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Goal Specification

Definition

"Identification and prioritization of goals and subgoals for mission accomplishment." (Marks et al., 2001, p. 364)

Key References

  • Sawyer, J. E. (1992). Goal and process clarity: Specification of multiple constructs of role ambiguity and a structural equation model of their antecedents and consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(2), 130–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.77.2.130
    • Introduces measures of process & goal clarity, analyzed path model using the measures connect autonomy, feedback (agent & task) and recognition to turnover through clarity (process & goal), satisfaction, and search behavior.
  • Sonnentag, S., & Volmer, J. (2010). What You Do for Your Team Comes Back to You: A Cross-Level Investigation of Individual Goal Specification, Team-Goal Clarity, and Individual Performance. Human Performance, 23(2), 116–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959281003622164
    • Longitudinal study of software design teams, goal specification predicted individual performance overtime when goal clarity is low, this relationship was not observed when goal clarity was high.
  • Mathieu, J. E., Luciano, M. M., D’Innocenzo, L., Klock, E. A., & LePine, J. A. (2020). The Development and Construct Validity of a Team Processes Survey Measure. Organizational Research Methods, 23(3), 399-431. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428119840801

Key Measurements

  • Sawyer 1992: survey, measure of individual goal clarity, 5 items, alpha = .87, 7-item Likert scale, items listed in original article
  • Sonnentag & Volmer 2009: survey, four items (items listed in Sonnentag & Volmer 2010), 5-point Likert scale, alpha = .81
  • Mathieu 2020: Team Process Scale: Goal Specification  30 & 50 item version validated in lab and field setting (alphas = .88-.97), 5 point Likert scale

Recent Articles

  • Seeber, I., de Vreede, G.-J., Maier, R., & Weber, B. (2017). Beyond brainstorming: Exploring convergence in teams. Journal of Management Information Systems, 34(4), 939–969. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2017.1393303
    • Used experimental methods to explore attention guidance and discussion encouragement as interventions in convergence activity. Found that both are correlated with higher convergence quality. Argues that attention guidance supports goal specification, which in turn promotes higher convergence quality.
  • McEwan, D., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2014). Teamwork in sport: A theoretical and integrative review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 229–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2014.932423
    • Reviewed literature of organizational psychology on team effectiveness in sports. Presented a multidimensional conceptual framework of teamwork in sport and discuss and a working definition of teamwork in sports and discussed how it sits in a broader model of team effectiveness.
  • Goh, K. T., Goodman, P. S., & Weingart, L. R. (2013). Team Innovation Processes. Small Group Research, 44(2), 159–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496413483326
    • Identified experimentation and validation cycles as distinct planning cycles in creative projects. Used these findings to test propositions about the relationship of planning and quality team outcomes.