Towards a Practice Theory of Goal-setting

Empirical studies of the goal setting practices of healthcare organisations in developing countries are extremely rare. This book reports a qualitative case study research that explored the goal-setting practice of an organisation responsible for six leprosy projects in North-west and North-central Nigeria. It thematically analysed responses from 10 leprosy managers about their knowledge experience and perspectives of the organisational goal setting practice and reviewed 25 goal statements documented in their project plans. One general goal setting framework was constructed from 11 initial theoretical frameworks related to the three final themes of goal-setting stakeholders strategy and statements. The concepts revealed a goal-setting process with four main stages of nationalised preparation field-based beneficiary-needs survey centralised goal formulation and a top-down project planning. This meant that project goals were formulated and project plans designed at the centre of the organisation with the exclusion of the peripheral project stakeholders who were ultimately responsible for the implementation of the projects.