While performance goals can significantly increase the effectiveness of individuals and organizations, most organizations “have no idea” how to manage performance goals or determine the right type of goal for a given situation or employee (Seijts & Latham, 2005, p. 124). As a result, many organizations attempt to motivate employees toward increasingly higher productivity by establishing challenging performance goals. However, with challenging goals, leadership fails to provide employees with the guidance, means, or authority to achieve the goals. This leads to distress, underperformance, and unethical behavior (Schweitzer, Ordóñez, & Douma, 2004). Seijts and Latham argued that assigning goals without providing employees with the means to succeed is “both foolish and immoral.”
Learning versus performance goals
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- Written by Brent A Duncan, PhD
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