The DOI matches its Crossref record; 129 of the 131 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey.
Abstract
The authors summarize 35 years of empirical research on goal-setting theory, describing the core findings of the theory, the mechanisms by which goals operate, moderators of goal effects, the relation of goals and satisfaction, and the role of goals as mediators of incentives.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“These mutual goals direct attention and effort, serve an energizing function, contribute to persistence, and spark action indirectly by leading to interests, discoveries, and use of knowledge, strategies, and skills (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
From The Principles of Strengths-Based Education (2009) · cites this paper as Locke & Latham, 2002
In the citing paper
“Unrealistic expectations surrounding weight changes can lead to discouragement [67].”
From Barriers and facilitators to diet, physical activity and lifestyle behavior intervention adherence: a qualitative systematic review of the literature (2023) · cites this paper as [67]
In the citing paper
“Locke and Latham (2002) argue that learning goals are especially important for driving self-regulated attention and motivation.”
From Summarise, elaborate, try again: exploring the effect of feedback literacy on AI-enhanced essay writing (2026) · cites this paper as Locke and Latham (2002)
In the citing paper
“goal setting is generally acknowledged as an essential treatment intervention for procrastination because insufficient or inadequate goals often impair problem solving and lower motivation (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
From Understanding and Treating Procrastination: A Review of a Common Self-Regulatory Failure (2014) · cites this paper as Locke & Latham, 2002
In the citing paper
“goal setting is generally acknowledged as an essential treatment intervention for procrastination because insufficient or inadequate goals often impair problem solving and lower motivation (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
From Understanding and Treating Procrastination: A Review of a Common Self-Regulatory Failure (2014) · cites this paper as Locke & Latham, 2002
7 more claims about this paper
Create a free account to see every claim other papers make about this one.
Citations
Cites
Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk
Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979) · Econometrica · doi:10.2307/1914185 · Cited by 48,524
Self-efficacy: The exercise of control
Bandura, A., Freeman, W. H., & Lightsey, R. (1999) · Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1891/0889-8391.13.2.158 · Cited by 46,835
(1975) · PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) · Cited by 36,737
Self-efficacy: the exercise of control
(1997) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.35-1826 · Cited by 24,281
Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations
Longshore, J. M., & Bass, B. M. (1987) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258081 · Cited by 12,412
Research in Organizational Behavior.
Grimes, A. J., Cummings, L. L., & Staw, B. M. (1986) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2392975 · Cited by 10,899
A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality.
Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.95.2.256 · Cited by 9,745
Motivational processes affecting learning.
Dweck, C. S. (1986) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.41.10.1040 · Cited by 6,971
Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology
(1993) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.30-5278 · Cited by 5,483
A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance
Tosi, H. L., Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1991) · The Academy of Management Review · doi:10.2307/258875 · Cited by 4,839
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Atkinson, 1958, Towards experimental analysis of human motivation in terms of motives, expectancies and incentives., 288
- Bandura, 1986, Social foundations of thought and action: A social-cognitive theory.
- Howard, 1988, Managerial lives in transition.
- Kanfer, 1970, Self-regulation: Research, issues and speculation., 178
- Locke, 1997, The motivation to work: What we know., Vol. 10, 375
- Locke, 1997, Participation in decision-making: An information exchange perspective., Vol. 15, XXX
- Ryan, 1970, Intentional behavior.
- Vroom, 1964, The motivation to work.
