We investigate the organizational pursuit of seemingly impossible goals--commonly known as stretch goals. Building from our analysis of the mechanisms through which stretch goals could influence organizational learning and performance, we offer a contingency framework evaluating which organizations are positioned to benefit from such extreme goals, and which are most likely to pursue them. We c…
This commentary addresses the functional properties of perceived self-efficacy in the context of a set of studies contending that belief in one?s capabilities has debilitating or null effects. It encompasses four theoretical orientations. These include social cognitive theory rooted in an agentic perspective, control theory grounded in a cybernetic model, and trait self-efficacy theory and Big …
Goals or aspirations and their relationships to risk taking and performance are important issues in both psychology and strategic management. The concept of adaptive aspirations, as discussed in Cyert and March's Behavioral Theory of the Firm, has long been a topic of interest in both fields. Moreover, many studies in strategy have focused on risk and/or extreme performance. In the current pape…
This article examines the relevance and viability of pursuing empirical research on subconscious goals and applying the findings in the workplace. Five topics are addressed: First, reasons why management scholars have eschewed the study of the subconscious are given. Second, a brief overview of social psychology experiments on subconscious goals is provided. Critical issues that have yet to be …
The aim of this study was to investigate which leadership behaviors mediate the relationship between leader expectations and employee engagement in learning activities. Based on Rosenthal's Pygmalion model, five potential mediators of the Pygmalion effect were distinguished: leader-member exchange relationship, goal setting ( i.e. goal specificity, goal difficulty), providing learning opportuni…
Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky, and Bazerman (2009a, 2009b) drew upon three sources of information to buttress their conclusion that goal setting should be used in organizations with extreme caution: laboratory experiments, stories in the news media about prescription drugs that have negative side effects, and organizations that have not performed effectively. In this paper we examine these thre…
In this article, we define good scholarship, highlight our points of disagreement with Locke and Latham (2009), and call for further academic research to examine the full range of goal setting's effects. We reiterate out original claim that goal setting, like a potent medication, can produce both beneficial effects and systematic, negative outcomes (Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky, & Bazerman, 20…
We developed and tested a cross-level model of individual creativity, integrating goal orientation theory and team learning research. Using hierarchical linear modeling, we found cross-level interactions between individuals' goal orientation and team learning behavior in a cross-national sample of 25 R&D teams comprising 198 employees. We hypothesized and found a nonlinear interaction between i…
According to the behavioral theory of the firm, managers pay sequential attention to goals and apply aspiration levels to each goal. Although many goals have been proposed for organizations, research has so far concentrated on profitability. Here it is proposed that managers form an aspiration level for size through social comparison. This proposal leads to predictions on how performance and si…
Goals play an essential role in the purposive behavior of consumers, but scholars only recently have begun to examine the motivation for goals, their selection and modification, and their pursuit and attainment. A study is presented that seeks to outline a conceptual framework for thinking about how goals emerge, influence decision making, and guide consumer choice and action. The study also wa…
The Aim of this study is to give empirical evidence abaout the impact of the implementation of goal setting theory andagency theory on the performance of local governmental units in the special region of Yogyakarta Province. The samples were the SKPD's chairmen or chairwomen who lead the govermental services at the province level (D I Yogyakarta) and the regency level (Kota Yogyakarta, Kabupate…