Management Processes - Setting Smart Goals and Objectives

Management Processes

In relation to a student event

Introduction

This essay will endeavour to use texts books and other relevant sources in relation to the Management Processes paper in conjunction with three business theories to evaluate the performance of those involved in the class assignment and they are; Dr Edwin A. Locke's SMART objectives and goals setting theory, Douglas McGregor's X and Y theories and lastly Gareth Morgan's Organisational Metaphors theory. This assignment was a fundraising venture on the behalf of a non-profit organisation by the name of Youthline. Using these various theories this essay will attempt to explain how effectively or ineffectively, or even if each of these theories was used in conjunction with the various stages of event management from initial team building to the handing over profits and materials used.

Setting SMART Goals & Objectives

There are many steps to take when managing an event whether it happens to be a high class dinner or just a bucket appeal. The first step is to build your team and to make sure that their roles are best suited to their strengths and that each co-worker is able to work together as co-operation is very important when organising anything that requires a team of people to achieve a common objective. This brings us to the next step in planning for an event; objectives and goals.

Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Related (Gray, 2004) each of these is a part of the SMART acronym first coined and produced by one Dr Edwin A. Locke (hereafter referred to as Locke); an American psychologist and researcher. In relation to our own project after the initial team building and role assignments we came to the objective and goal setting phase of event planning. Using Locke's SMART objective and goal setting theory as a reference it was evident that each goal was specific. The foremost of these goals was to raise approximately $200 for Youthline by the 24th of September. The goal itself was specific in that there was a due date and an approximate amount, this allowed for any changes that may occur within the three weeks prior to the due date. Having three week in which to plan and gather information and resources made the objective both Time related and realistic since we had only decided on a bucket appeal. Since this was a team project and the form of fundraising was democratically chosen it was also unanimously agreed upon.

Was She Theory X or Was She Theory Y?

There are many factors that contribute to the success of any given business venture, they can vary from situation to situation and may sometimes reflect the management style of those in charge. Of all those elements there is one key element that does have a rather large impact on all the others, this element or 'core element' is motivation. The success or failure of any venture relies on many things but no organisation or team can obtain or complete any goal or objective, if those involved are not properly or gratifyingly motivated then things may either soar to success or plummet and fall to failure.

Many things can motivate a person; fear, incentives,