- Wood, 1990, Goal setting and strategy effects on complex tasks., Vol. 12, 73
Cited by
Items 201–300 of 6,066
Goal Setting and Action Planning for Health Behavior Change
Bailey, R. R. (2017) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/1559827617729634 · Cited by 282
Loock, C.-M., Staake, T., & Thiesse, F. (2013) · MIS Quarterly · doi:10.25300/misq/2013/37.4.15 · Cited by 254
“However, the impact of defaults may be small if the recommended goal is not perceived as “one’s own goal” (Locke and Latham 2002, p. 708).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSocial Support in the Workplace and Training Transfer: A longitudinal analysis
Chiaburu, D. S., van Dam, K., & Hutchins, H. M. (2010) · International Journal of Selection and Assessment · doi:10.1111/j.1468-2389.2010.00500.x · Cited by 275
“These include cognitive rehearsal and elaboration (Schmidt & Ford, 2003), goalsetting (Brown, 2005; Locke & Latham, 2002), and other self-management techniques (such as relapse prevention; Burke & Baldwin, 1999) that help trainees consider how they can generalize and apply their training knowledge…”
Groening, C., & Binnewies, C. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.02.026 · Cited by 249
Career commitment and career success: moderating role of self‐efficacy
Ballout, H. I. (2009) · Career Development International · doi:10.1108/13620430911005708 · Cited by 278
Management’s Science–Practice Gap: A Grand Challenge for All Stakeholders
Banks, G. C., Pollack, J. M., Bochantin, J. E., Kirkman, B. L., Whelpley, C. E., & O’Boyle, E. H. (2016) · Academy of Management Journal · doi:10.5465/amj.2015.0728 · Cited by 256
“Grand challenges are ambitious but achievable objectives, and as powerful goals, grand challenges energize, direct attention, and facilitate arousal and discovery of new strategies and knowledge (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundGamification in Action: Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Medical Educators
Rutledge, C., Walsh, C. M., Swinger, N., Auerbach, M. A., Castro, D., Dewan, M. L., Khattab, M. G., Rake, A. J., Harwayne‐Gidansky, I., Raymond, T. T., et al. (2018) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000002183 · Cited by 298
Understanding and Treating Procrastination: A Review of a Common Self-Regulatory Failure
Rozental, A., & Carlbring, P. (2014) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2014.513160 · Cited by 251
“In addition, goal setting is generally acknowledged as an essential treatment intervention for procrastination because insufficient or inadequate goals often impair problem solving and lower motivation (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundProcrastination and self-efficacy: tracing vicious and virtuous circles in self-regulated learning.
Wäschle, K., Allgaier, A., Lachner, A., Fink, S., & Nückles, M. (2014) · Learning and Instruction · doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.09.005 · Cited by 252
“There is considerable evidence that learning goals guide learners’ selection of cognitive strategies and their self-reflection on goal achievement (Locke & Latham, 2002; Schunk, 2001; Winne & Hadwin, 1998).”
BackgroundBattilana, J., Obłój, T., Pache, A.-C., & Sengul, M. (2020) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2019.0386 · Cited by 284
Platemate: crowdsourcing nutritional analysis from food photographs
Noronha, J., Hysen, E., Zhang, H., & Gajos, K. Z. (2011) · ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) · doi:10.1145/2047196.2047198 · Cited by 247
“For people who make a commitment to changing their eating habits, accurate logs of what they eat may help in monitoring progress toward set goals [11].”
BackgroundDo Incentive Hierarchies Induce User Effort? Evidence from an Online Knowledge Exchange
Goes, P. B., Guo, C., & Lin, M. (2016) · Information Systems Research · doi:10.1287/isre.2016.0635 · Cited by 251
“For example, Locke’s goal-setting theory (1967, 1968) suggested that individuals achieve higher performance in the presence of goals (for a review, see Locke and Latham 2002).”
Feasibility and Effectiveness of Using Wearable Activity Trackers in Youth: A Systematic Review
Ridgers, N. D., McNarry, M. A., & Mackintosh, K. A. (2016) · JMIR mhealth and uhealth · doi:10.2196/mhealth.6540 · Cited by 264
“While research has shown that assigned goals are as effective as self-set goals, provided the reason for the goal is given [34], it is unclear whether the included studies provided this information to participants.”
The Influence of CEO Power on Compensation Contract Design
Abernethy, M. A., Kuang, Y. F., & Qin, B. (2015) · The Accounting Review · doi:10.2308/accr-50971 · Cited by 233
Grover, S., & Furnham, A. F. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159137 · Cited by 312
“Additionally, countless research has also shown the setting of specific goals of certain levels of difficulty have been linked to increased productivity, performance and even organisational profitability [85].”
