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Management Theories

Goal-Setting Theory

Behavioral, Human Relations and Contingency Theories

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Goal-setting theory is a theory of motivation, developed principally by Edwin Locke and later refined with Gary Latham, that holds specific and challenging goals, when accepted by the individual, lead to higher performance than vague or easy goals. Decades of research summarized by Locke and Latham identified core moderators of the goal-performance relationship, including feedback on progress, the individual's commitment to the goal, the goal's difficulty relative to the person's ability, and task complexity. The theory has been widely applied in management practice through goal-setting and performance-management systems that translate its principles into structured target-setting for employees.

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