Planning without goals: a heuristic application of a model

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present, for heuristic purposes, information which suggests that essential organizational behavior is theoretically explainable as a function of “directional” planning, as contrasted with planning from goals and objectives. The article is an outgrowth of a year-long study of the planning, management, and evaluation processes in large urban districts, a study conducted by Urban Education Studies. Data gathered from one city school system particularly, as well as from the other school districts, suggested that explicit, publicly stated goals and objectives were grounded in a set of beliefs and desires for these urban districts. A model of planning without goals, developed by McCaskey, was applied, partially, to the data to assess whether the model explained the observed phenomenon. While more systematic study is required to further test the model, initial impressions suggest that it is viable.