ABSTRACT
Goal-setting theory is rated at the five-star level on validity (Miner 2005, Chapter 10) and is included among the eleven theories that have become institutionalized (Miner 2006b). Its importance rating is a hefty 5.97 based on the assessments provided by seventy-one organizational behavior specialists. A large number of meta-analyses have been reported, almost all yielding support for the formulation of goal-setting theory; this is what might be expected given that Locke and Latham (2004, 389) strongly endorse the “use of the results of existing meta-analyses to integrate valid aspects of extant theories.” Other, less quantitative evaluations are equally supportive of the theory. Although the Locke and Latham (1990) presentation is by far the most prominent in the goal-setting domain, there exist alternatives.