BackgroundPrioritization of key performance indicators
Shahin, A., & Mahbod, M. A. (2007) · International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management · doi:10.1108/17410400710731437 · Cited by 272
“International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Vol. 56 No. 3, 2007 pp. 226-240 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1741-0401 DOI 10.1108/17410400710731437 Goal setting and feedback have been proven to improve productivity (Locke and Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundInfluentialMindfulness and acceptance approaches to sporting performance enhancement: a systematic review.
Noetel, M., Ciarrochi, J., Van Zanden, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2019) · International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1750984x.2017.1387803 · Cited by 282
Levack, W., Weatherall, M., Hay-Smith, J. E., Dean, S. G., McPherson, K. M., & Siegert, R. J. (2015) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd009727.pub2 · Cited by 242
Hopp, C., & Stephan, U. (2012) · Entrepreneurship and Regional Development · doi:10.1080/08985626.2012.742326 · Cited by 262
“In particular, the more individuals feel committed to goals, as would be the case for nascent entrepreneurs with high start-up motivation, the more successful are they at achieving them (Locke and Latham, 2002, 2004).”
BackgroundThe liberating role of conflict in group creativity: A study in two countries
Nemeth, C. J., Personnaz, B., Personnaz, M., & Goncalo, J. A. (2004) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.210 · Cited by 252
“The goal setting literature ( Locke & Latham, 1990, 2002 ), for example, finds that clear and precise goals are more effective than a generalized instruction of ‘do your best.’ However, specific goals or guidance can hinder as well as aid performance, depending on the value and accuracy of the advice (Nemeth, Mosier,…”
BackgroundMicrofoundations for Strategy: A Goal-Framing Perspective on the Drivers of Value Creation
Foss, N. J., & Lindenberg, S. M. (2013) · Academy of Management Perspectives · doi:10.5465/amp.2012.0103 · Cited by 280
“Literatures on human resource management (e.g., Rousseau & Wade-Benzoni, 1994) and goal- 25 setting (e.g., Locke & Latham, 2002) often address the strategic importance of employee motivation, but they do not focus on joint production motivation but rather on the dyadic link of the individual to the…”
BackgroundThe Principles of Strengths-Based Education
Lopez, S. J., & Louis, M. C. (2009) · Journal of College and Character · doi:10.2202/1940-1639.1041 · Cited by 279
Chirkov, V., Vansteenkiste, M., Tao, R., & Lynch, M. F. (2006) · International Journal of Intercultural Relations · doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2006.03.002 · Cited by 273
“Both cognitive-based motivation theories that focus on the concept of goals (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Gollwitzer & Bargh, 1996; Locke & Latham, 2002; Pervin, 1989) and more experiential theories that are build around the concept of human needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Doyal & Gough, 1991; Ramsay, 1992)…”
BackgroundJudging a business by its cover: An institutional perspective on new ventures and the business plan
Karlsson, T., & Honig, B. (2008) · Journal of Business Venturing · doi:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2007.10.003 · Cited by 249
“However, when goals are perceived as difficult and unspecific–as in the case of planning how best to run an emerging business for the next five years–long-term goal-setting may become detrimental to the business (Locke and Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundTranslating what we have learned into practice
Glasgow, R. E., Goldstein, M. G., Ockene, J. K., & Pronk, N. P. (2004) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004.04.019 · Cited by 239
Deslippe, A. L., Soanes, A., Bouchaud, C. C., Beckenstein, H., Slim, M., Plourde, H., & Cohen, T. R. (2023) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-023-01424-2 · Cited by 241
“Unrealistic expectations surrounding weight changes can lead to discouragement [67].”
BackgroundDigital Behaviour Change Interventions to Break and Form Habits
Pinder, C., Vermeulen, J., Cowan, B. R., & Beale, R. (2018) · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction · doi:10.1145/3196830 · Cited by 235
Miller, M., & Hadwin, A. F. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.050 · Cited by 260
Supplier development for sustainability: contextual barriers in global supply chains
Busse, C., Schleper, M. C., Niu, M., & Wagner, S. M. (2016) · International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management · doi:10.1108/ijpdlm-12-2015-0300 · Cited by 258
“GST revolves around “the relationship between conscious performance goals and level of task performance” (Locke and Latham, 2002, p. 705).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-efficacy and resource allocation: Support for a nonmonotonic, discontinuous model.
