Management by Objectives (MBO) is a process where superiors and subordinates jointly identify goals and define responsibilities. Individuals' performance is then assessed based on these agreed upon objectives. MBO focuses on goals and results, and assumes people perform better when they understand expectations. It also encourages participation, effectiveness, and competition through rewards for achieving objectives. Key characteristics include participative goal setting, defining individual responsibilities in terms of results, focusing on goals over methods, and using objectives as operating guides and evaluation standards.