ABSTRACT

The goal concept occupies an ambiguous position in organization analysis, in that it is both a central point of analysis and an ill-defined concept. For example, Gross (1969, p. 277) suggests that, The central concept in the study of organizations is that of the organizational goal. One might even claim that the notion of a goal is coincidental with that of an organization.’ On the other hand, Georgiou (1973, p. 291) comments that ‘organization theorists have faced many difficulties in conceptualizing organizational goals and understanding organizational behaviour through them’.