Vancouver, J. B., More, K. M., & Yoder, R. J. (2008) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.93.1.35 · Cited by 234
Patient centered goal-setting in a subacute rehabilitation setting
Leach, E., Cornwell, P., Fleming, J., & Haines, T. (2010) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.3109/09638280903036605 · Cited by 231
“Patient centeredness has not only become an important underlying principle for the delivery of health and rehabilitation services [3,12], it has also become an important aspect of the goal-setting process [17].”
BackgroundLongitudinal modelling of academic buoyancy and motivation: Do the 5Cs hold up over time?
Martin, A. J., Colmar, S., Davey, L. A., & Marsh, H. W. (2010) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1348/000709910x486376 · Cited by 275
Learning from successful and failed experience: The moderating role of kind of after-event review.
Ellis, S., Mendel, R., & Nir, M. (2006) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.91.3.669 · Cited by 229
Berger, J. A., & Pope, D. G. (2011) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.1110.1328 · Cited by 224
Boosting and sustaining passion: A long-term perspective on the effects of entrepreneurship training
Gielnik, M. M., Uy, M. A., Funken, R., & Bischoff, K. M. (2017) · Journal of Business Venturing · doi:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.02.003 · Cited by 254
“An A Is An A”: The New Bottom Line For Valuing Academic Research
Aguinis, H., Cummings, C., Ramani, R. S., & Cummings, T. G. (2019) · Academy of Management Perspectives · doi:10.5465/amp.2017.0193 · Cited by 243
Mawritz, M. B., Folger, R., & Latham, G. P. (2014) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.1879 · Cited by 225
“Thus, our findings highlight an important implication regarding the way in which goal-setting theory identifies ability and resources as moderators (Locke & Latham, 1990, 2002).”
Self-citationUpdating goal-setting theory in physical activity promotion: a critical conceptual review
Swann, C., Rosenbaum, S., Lawrence, A., Vella, S. A., McEwan, D., & Panteleimon Ekkekakis, A. (2020) · Health Psychology Review · doi:10.1080/17437199.2019.1706616 · Cited by 271
“In such cases, higher performance can be expected to occur through the mediators of specific, challenging performance goals: a choice to take action; increased effort; persistence; and cuing of existing strategies (Locke & Latham, 2002, 2013).”
BackgroundInfluentialSchultz, P. W., Estrada, M., Schmitt, J., Sokoloski, R., & Silva-Send, N. (2015) · Energy · doi:10.1016/j.energy.2015.06.130 · Cited by 222
Teamwork in sport: a theoretical and integrative review
McEwan, D., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2014) · International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1750984x.2014.932423 · Cited by 229
“Difficult goals challenge team members to go beyond their perceptions of how well they can perform, although this can be somewhat of a balancing act as motivation can decrease for individuals who continually fail to achieve their goals (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundInfluentialInnovation and Attention to Detail in the Quality Improvement Paradigm
Naveh, E., & Erez, M. (2004) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.1040.0272 · Cited by 223
“Consequently, numerous companies have implemented quality improvement (QI) initiatives consisting of management practices intended to provide customers with better quality products and services than those competitors offer (Dean and Bowen 1994).”
BackgroundMorschheuser, B., Hamari, J., & Maedche, A. (2018) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.10.001 · Cited by 257
Aubé, C., & Rousseau, V. (2005) · Group Dynamics Theory Research and Practice · doi:10.1037/1089-2699.9.3.189 · Cited by 274
“The core findings of these studies are that specific and difficult goals lead to higher levels of performance than do easy goals or no goals (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundJensen, U. T., & Bro, L. L. (2017) · The American Review of Public Administration · doi:10.1177/0275074017699470 · Cited by 279
Burgess, E., Hassmén, P., Welvaert, M., & Pumpa, K. L. (2017) · Clinical Obesity · doi:10.1111/cob.12180 · Cited by 214
“A key component of cognitive behavioural therapy, goal setting has been shown to be effective in focusing attention (33) and providing structure to treatment.”
