline for completion avoids misunderstanding.
• Goals should be realistic and challenging. This gives an individual a feeling of pride and triumph when he attains them, and sets him up for attainment of next goal. The more challenging the goal, the greater is the reward generally and the more is the passion for achieving it.
• Better and appropriate feedback of results directs the employee behaviour and contributes to higher performance than absence of feedback. Feedback is a means of gaining reputation, making clarifications and regulating goal difficulties. It helps employees to work with more involvement and leads to greater job satisfaction.
• Employees’ participation in goal is not always desirable.
• Participation of setting goal, however, makes goal more acceptable and leads to more involvement.

Goal setting theory has certain eventualities such as:

1. Self-efficiency- Self-efficiency is the individual’s self-confidence and faith that he has potential of performing the task. Higher the level of self-efficiency, greater will be the efforts put in by the individual when they face challenging tasks. While, lower the level of self-efficiency, less will be the efforts put in by the individual or he might even quit while meeting challenges.
2. Goal commitment- Goal setting theory assumes that the individual is committed to the goal and will not leave the goal. The goal commitment is dependent on the following factors:

1. Goals are made open, known and broadcasted.
2. Goals should be set-self by individual rather than designated.
3. Individual’s set goals should be consistent with the organizational goals and vision.

Advantages of Goal Setting Theory

• Goal setting theory is a technique used to raise incentives for employees to complete work quickly and effectively.
• Goal setting leads to better performance by increasing motivation and efforts, but also through increasing and improving the feedback quality.

Limitations of Goal Setting Theory

• At times, the organizational goals are in conflict with the managerial goals. Goal conflict has a detrimental effect on the performance if it motivates incompatible action drift.
• Very difficult and complex goals stimulate riskier behaviour.
• If the employee lacks skills and competencies to perform actions essential for goal, then the goal-setting can fail and lead to undermining of performance.
• There is no evidence to prove that goal-setting improves job satisfaction.

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Goal-setting theory refers to the effects of setting goals on subsequent performance. Researcher Edwin Locke found that individuals who set specific, difficult goals performed better than those who set general, easy goals. Locke proposed five basic principles of goal-setting: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback, and task complexity.

Huh? What does that mean?

One of the most effective ways to stay motivated is to set goals for yourself. However, the type and quality of goals you set affects how well they will work.

Imagine you are 30 pounds overweight and want to drop some extra weight. When setting your goal, you have several options. You could say, “I want to lose weight within the next year. I will go on a diet to lose the weight.” This goal is pretty vague and poorly defined; you haven’t specified how much weight you want to lose or what concrete steps you will take to lose it.

Alternatively, you could say, “I want to lose two pounds a week for the next four months. I will exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days per week. I will also change my diet to include three servings of fruits and vegetables as well as whole-grain products. I will also limit myself to eating out just one day per week.” This goal is much more specific and includes actionable steps.

The simple act of setting an effective goal gives you a better chance of realizing that goal. In fact, listed below are several principles crucial to setting effective goals.

Effective goal-setting principles:

1. Clarity. A clear, measurable goal is more achievable than one that is poorly defined. In other words, be specific! The most effective goals have a specific timeline for completion.
2. Challenge. The goal must have a decent level of difficulty in order to motivate you to strive toward the goal.
3. Commitment. Put deliberate effort into meeting this goal. Share your goal with someone else in order to increase your accountability to meet that goal.
4. Feedback. Set up a method to receive information on your progress toward a goal. If losing 30 pounds in four months turns out to be too hard, it is better to adjust the difficulty of your goal mid-way through the timeline than to give up entirely.
5. Task complexity. If a goal is especially complex, make sure you give yourself enough time to overcome the learning curve involved in completing the task. In other words, if a goal is really tough, make sure you give yourself some padding to give you the best chance at succeeding.

How do I use this in my life?

Setting a goal is a great way to encourage achievement and stay motivated. However, many of us set goals that are ineffective at pushing us to do our best. When you are helping your youthling with a project or trying to improve an aspect of your daily life, think carefully about the goals you set. Ensure that each goal accounts for some or all of the principles above: clarity, challenge, commitment, and feedback.

Work with your youthling to set goals that are appropriate and achievable given her abilities. Begin by letting her set her own goal. Perhaps she wants to get 100% on her next math test. This goal meets the criteria of being clear, challenging, and is something she has committed to. Talk together about whether that is an attainable goal. If she routinely gets C’s on math assignments, achieving a perfect score might be a poor goal. Next, set a clear action plan for achieving the goal. Consider the complexity of the task and how much time will be needed to be successful.

In the end, her goal might read something like this: “I want to get 100% on my next math test. I will perform 5 algebra problems every night for the next two weeks. My mom will give me feedback on whether I am getting the problems correct and how to fix my mistakes.” This clear, achievable goal provides motivation and a specific plan for receiving feedback. Even if she does not reach 100% on her test, goal-setting theory states that she will perform much better than had she made a non-specific, easy goal.

Latham, G. P., Winters, D., & Locke, E. (1994). Cognitive and motivational effects of participation: A mediator study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 49–63.

Locke, L. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717.