Skip to main content
View expanded cover

Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics pp 245–254Cite as

Goal Setting: Basic Findings and New Developments at the Team Level

The effects of goal setting on performance have been a major topic of psychological research. The most influential contribution to the field was made by Locke and Latham who developed goal-setting theory (LOCKE & LATHAM 1990, 2006). According to Locke and Latham, goals are conscious intentions of a person referring to desired future end states of action. Goals can have their origin within the acting person or they can be set (more or less participatively) in discussions with other individuals (e.g., supervisors, colleagues). Independent of the origin of goals, goal-setting theory assumes that effects of goals on performance – once they are formed as an intention – mainly depend on two features: the objective difficulty of goals and their specificity.

Keywords

  • Goal Setting
  • Apply Psychology
  • Virtual Team
  • Team Level
  • Group Goal

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-01293-8_19
  • Chapter length: 10 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-642-01293-8
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD   379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Antoni C (2005) Management by objectives – an effective tool for teamwork? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16: 174–184.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Brown SP, Jones E, Leigh TW (2005) The attenuating effect of role overload on relationships linking self-efficacy and goal level to work performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90: 972–979.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • DeShon RP, Kozlowski SWJ, Schmidt AM, Milner KR, Wiechmann D (2004) A multiple-goal, mulitlevel model of feedback effects on the regulation of individual and team performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89: 1035–1056.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam SA, Wegge J, Postmes T (2009) Are we on a learning curve or a treadmill? The benefits of participative group goal setting become apparent as tasks become increasingly challenging over time. European Journal of Social Psychology, 39: 430–446.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hertel G, Konradt U, Orlikowski B (2004) Managing distance by interdependence: Goal setting, task interdependence, and team-based rewards in virtual teams. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 13: 1–28.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hertel G, Geister S, Konradt U (2005) Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15: 69–95.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch JE (2007) Verteilte Führung in virtuellen Teams: Zum Einfluss struktureller, interaktionaler und teambasierter Führungstechniken auf den Teamerfolg. Dissertation an der Universität Kiel Universitätsverlag, Kiel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Judge TA, Ilies R (2002) Relationship of personality to performance motivation: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87: 797–807.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Karau SJ, Markus MJ, Williams KD (2000) On the elusive search for motivation gains in groups: Insights from the collective effort model. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 31: 179–190.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Karau SJ, Williams KD (1993) Social loafing: A meta-analytic review and theoretical integration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65: 681–706.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Klein HJ, Wesson MJ, Hollenbeck JR, Alge BJ (1999) Goal commitment and the goal setting process: Conceptual clarification and empirical synthesis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 64: 885–896.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Konradt U, Hertel G, Schmook R (2003) Quality of management by objectives, task-related stressors and non-task-related stressors as predictors of stress and job satisfaction among teleworkers. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 12: 61–80.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Latham GP, Locke EA (2007) New developments in and directions for goal setting research. European Psychologist, 12: 290–300.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA (2000) Motivation, cognition and action: An analysis of studies on task goals and knowledge. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 49: 408–429.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA, Latham GP (1990) A theory of goal setting and task performance. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA, Latham GP (2002) Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57: 705–717.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Locke EA, Latham GP (2006) New directions in goal setting theory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15: 265–268.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Neubert MJ (1998) The value of feedback and goal setting over goal setting alone and potential moderators of this effect: A meta-analysis. Human Performance, 11: 321–335.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • O'Leary-Kelly AM, Martocchio JJ, Frink DD (1994) A review of the influence of group goals on group performance. Academy of Management Journal, 37: 1285–1301.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce CL, Conger JA (2003) Shared leadership: Reframing the how’s and why’s of leadership. Sage, Thousand Oaks CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearce CL, Manz CC, Sims HP (2008) The roles of vertical and shared leadership in enactment of executive corruption: Implications for research and practice. Leadership Quarterly, 19: 353–359.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce CL, Yoo Y, Alavi M (2004) Leadership, social work and virtual teams: The relative influence of vertical vs. shared leadership in the nonprofit sector. In: Riggio RE, Smith-Orr S (Eds.) Improving Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations. Jossey Bass, San Francisco, 180–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard RD, Jones SD, Roth PL, Stuebing KK, Ekeberg SE (1988) Effects of group feedback, goal setting, and incentives on organizational productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73: 337–358.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard RD, Harell MM, DiazGranados D, Guzmann MJ (2008) The Productivity Measurement and Enhancement System: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93: 540–567.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt KH, Kleinbeck U (2006) Führen mit Zielvereinbarung. Hogrefe, Göttingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegge J (2001) Motivation, information processing and performance: Effects of goal setting on basic cognitive processes. In: Efklides A, Kuhl J, Sorrentino R (Eds.) Trends and prospects in motivation research. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 269–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegge J (2004) Führung von Arbeitsgruppen. Hogrefe, Göttingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegge J, Bipp T, Kleinbeck U (2007) Goal setting via videoconferencing. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 16: 169–194.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wegge J, Haslam SA (2003) Group goal setting, social identity, and self-categorization: Engaging the collective self to enhance group performance and organizational outcomes. In: Haslam SA, van Knippenberg D, Platow MJ, Ellemers N (Eds.) Social identity at work: Developing theory for organizational practice. Taylor and Francis, New York, 43–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wegge J, Haslam SA (2005) Improving work motivation and performance in brainstorming groups: The effects of three group goal setting strategies. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 14: 400–430.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Weldon E, Weingart LR (1993) Group goals and group performance. British Journal of Social Psychology, 32: 307–334.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair for Work and Organizational Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Jürgen Wegge

  2. Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factor, Dortmund, Germany

    Klaus-Helmut Schmidt

  3. Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Julia Hoch

Authors
  1. Jürgen Wegge
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Klaus-Helmut Schmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Julia Hoch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Arbeitswissenschaft, RWTH Aachen, Bergdriesch 27, Aachen, 52062, Germany

    Christopher M. Schlick

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Wegge, J., Schmidt, KH., Hoch, J. (2009). Goal Setting: Basic Findings and New Developments at the Team Level. In: Schlick, C. (eds) Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01293-8_19

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01293-8_19

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-01292-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-01293-8

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)