objective

Gen Mgt, HR

an end toward which effort is directed and on which resources are focused, usually to achieve an organization’s strategy. There is endless discussion on whether objective, goal, target, and aim are the same. In general usage, the terms are often used interchangeably, so it is important that if an organization has a particular meaning for one of these terms, it must define it in its documentation. Sometimes an objective is seen as the desired final end result, while a goal is a smaller step on the road to it. Objective setting is given a practical application in management by objectives.