BackgroundWorking in our sleep: Sleep and self-regulation in organizations
Barnes, C. M. (2012) · Organizational Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/2041386612450181 · Cited by 164
“A large literature indicates the power of goals (Austin & Vancouver, 1996; Locke & Latham, 2002; Tubbs, 1986; Wood, Mento, & Locke, 1987).”
BackgroundPearson, E. S. (2011) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2011.07.018 · Cited by 236
Goal-setting considerations for persuasive technologies that encourage physical activity
Consolvo, S., Klasnja, P., McDonald, D. W., & Landay, J. A. (2009) · International Conference on Persuasive Technology · doi:10.1145/1541948.1541960 · Cited by 232
“3.1 Implications for Design When using Goal-Setting Theory to develop persuasive technologies to encourage physical activity, Locke and Latham s [10] findings suggest that the target audience should be individuals who have determined that being physically active is something that is important to them.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-Control in Cyberspace: Applying Dual Systems Theory to a Review of Digital Self-Control Tools
Lyngs, U., Lukoff, K., Slovák, P., Binns, R., Slack, A., Inzlicht, M., Kleek, M. G. V., & Shadbolt, N. (2019) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3290605.3300361 · Cited by 273
“et al. 2018 [97] HabitLab, a Chrome extension in which the user sets time limit goals for specific sites, then tries a range of interventions to reach the goal Numerous, including goal setting theory [106], operant conditioning [16], and selfconsistency theory [169] Mark et al. 2018 [115] Freedom, described above Atte…”
BackgroundDisentangling achievement orientation and goal setting: Effects on self-regulatory processes.
Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Bell, B. S. (2006) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.900 · Cited by 229
“The suggested antidote in these situations is to provide individuals with learning goals, which focus individuals’ attention on discovering strategies and mastering a task rather than performing well (Locke & Latham, 2002; Seijts & Latham, 2005; Seijts et al., 2004).”
BackgroundWorking toward gender diversity and inclusion in medicine: myths and solutions
Kang, S. K., & Kaplan, S. (2019) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)33138-6 · Cited by 231
When Collective- and Self-Efficacy Affect Team Performance: The Role of Task Interdependence
Katz‐Navon, T., & Erez, M. (2005) · Small Group Research · doi:10.1177/1046496405275233 · Cited by 229
“Numerous studies have examined the antecedents and behavioral consequences of self-efficacy in work organizations, particularly with regard to individual tasks (for reviews, see Bandura, 1997; Gist & Mitchell, 1992; Locke & Latham, 2002; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998).”
BackgroundUNDERSTANDING RESPONSES TO MULTI‐SOURCE FEEDBACK: THE ROLE OF CORE SELF‐EVALUATIONS
Bono, J. E., & Colbert, A. E. (2005) · Personnel Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00633.x · Cited by 223
Dik, B. J., Sargent, A. M., & Steger, M. F. (2008) · Journal of Career Development · doi:10.1177/0894845308317934 · Cited by 231
Evidence that user-generated content that produces engagement increases purchase behaviours
Malthouse, E. C., Calder, B. J., Kim, S. J., & Vandenbosch, M. (2016) · Journal of Marketing Management · doi:10.1080/0267257x.2016.1148066 · Cited by 247
“According to goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham, 2002), contributing UGC should lead to a change in participants’ future behaviour, especially in situations in which the UGC creates or activates a particular personal goal.”
MethodTrait Goal Orientation, Self-Regulation, and Performance: A Meta-Analysis
Cellar, D. F., Stuhlmacher, A. F., Young, S. K., Fisher, D. M., Adair, C. K., Haynes, S., Twichell, E., Arnold, K. A., Royer, K. P., Denning, B. L., et al. (2010) · Journal of Business and Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10869-010-9201-6 · Cited by 232
“The concept of self-regulation is important because it explains a wide range of human behavior across a wide variety of contexts (e.g., Locke and Latham 2002; Kanfer 1990).”
