Management by Objectives (MBO) is a strategic approach where organizational goals are defined by management and conveyed to employees to achieve each objective. The MBO process involves employees setting goals with supervisors and monitoring performance. MBO provides clarity of goals and encourages employee involvement but can be time-consuming and prioritize short-term goals over strategic planning. Strengths include clear goals and performance evaluation, while weaknesses comprise an emphasis on quantity over quality and increased pressure on employees.

1. Define Management By Objectives as a
technique of plan formulation.
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Presented By:
Group B
Sangita Raj Ghatani
Krishna Kumar Yadav
MPH 2nd Semester
Nobel College, Sinamangal

2. Introduction
Management by Objectives (MBO) is a strategic approach to
enhance the performance of an organization. It is a process where the
goals of the organization are defined and conveyed by the management
to the members of the organization with the intention to achieve each
objective.
An important step in the MBO approach is the monitoring and
evaluation of the performance and progress of each employee against
the established objectives. Ideally, if the employees themselves are
involved in setting goals and deciding their course of action, they are
more likely to fulfill their obligations.

3. Definition
Management by objectives is defined as “a process by which
supervisors and subordinate managers jointly identify their common
objectives, set the result that should be achieved by the subordinates,
assess the contribution of each individual.
Management by objectives (MBO) is a strategic approach to
increase company performance by aligning company and team
objectives.
Management by objectives (MBO) is a system of allowing
employees to work with their supervisors in setting performance
objectives in an effort to achieve organizational outcomes.

5. Steps in Management by Objectives Process
1. Define organization goals:
Setting objectives is not only critical to the success of any company, but it
also serves a variety of purposes. It needs to include several different types of
managers in setting goals. The objectives set by the supervisors are provisional,
based on an interpretation and evaluation of what the company can and should
achieve within a specified time.
2. Define employee objectives:
Once the employees are briefed about the general objectives, plan, and the
strategies to follow, the managers can start working with their subordinates on
establishing their personal objectives. This will be a one-on-one discussion where
the subordinates will let the managers know about their targets and which goals they
can accomplish within a specific time and with what resources. They can then share
some tentative thoughts about which goals the organization or department can find
feasible.

6. Contd…
3. Continuous monitoring performance and progress:
Though the management by objectives approach is necessary for increasing
the effectiveness of managers, it is equally essential for monitoring the performance
and progress of each employee in the organization.
4. Performance evaluation:
Within the MBO framework, the performance review is achieved by the
participation of the managers concerned.

7. Contd…
5. Providing feedback:
In the management by objectives approach, the most essential step is the
continuous feedback on the results and objectives, as it enables the employees to
track and make corrections to their actions. The ongoing feedback is complemented
by frequent formal evaluation meetings in which superiors and subordinates may
discuss progress towards objectives, leading to more feedback.
6. Performance appraisal:
Performance reviews are a routine review of the success of employees within
MBO organizations.

8. Strengths of MBO
1.Clarity of Goals: MBO provides clarity in organizational goals and
individual responsibilities. Employees know what is expected of them,
fostering a sense of purpose.
2.Employee Involvement: MBO encourages participation and
involvement of employees in the goal-setting process, promoting a
sense of ownership and commitment.
3.Performance Evaluation: The system allows for a systematic
evaluation of employee performance based on objective criteria,
facilitating fair and transparent assessments.

9. Contd…
4. Increased team productivity: When team members have personal
objectives, they have more clarity about why their work matters. As a result,
their motivation and productivity increases.
5. Improved team communication: The MBO model can improve team
communication and create a more open work environment because team
members understand the objectives of the company and know that their
personal goals align with those objectives.
6. Personalized team member objectives: Because the MBO system
personalizes team member objectives and makes it a priority for team
members to reach their highest potential, everyone in the company
understands how their work makes an impact.

10. Weakness of MBO
1. Prioritization of goal-setting over strategic planning:
Prioritizing personal objectives for team members may come at the expense of
long-term strategic planning. Companies that spend so much time setting goals may
have less time to focus on company culture, operational issues, and other areas of
involvement.
2. Failure to Give Guidelines to Goal setters:
If the goal setters are not given proper guidelines for deciding their
objectives, then MBO will not be a success. The managers who will guide in goal
setting should themselves understand the major policies of the company and the role
to be played by their activity.

11. Contd…
3. Time-consuming:
• Integrating MBO is an investment that requires a concerted commitment to be
beneficial.
• Additional time to define goals and evaluation processes is necessary, requiring
meetings and paperwork that can infringe on daily work.
• Based on quantity rather than quality.
4. Emphasis on Short Term Objectives:
• In most of the MBO programs there is a tendency to set short-term objectives.
• Managers are inclined to set goals for a year or less and their thrust is to give
undue importance to short term goals at the cost of long term goals.

12. Contd…
5. Power imbalance:
Supervisors and employees work together to set goals, but sometimes employees don't
communicate openly with supervisors because the supervisor has more power in the company's structure.
They may not feel comfortable or safe expressing an honest opinion about the goals a supervisor
suggests, which might lead to unrealistic goals for the employee.
6. Competition between team members:
The extrinsic-focused reward system incorporated in MBO may promote competition between team
members, which may get in the way of creating a healthy work environment.
Healthy team dynamics in the workplace should include teamwork and supporting one another to reach
personal and company goals.
7. Increased strain on team members to meet goals:
Because MBO focuses on the individual, team members may feel too much pressure to reach their
goals. This can be a drawback of MBO because team members may become overworked in this type of
work environment, which can lead to low retention and low morale.

13. Conclusion
Management by Objectives (MBO) is an approach adopted by managers to
control their employees by implementing a series of concrete goals that both the
employee and the organization aim to accomplish in the immediate future and work
accordingly to achieve. The MBO approach is implemented to ensure that the
employees get a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, along
with expectations, so that they can understand the relation of their activities to the
overall success of the organization. If the management by objectives strategy is not
adequately set, decided upon, and controlled by organizations, self-centered
workers can be likely to misinterpret results, wrongly portraying the achievement
of short-term, narrow-minded goals.

14. Learning reflection
• Learnt to works as a team.
• Gained knowledge about process of MBO.
• We learned about the benefits and limitations of MBO.

15. References
• asana (ed.) (2022) What is Management by Objective, Available at:
https://asana.com/resources/management-by-objectives (Accessed: 30
November 2023).
• indeed (2021). Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-
advice/career-development/management-by-objectives-advantages-
and-disadvantages (Accessed: 30 November 2023).
• Management by objectives, available at the site
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/managem
ent-by-objectives-mbo/