Edwin Locke's goal setting theory

For years, the psychology of organizations has tried to explain concepts such as worker motivation or its performance. Here we will know a theory that tries to explain what the achievement of a goal in the field of work depends on: Edwin Locke's goal setting theory.

This theory affirms that the intention to achieve a goal is a basic source of motivation at work. This theory is considered one of the most important about the management of human resources. Let's get to know it in detail.

• Related article: "Types of motivation: the 8 motivational sources"

Edwin Locke's goal setting theory: general characteristics

Edwin Locke is an American psychologist who developed goal setting theory in 1968. His goal was explain human actions in specific work situations.

According to Locke, the motivation of the individual to achieve the goals that are proposed will be determined by the goals themselves or by the simple fact of having proposed them.

Setting goals and objectives

Edwin Locke defines a goal as what a person strives to achieve.

Goals are important for human beings since they motivate and guide their actions.. Thus, according to Locke's theory, the intention to achieve goals is a basic source of motivation for the human being.

Goals also encourage us to give the best of ourselves, to have an illusion or aspiration and to improve our performance. According to Edwin Locke's goal setting theory, people they seek and create their own goals through the appropriate previous decisions. Once goals are set, people commit to achieving them.

For Locke, the best goal will be the one that is posed as an accessible, realistic and possible challenge.

Self-efficacy

According to E. Locke self-efficacy is the person's belief that they are capable of performing a certain task, or therefore, reaching a certain goal. The higher self-efficacy, increased confidence in abilities that will make it possible to achieve this goal.

Goal setting, by focusing on behavior, involves developing the person's motivation. Motivation will increase if the person shows self-efficacy, that is, if he thinks that his behavior will lead him to achieve the goal he has set for himself. So, there will be a feedback between behavior, goal and success.

• You may be interested in: "Albert Bandura's Self-efficacy: do you believe in yourself?"

Its application to Human Resources

Edwin Locke's goal setting theory focused on the field of Human Resources, that is, the worker and organizations. Thus, according to the theory, goals tell employees what needs to be done or developed and how much effort will need to be invested. Locke related the satisfaction of the workers of any organization with the achievement of objectives.

The first step to start developing motivation towards a goal is to show predisposition or intention to achieve it. The goal It must be presented to the worker as a challenge or challenge, and it will require some effort on your part. Motivation will favor the success of the task by increasing the probability that the worker will make an effort to achieve it.

What should the goals or objectives be?

Edwin Locke's goal setting theory posits the need for goals to be clear and achievable in order to stay motivated. According to Locke, the conditions of the goals are that:

• They should range from simple to complex, and be achieved gradually.
• They must be clear and state the level of performance they require, as well as the reward they provide.
• They must consider the individual differences of people.

In addition, the objectives or goals that are set for the workers must be interesting enough to spark your motivation and mobilization to achieve them. For this reason, organizations should encourage said interest and propose attractive tasks for the worker.

If the objectives are very general (not very specific), ambiguous or abstract, the probability of motivating the worker to achieve them will decrease drastically. In this way, establishing specific objectives that are consistent with the organization's capacity increases the level of execution of the workers if we compare it with situations where the objectives have been defined vaguely.

Thus, the more specific an objective is, the more effective it will be in motivating the performance of appropriate behavior. We can relate this to the participation of workers in the company, since it will improve the efficiency and performance of the worker and, by extension, of the company.

Goal Functions

Goals, according to Edwin Locke's goal setting theory, have several functions:

• They help to focus action and attention to the task.
• They mobilize the energy, resources and effort of the individual.
• They increase persistence and perseverance.
• Help to strategize.

Conditions

Goal setting will be easier if a number of conditions are met:

• Clarity.
• Commitment.
• Task complexity.
• feedback.

Disadvantages of this approach

The disadvantages of setting goals are the following:

• They require time.
• The theory is based on rewards in order to keep workers motivated.
• They require effort.

Bibliographic references:

• Locke, E. (1968). Theory of setting goals or objectives. USA
• Diaz-Ocejo, J. and Mora-Meri, J.A. (2013). Review of some relevant variables in the establishment of sports goals. Annals of Psychology, 29(1), 233-242.