Why are goals important in the public sector? Exploring the benefits of goal clarity for reducing turnover intention

Abstract

The influences of goal setting or goal properties on turnover intention have received relatively little attention from empirical research in public administration. This analysis connects goal properties, including organization-level goal ambiguity dimensions (target ambiguity, timeline ambiguity, and evaluation ambiguity) and individual-level perceptions of goal specificity and importance with turnover intention. Using a type of hierarchical generalized linear modeling, this study empirically shows the benefits of specifying and clarifying individual and organizational goals in public organizations as well as making public employees perceive their job goals as important. The final section discusses theoretical contributions related to goal setting and goal ambiguity theories and the practical implications regarding human resource management policies. © 2012 © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Inc. All rights reserved.