Professional blog

Managing an organization in today’s world requires more than just the achievement of operating goals and objectives. Organizations must also effectively set and achieve social and environmental goals and objectives, which can prove to be challenging. This essay will discuss three main challenges that organizations face when attempting to do so: the difficulty of establishing and measuring goals and objectives, the complexity of aligning social and environmental goals with operating goals, and the difficulty of balancing short-term and long-term priorities in meeting goals and objectives.

The difficulty in establishing and measuring goals and objectives is a challenge that has been studied by researchers for many years. In a 1991 study conducted by C.R. Snyder, C. Harris, and J.R. Anderson and published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, it was found that measuring success in terms of goals and objectives is complex and difficult due to the varying interpretations of what constitutes success. The authors found that success, particularly in terms of goals and objectives, is often subjective, as individuals may have different ideas about what constitutes success for them. Moreover, the authors argued that even when clear definitions of success are established, the methods used to measure success are often flawed and may not accurately reflect what constitutes success for an individual. This difficulty in defining and measuring success is further complicated by the fact that individual goals and objectives may change over time, making it difficult to accurately measure success over time. The study by Snyder et al. (1991) highlighted the complexity of defining and measuring success in terms of goals and objectives and the challenges that arise from this difficulty.

The complexity of aligning social and environmental goals with operating goals is an issue that has become increasingly important in recent years. According to AK Knight, P Blessner, BA Olson and their colleagues in their 2017 article in the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, organizations must consider both the external and internal influences that shape the way their decisions are made. They argue that these influences are often based on two very different sets of objectives, which can lead to a tension between the different goals. They suggest that the best approach to reconciling these differences is to develop a clear set of goals that are shared by all stakeholders, as well as clear systems for measuring progress towards those goals. This helps to ensure that all stakeholders are working towards the same set of objectives and can help to ensure that the organization is making decisions that are in the best interests of both its social and environmental objectives and its operating objectives. While this is a complex process, it is one that is essential in the modern business world, and one that organizations should take seriously.

The difficulty of balancing short-term and long-term priorities in meeting goals and objectives is a major challenge that organizations must face. As R Hayman (2005) suggests, “post-basic education and training is a major factor in the success of any organization”. This is because education and training are critical in ensuring that employees are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to reach the organization’s goals. However, it is not feasible for organizations to invest their resources solely in long-term goals. Instead, organizations must consider their short-term needs when allocating resources. Balancing these two priorities is difficult as it involves making difficult decisions between immediate results and long-term progress. For example, investing in a new technology to improve efficiency may be a long-term goal, but it may also require significant resources that could be allocated towards other, more pressing matters. Ultimately, organizations must carefully evaluate their needs and consider the implications of their decisions before investing their resources in either short-term or long-term objectives. Thus, in order to achieve success, organizations must learn to effectively balance their short-term and long-term priorities.

Organizations have limited resources and face numerous competing business priorities, and this challenging landscape can make setting and achieving both operating and social and environmental goals and objectives difficult. Executives may find it difficult to strategically integrate the organization’s social and environmental goals into existing public and private sector commitments, as well as addressing any potential financial consequences of achieving these goals. Additionally, there is often a lack of formal criteria and measurements for classifying and monitoring how organizations meet their social and environmental standards, making it hard for organizations to track and achieve these goals. In conclusion, the challenge for organizations to effectively set and achieve both their operating and social and environmental goals and objectives is due in part to the limited resources and competing business priorities, lack of formal criteria for classifying and measuring the goals, and difficulty in integrating with public and private sector commitments.

Work Cited