Do Shared Goals Really Make a Difference?

The study of organizations has been dominated since its inception by the conceptualization of organizations as goal-attaining entities. However, the degree to which goals are consensually shared and the manner in which organizational goals are communicated remain largely unexplored. Moreover, the relationship between shared goals and organizational outcomes remains unclear. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, this study examined the relationship between shared goals and the manner in which members learn the organization's goals. Second, the relationship between shared goals and organizational outcomes was examined. The study results suggest that the degree to which goals are shared is independent of any single method of communicating goals. Additionally, although perceptions of shared goals were found to be significantly related to important organizational outcome, the extent to which organization members can articulate the shared goals was not significantly related to the organizational outcomes examined in this study.