Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explores the impact of organizational goal vagueness (OGV) on employee motivation, focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The research investigates how unclear goals influence employee productivity, engagement, and well-being within organizations. The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) approach, analyzing recent studies and theories to synthesize findings on the effects of goal ambiguity. The study examines various empirical and theoretical contributions by reviewing peer-reviewed articles. The findings reveal that goal ambiguity significantly reduces employee motivation by creating confusion and uncertainty about roles and expectations. Both intrinsic motivation (personal satisfaction) and extrinsic motivation (rewards and recognition) are negatively impacted. The research also highlights that goal vagueness undermines employee engagement and increases stress, leading to burnout and decreased productivity. Additionally, clear and well-communicated goals are essential for enhancing motivation, improving performance, and fostering organizational success. The study suggests that organizations must prioritize clear goal-setting and transparent communication to mitigate the adverse effects of goal vagueness. Regular feedback, aligned objectives, and better leadership communication are essential to improve employee motivation and ensure organizational effectiveness. These findings provide practical recommendations for managers aiming to foster a motivated and engaged workforce.
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References
- Akerele, O. O. (2023). The Link between Motivation and Organizational Performance: An Exploration of Factors Influencing Employee Motivation and its Impact on Organizational Success. International Journal of Business Ethics and Governance, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.51325/ijbeg.v6i1.118
- Ali, M., Li, Z., Durrani, D. K., Shah, A. M., & Khuram, W. (2021). Goal clarity as a link between humble leadership and project success: the interactive effects of organizational culture. Baltic Journal of Management, 16(3), 407–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-09-2020-0341
- Ashford, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Reid, E. M. (2018). From surviving to thriving in the gig economy: A research agenda for individuals in the new world of work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, 23–41. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2018.11.001
- Basu, S. (2023). Motivation and Its Impact on Employee Performance. American Journal of Social Development and Entrepreneurship, 2(1), 22–25. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajsde.v2i1.1250
- Bellamkonda, N., Santhanam, N., & Pattusamy, M. (2021). Goal clarity, trust in management and intention to stay: The mediating role of work engagement. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 8(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/2322093720965322
- Cai, J. (2023). Effects of Leadership Styles and Organizational Strategy to Enhance Performance Efficiency. Journal of Enterprise and Business Intelligence, 3(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.53759/5181/JEBI202303002
- Campbell, J. W. (2023). Job Autonomy, Role Ambiguity, and Procedural Justice: A Multi-Conditional Process Model of Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Public Organizations. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 0734371X231214978. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X231214978
- Chun, Y. H., & Rainey, H. G. (2005). Goal Ambiguity and Organizational Performance in U.S. Federal Agencies. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 15(4), 529–557. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mui030
- Danaeefard, H., Ahmadzahi Torshab, A., Mostafazadeh, M., Delkhah, J., & Imanikhah, F. (2022). Organizational goal ambiguity and public service motivation: evidence from Iran. Personnel Review, 51(9), 2103–2128. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2020-0523
- Ellsworth, R. R. (2002). Leading with purpose: The new corporate realities. Stanford University Press.
- Estlund, C. (2003). Working together: How workplace bonds strengthen a diverse democracy. Oxford University Press.
- Gagné, M. (2018). From strategy to action: Transforming organizational goals into organizational behavior. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20, S83–S104. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12159
- Garg, K., Dar, I. A., & Mishra, M. (2018). Job satisfaction and work engagement: A study using private sector bank managers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(1), 58–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422317742987
- Geetha, V. (2024). Corporate Culture and Employee Morale: Understanding. Multidisciplinary Research in Arts, Science & Commerce (Volume-13), 44.
- Harrington, J., & McCaskill, J. (2021). Does goal setting matter? The impact of employee-level and organizational-level goal properties on public employees’ perception of performance appraisal fairness. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 35(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijpsm-02-2021-0042
- Harrington, J., & McCaskill, J. (2022). Does goal setting matter? The impact of employee-level and organizational-level goal properties on public employees’ perception of performance appraisal fairness. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 35(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2021-0042
- Humairah, K. Al, Irawan, A., Ibrahim, M. B. H., Yendra, Y., & Rasyid, A. (2023). Crafting Effective HRM Strategies for Enhancing Organizational Performance and Employee Engagement. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(3 SE-Articles), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i3.183
- Imperatori, B. (2017). Engagement and disengagement at work: Drivers and organizational practices to sustain employee passion and performance. Springer.
- Jumady, E. (2023). The Role of Organizational Culture, Work Environment and Motivation in Improving Employee Performance. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(1 SE-Articles), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i1.40
- Kadous, K., Proell, C. A., Rich, J., & Zhou, Y. (2019). It goes without saying: The effects of intrinsic motivational orientation, leadership emphasis of intrinsic goals, and audit issue ambiguity on speaking up. Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(4), 2113–2141. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3846.12500
- Kalaivani, K., & Venkatachalam, S. (2024). An impact of employee motivation on organizational performance:(A special reference with car dealership industries). E3S Web of Conferences, 491, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202449102012
- Kuvaas, B., Buch, R., Weibel, A., Dysvik, A., & Nerstad, C. G. L. (2017). Do intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relate differently to employee outcomes? Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 244–258. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.05.004
- Lakshmi, M. M., Varalakshmi, T., & Ahmed, M. M. (2024). Impact of Employee Motivation on Organizational Growth. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM), 2(05), 1633–1636. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaem.2024.0228
- Latham, G. P. (2023). Motivate employee performance through goal setting. Principles of Organizational Behavior: The Handbook of Evidence‐Based Management 3rd Edition, 83–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394320769.ch5
- Latham, G. P., & Pinder, C. C. (2005). WORK MOTIVATION THEORY AND RESEARCH AT THE DAWN OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 485. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.142105
- Levinthal, D. A., & Rerup, C. (2021). The plural of goal: Learning in a world of ambiguity. Organization Science, 32(3), 527–543. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2020.1383
- Locke, E. A. (2000). Motivation by goal setting. In Handbook of organizational behavior, revised and expanded (pp. 65–102). Routledge.