BackgroundFaber, J. M., Luyten, H., & Visscher, A. J. (2016) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.12.001 · Cited by 268
“Learning goals are necessary to direct learning activities and to monitor progress towards those goals (Locke & Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundFamily-Centered Care for Children With Cerebral Palsy
King, G. A., & Chiarello, L. A. (2014) · Journal of Child Neurology · doi:10.1177/0883073814533009 · Cited by 210
“A substantial body of research in psychology demonstrates that clear and functional goals enhance motivation and lead to improved outcomes.(30,31) Expanding on the information-sharing principle of familycentered care, another growing area of research is on effective communication between families and providers.”
BackgroundCritical success factors for human resource outcomes in Kaizen events: An empirical study
Farris, J. A., Aken, E. M. V., Doolen, T. L., & Worley, J. M. (2008) · International Journal of Production Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2008.08.051 · Cited by 224
Spruijt‐Metz, D., Hekler, E. B., Saranummi, N., Intille, S. S., Korhonen, I., Nilsen, W., Rivera, D. E., Spring, B. J., Michie, S., Asch, D. A., et al. (2015) · Translational Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s13142-015-0324-1 · Cited by 220
Goal Orientation: A Review of the Miles Traveled and the Miles to Go
Vandewalle, D., Nerstad, C. G. L., & Dysvik, A. (2018) · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062547 · Cited by 238
Negative emotions and their effect on customer complaint behaviour
Tronvoll, B. (2011) · Journal of service management · doi:10.1108/09564231111106947 · Cited by 213
“…of a goal (Campion and Lord 1982), (ii) the importance of the outcome to the customer and whether a belief exists that the goal can be accomplished (Locke and Latham 2002), (iii) the severity of the interruption and the degree of interference with the goal achievement (Dollard, Doob, and Miller…”
BackgroundA theory of work gamification: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something cool?
Cardador, M. T., Northcraft, G. B., & Whicker, J. (2016) · Human Resource Management Review · doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.09.014 · Cited by 239
Gamification as Online Teaching Strategy During COVID-19: A Mini-Review
Nieto-Escámez, F. A., & Roldán-Tapia, L. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648552 · Cited by 257
Performance, incentives, and needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness: A meta-analysis
Cerasoli, C. P., Nicklin, J. M., & Nassrelgrgawi, A. S. (2016) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-016-9578-2 · Cited by 202
Lehto, T., & Oinas-Kukkonen, H. (2011) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.1559 · Cited by 203
van Achterberg, T., Waal, G. H., Ketelaar, N. A. B. M., Oostendorp, R. A. B., Jacobs, J., & Wollersheim, H. C. H. (2010) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daq050 · Cited by 209
“Goal setting for example, requires setting behavioural specific, measurable, observable and challenging yet realistic goals (Locke and Latham, 1990; Strecher et al., 1995; Locke and Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundBehavioral Operations and Supply Chain Management–A Review and Literature Mapping
Fahimnia, B., Pournader, M., Siemsen, E., Bendoly, E., & Wang, C. (2019) · Decision Sciences · doi:10.1111/deci.12369 · Cited by 208
“…foundations and theories adopted in these articles include the use of ‘understanding, focus on improvement, and motivation and goal setting theory’ (Locke & Latham, 2002) to understand how performance management can help achieve organizational goals (de 27 Leeuw & van den Berg, 2011); the use of…”
BackgroundTeam work engagement: A model of emergence
Costa, P., Passos, A., & Bakker, A. B. (2014) · Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1111/joop.12057 · Cited by 243
Twelve Evidence-Based Principles for Implementing Self-Management Support in Primary Care
Battersby, M., Korff, M. V., Schaefer, J. K., Davis, C., Ludman, E. J., Greene, S. M., Parkerton, M., & Wagner, E. H. (2010) · The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety · doi:10.1016/s1553-7250(10)36084-3 · Cited by 210
“provide extensive evidence for what are considered the essential elements of goal setting and task motivation for improved outcomes.(32) A review of interventions in chronic illness showed that collaborative problem definition, followed by setting realistic goals and developing a personalized care plan, led to improve…”
BackgroundPsychological Theory and the Gamification of Learning
Landers, R. N., Bauer, K. N., Callan, R. C., & Armstrong, M. B. (2014) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-10208-5_9 · Cited by 227
Psychology Theory in Management Accounting Research
Birnberg, J. G., Luft, J. L., & Shields, M. D. (2006) · Handbooks of management accounting research · doi:10.1016/s1751-3243(06)01004-2 · Cited by 206
The Depth of History and Explanation as Benefit and Bane for Psychological Control Theories.
