A clarification of the goal setting and appraisal processes in MBO.

Under the guise of Management by Objectives, "goal setting" and "performance appraisal" have assumed many different shapes and purposes. To clarify the concept of MBO, this review examines the writings of leading MBO experts, extracts those elements common to their respective definitions of goal setting and performance appraisal, and joins them into a single definition of MBO.