Edwin A. Locke

Edwin A. Locke is a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business whose research helped establish goal-setting theory. Working with Gary P. Latham, he examined how goals affect task motivation and performance.

In their 2002 review of goal-setting research, Locke and Latham explain why specific, challenging goals can be more effective than vague instructions to do one’s best. They also identify conditions that matter, including commitment, feedback, ability and an appropriate approach to the task. Their work addresses motivation and performance; it does not establish that setting measurable goals can substitute for an organization’s strategic choices.