The role of Feedback and Goals in Learning

In my Degree's Final Project, I have analysed the role of Feedback and Goal Setting in Learning. I strongly believe that when employees engage in a Learning and Development process, goal setting and feedback are essential to reach the desired outcome.

In my opinion, if employees do not self-set work-related goals to strive for, they will not be likely to develop into the organization. According to Goal Setting Theory (Locke and Latham, 1990, 2013), in order for goals to affect performance, several factors are needed:

• Direction: When we have a goal, we direct attention toward goal-relevant actions.
• Effort: We strive to reach our goals.
• Persistence: It is effort maintained over time. We are likely to maintain our effort until we achieve our objective.
• Task strategies: We use known strategies or develop new strategies to attain our desired outcome.
• Commitment: We are not likely to reach our goal if we do not commit to it.
• Self- efficacy: It is our belief in our ability to achieve our targets.
• Feedback: It is the knowledge of results that allows us to track our progress in a goal.When feedback is present, goals are more likely to affect performance.
• Situational Constraints: If we do not give employees the resources they need to perform well at a task, they will hardly do so.
• Task Complexity: A goal must be difficult enough to triger our motivation, but easy enough to be reached. A goal must be challenging and must be in accordance to our ability.

I agree with Locke and Latham in that all these mechanisms must be present in order for goals to affect performance. I think that one of the most important issues in developing employees and increasing their performance is feedback. In the absence of goals, feedback can make them arise, by making employees get involved and feel identified with the organization. Giving feedback allows employees to track their progress and to improve in their weak areas.