Question

Compare and contrast emancipation and objectivity as goals for theory. How, specifically, do they differ? How, if at all, might the goals combine to pursue shared aims?

Answer 1

GOAL SETTING THEORY

(Individuals make calculated decisions about their desired goals)

Locke's (1968, 1990) goal-setting theory states that individuals make calculated decisions about their desired goals. Once individuals determine the goals they intend to achieve, these goals and intentions direct and motivate efforts to attain them. Thus, setting goals affects behavior of the individuals and their job-related performance.
Research has demonstrated that participation in goal-setting and acceptance of the goals are critical to commitment to the task/goal Similarly, ,receiving feedback on goal achievement is also critical for motivation. If an employee does not get timely and accurate feedback on performance, it's impossible to know what behaviors to continue in order to achieve similar goals in the future.

One other interesting finding is that goals themselves are not reinforcing. The motivation comes from the dissatisfaction with discrepancies between what was achieved and what was originally hoped for. The discrepancies motivate people to work harder next time.

Goal Specificity. A specific goal identifies the target in quantitative terms. This would enable a person to evaluate his performance and judge as to how he is doing relative to the goal. General goals have little effect on motivation. Specific goals reduce ambiguity and the worker has
very clear ideas as to what is expected of him.

Goal Difficulty. Difficult but not feasible goals provide more challenge than easy goals. Reaching an easy target is not competitive and hence hardly exciting. This is particularly true for high need achievers. Goal commitment is independent of whether the goal is set by the worker
himself or is assigned by superiors, but depends upon expectations of success and degree of success. Commitment would also depend upon previous rewards for goal achievement.

The most important aspect of the Goal setting theory is the acceptance of the goal by the workers. And the best way to have this acceptability is to have the employees set their own goals. A goal that one establishes for himself becomes an integral part of himself. A logical extension of the Goal Setting theory is Management By Objectives By Objective

Management by Objective (MBO)

MBO is a systematic and organized approach that allows management to focus on achievable goals and to attain the best possible results from available resources. It aims to increase organizational performance by aligning goals and subordinate objectives throughout the organization. Ideally, employees get strong input to identify their objectives, timelines for completion,etc. MBO includes ongoing tracking and feedback in the process to
reach objectives.

Core Concepts. According to Drucker managers should "avoid the activity trap", getting so involved in their day to day activities that they forget their main purpose or objective. Instead of just a few top-managers, all managers should:

participate in the strategic planning process, in order to improve the implementability of the plan, and implement a range of performance systems, designed to help the organization stay on the right track.

Managerial Focus. MBO managers focus on the result, not Tne activity. They delegate tasks by "negotiating a contract of goals without their subordinates without dictating a detailed road map for implementation. MBO is about setting yourself objectives and then breaking these down into more specific goals or key results.

Main Principle. The principle behind MBO is to make sure that everybody within the organization has a clear understanding of the aims, or objectives, of that organization, as well as awareness of their Own roles and responsibilities in achieving those aims. The complete
MBO system is to get managers and empowered employees acting to implement and achieve their plans, which automatically achieve those of the organization.

Where to Use MBO. The MBO style is appropriate for knowledge based enterprises when your staff is competent. It is appropriate in situations where you wish to build employees' management and self leadership skills and tap their creativity, tacit knowledge and initiative.
MBO is also used by chief executives of multinational corporations (MNCs)for their country managers abroad.

Setting Objectives. In MBO systems, objectives are written down for each level of the organization, and individuals are given specific aims and targets. "The principle behind this is to ensure that people know what the organization is trying to achieve, what their part of the
organization must do to meet those aims, and how, as individuals, they are expected to help. This presupposes that organization's programs and methods have been fully considered. If they have not, start by constructing team objectives and ask team members to share in the
process."

"The one thing an MBO system should provide is focus,'' says Andy Grove who ardently practiced MBO at Intel. So, have your objectives precise and keep their number small. Most people disobey this rule, try to focus on everything, and end up with no focus at all.
For MBO to be effective, individual managers must understand the specific objectives of their job and how those objectives fit in with the overall company objectives set by the board of directors. "A manager's job should be based on a task to be performed in order to attain the
company's objectives... the manager should be directed and controlled by the objectives of performance rather than by his boss."
The managers of the various units or sub-units, or sections of an organization should know not only the objectives of their unit but should also actively participate in setting these objectives and make responsibility for them.
The review mechanism enables leaders to measure the performance of their managers, especially in the key result areas: marketing; innovation; human organization; financial resources; physical resources; productivity; social responsibility; and profit requirements.
However, in recent years opinion has moved away from the idea of placing managers into a formal, rigid system of objectives. Today, when maximum flexibility is essential, achieving the objective rightly is more important.