Vancouver, J. B. (2005) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.90.1.38 · Cited by 202
Miron‐Spektor, E., & Beenen, G. (2015) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2015.01.001 · Cited by 202
“More general than challenging goals (Locke & Latham, 2002), and more specific than intentions, achievement goals influence how people approach a task and allocate their attention and effort to accomplish desired end states (Elliot & Church, 1997; Elliot & McGregor, 1999; Harackiewicz, Barron,…”
BackgroundAreas of consensus and controversy about goal setting in rehabilitation: a conference report
Playford, E. D., Siegert, R. J., Levack, W., & Freeman, J. A. (2009) · Clinical Rehabilitation · doi:10.1177/0269215509103506 · Cited by 199
Life Crafting as a Way to Find Purpose and Meaning in Life
Schippers, M. C., & Ziegler, N. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02778 · Cited by 237
Rahiem, M. D. H. (2020) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105802 · Cited by 254
“When their performance is evaluated as positive, their performance improves, thus maintaining motivation (Locke & Latham, 2002; Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham, 2005).”
Gustavson, D. E., Miyake, A., Hewitt, J. K., & Friedman, N. P. (2014) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797614526260 · Cited by 198
“Indeed, a recent theory, called temporal-motivation theory (Steel & König, 2006), proposes goal setting (Locke & Latham, 2002) as an important component of procrastination tendencies, but much of the existing research on individual differences in procrastination has focused on specifying…”
BackgroundSchool motivation of boys and girls: Differences of degree, differences of kind, or both?
Martin, A. J. (2004) · Australian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00049530412331283363 · Cited by 201
Brown, S. D., Lent, R. W., Telander, K. J., & Tramayne, S. R. (2010) · Journal of Vocational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.11.009 · Cited by 217
Evidence-Based Management: Concept Cleanup Time?
Briner, R. B., Denyer, D., & Rousseau, D. M. (2009) · Academy of Management Perspectives · doi:10.5465/amp.2009.45590138 · Cited by 574
“For example, one might consider the uses to which the well-established principles of goal setting have been applied (Locke & Latham, 2002) and evaluate the body of evidence (published and unpublished) that bears on the effectiveness of practitioner applications of goal-setting principles.”
MethodWomen and Suicidal Behavior: Paradigm-Shift Lessons from China
Canetto, S. S., & Chen, J. (2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108561716.042 · Cited by 194
Performance appraisals and job satisfaction
Kampkötter, P. (2016) · The International Journal of Human Resource Management · doi:10.1080/09585192.2015.1109538 · Cited by 228
“Research in cognitive psychology shows that measurable and challenging goals help to align individuals’ and companies’ goals leading to higher levels of motivation and, hence, employees’ work effort (see Locke and Latham (2002) for an overview).”
Enriching Goal-Setting Theory with Time: An Integrated Approach
Fried, Y., & Slowik, L. H. (2004) · Academy of Management Review · doi:10.5465/amr.2004.13670973 · Cited by 251
Industrial and Organisation Research on Self‐Regulation: From Constructs to Applications
Vancouver, J. B., & Day, D. V. (2005) · Applied Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2005.00202.x · Cited by 190
Challenge/Skill Balance, Flow, and Performance Anxiety
Fullagar, C. J. A., Knight, P. A., & Sovern, H. S. (2012) · Applied Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1464-0597.2012.00494.x · Cited by 225
Bedwell, W. L., Fiore, S. M., & Eduardo Salas, A. (2013) · Academy of Management Learning and Education · doi:10.5465/amle.2011.0138 · Cited by 188
Direct and Indirect Effects of Passion on Growing Technology Ventures
Drnovšek, M., Cardon, M. S., & Patel, P. C. (2016) · Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal · doi:10.1002/sej.1213 · Cited by 196
Nicholson, N., & Andrews, W. (2005) · Journal of Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1002/job.295 · Cited by 197
Sun, J., & Leithwood, K. (2015) · School Effectiveness and School Improvement · doi:10.1080/09243453.2015.1005106 · Cited by 187
“According to Locke and Latham (2002), “a goal is the object or aim of an action, for example, to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit” (p. 705).”
BackgroundInfluentialThe ABCs of Financial Education: Experimental Evidence on Attitudes, Behavior, and Cognitive Biases
Carpena, F., Cole, S. A., Shapiro, J., & Zia, B. (2017) · Management Science · doi:10.1287/mnsc.2017.2819 · Cited by 218
“Specific goals can provide direction, invoke energy, and affect persistence (Locke and Latham, 2002).”
BackgroundBaron, R. A., Mueller, B. A., & Wolfe, M. T. (2016) · Journal of Business Venturing · doi:10.1016/j.jbusvent.2015.08.002 · Cited by 185
Affective and motivational factors of learning in online mathematics courses
Kim, C., Park, S. W., & Cozart, J. (2012) · British Journal of Educational Technology · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01382.x · Cited by 221
Apps That Motivate: a Taxonomy of App Features Based on Self-Determination Theory
Villalobos-Zúñiga, G., & Cherubini, M. (2020) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2020.102449 · Cited by 211
“(2012); Midden and Ham (2018), habit Purpura et al. (2011); Renfree et al. (2016), water drinking Lally et al.”
InfluentialOyebode, O., Alqahtani, F., & Orji, R. (2020) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2020.3002176 · Cited by 209
“Goal setting – allow users to make commitments by setting goals which, in turn, increases their motivation [80]. iii.”
BackgroundSteinberg, M. P., & Donaldson, M. L. (2016) · Education Finance and Policy · doi:10.1162/edfp_a_00186 · Cited by 201
“Our findings suggest that test-score–based measures of teacher performance play a limited role in the evaluation of a typical teacher nationwide and in the largest school districts, with no more than 13 percent of the evaluation rating of a typical teacher nationwide depending on VAMs and/or SGPs.”
BackgroundInfluentialHirschi, A. (2010) · Journal of Vocational Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.02.002 · Cited by 203
“…career development theory (e.g., Creed, Prideaux, & Patton, 2005; Savickas, 1999), as well as general findings on human agency and motivation (Locke & Latham, 2002; Wiese, Freund, & Baltes, 2000), that goals, planning, and self-clarity are core components for successfully mastering life…”
BackgroundOhly, S., & Schmitt, A. (2013) · Journal of Business and Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10869-013-9328-3 · Cited by 196
Goal progress makes one happy, or does it? Longitudinal findings from the work domain
Wiese, B. S., & Freund, A. M. (2005) · Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1348/096317905x26714 · Cited by 186
Stoeber, J., Uphill, M. A., & Hotham, S. (2009) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.31.2.211 · Cited by 190
“A further reason to include goal setting is that, for over 35 years, research on goal setting theory (Locke & Latham, 1990) has accumulated convincing evidence demonstrating that setting specific goals is an important predictor of performance (see Locke & Latham, 2002, for a review).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 2002-09
- Volume
- 57
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 705-717
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W4237356565
- Cited by
- 7,766
- References
- 131
- Citations by year
- 2026: 527 · 2025: 509 · 2024: 464 · 2023: 511 · 2022: 428 · 2021: 456 · 2020: 540 · 2019: 467 · 2018: 460 · 2017: 421 · 2016: 395 · 2015: 408 · 2014: 370 · 2013: 313 · 2012: 333
- FWCI
- 59.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Human Behavior and Motivation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- goal setting, task motivation, motivation theories, goal difficulty, goal specificity, feedback, task difficulty
- MeSH terms
- Goals, Humans, Motivation, Psychological Theory
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
Data sources
Bibliographic data: Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Crossref.
Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