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2013). Goal setting theory, 1990. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203082744
- Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2019). The development of goal setting theory: A half century retrospective. Motivation Science, 5(2), 93. https://doi.org/10.1037/MOT0000127
- Manolache, M., & Epuran, G. (2023). The mediating impact of goal–role clarity on the relationship between feedback–seeking behavior and goal orientations with job satisfaction intrinsic cognitions and person–organization fit. Sustainability, 15(17), 12776. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712776
- Nagy, G. J., & Walsh, I. (2024). Managerial Blurring of Employee Goals. M@ N@ Gement, 27(5), 64–81. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2021.12518abstract
- Najafi-Tavani, S., Zaefarian, G., Robson, M. J., Naudé, P., & Abbasi, F. (2022). When customer involvement hinders/promotes product innovation performance: The concurrent effect of relationship quality and role ambiguity. Journal of Business Research, 145, 130–143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.001
- Park, H., Ahn, D., Hosanagar, K., & Lee, J. (2021). Human-AI interaction in human resource management: Understanding why employees resist algorithmic evaluation at workplaces and how to mitigate burdens. Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445304
- Rini, Y. W., Mandasari, D. A., & Ismail, I. (2023). Goal-Setting Appraisal and Employee Motivation of Education in Public sector Organization: A Literature Studies. Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 7(1), 918–931. https://doi.org/10.33487/edumaspul.v7i1.5677
- Rollins, A. L., Eliacin, J., Russ-Jara, A. L., Monroe-Devita, M., Wasmuth, S., Flanagan, M. E., Morse, G. A., Leiter, M., & Salyers, M. P. (2021). Organizational conditions that influence work engagement and burnout: A qualitative study of mental health workers. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 44(3), 229. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000472
- Rubin, E. V, & Edwards, A. (2020). The performance of performance appraisal systems: understanding the linkage between appraisal structure and appraisal discrimination complaints. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(15), 1938–1957. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1424015
- Savandha, S. D., Azzahra, A., & Purbasari, N. K. (2024). Task Ambiguity: The Effects of Missing Standard Operating Procedures and Inter-Leadership Harmony in Organizations. American Journal of Economic and Management Business (AJEMB), 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.58631/ajemb.v3i1.80
- Stringham, S. (2012). Strategic leadership and strategic management: Leading and managing change on the edge of chaos. iUniverse.
- Suryani, N. K., Wahid, U., & Toni, A. (2023). Peran Efektifitas Komunikasi Organisasi dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Kerja Karyawan. Widya Manajemen, 5(2), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.32795/widyamanajemen.v5i2.3670
- Usman Malik. (2023). STRATEGIC PLANNING: ALIGNING GOALS WITH ACTION. Advance Journal of Econometrics and Finance, 1(1 SE-Articles), 39–52. http://ajeaf.com/index.php/Journal/article/view/28
- Vassilev, V., GERGOVA, N., & VELINOV, E. (2024). Exploring the Relationship Between Performance Management and Employee Motivation: Case Study of Serbian Railways. Journal of HRM, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.46287/lnio1301
- Wahyuni, N. (2024). Applying Occupational Psychology Principles to Enhance Organizational Effectiveness. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 2(1 SE-Articles), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v2i1.208
- Yinusa, D., & Ogoun, J. (2024). Exploring Communication Practices as Drivers of Employee Loyalty and Engagement. Journal of Policy Options, 7(3 SE-Articles), 1–11. http://resdojournals.com/index.php/jpo/article/view/368
- Zhang, L., Li, X., & Liu, Z. (2022). Fostering Constructive Deviance by Leader Moral Humility: The Mediating Role of Employee Moral Identity and Moderating Role of Normative Conflict. Journal of Business Ethics, 180(2), 731–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04909-x
- Zhang, Z., Ni, G., Lin, H., Li, Z., & Zhou, Z. (2023). Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 16(2), 232–257. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-10-2021-0288
References
Akerele, O. O. (2023). The Link between Motivation and Organizational Performance: An Exploration of Factors Influencing Employee Motivation and its Impact on Organizational Success. International Journal of Business Ethics and Governance, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.51325/ijbeg.v6i1.118
Ali, M., Li, Z., Durrani, D. K., Shah, A. M., & Khuram, W. (2021). Goal clarity as a link between humble leadership and project success: the interactive effects of organizational culture. Baltic Journal of Management, 16(3), 407–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-09-2020-0341
Ashford, S. J., Caza, B. B., & Reid, E. M. (2018). From surviving to thriving in the gig economy: A research agenda for individuals in the new world of work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 38, 23–41. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2018.11.001
Basu, S. (2023). Motivation and Its Impact on Employee Performance. American Journal of Social Development and Entrepreneurship, 2(1), 22–25. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajsde.v2i1.1250
Bellamkonda, N., Santhanam, N., & Pattusamy, M. (2021). Goal clarity, trust in management and intention to stay: The mediating role of work engagement. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 8(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/2322093720965322
Cai, J. (2023). Effects of Leadership Styles and Organizational Strategy to Enhance Performance Efficiency. Journal of Enterprise and Business Intelligence, 3(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.53759/5181/JEBI202303002
Campbell, J. W. (2023). Job Autonomy, Role Ambiguity, and Procedural Justice: A Multi-Conditional Process Model of Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Public Organizations. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 0734371X231214978. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X231214978
Chun, Y. H., & Rainey, H. G. (2005). Goal Ambiguity and Organizational Performance in U.S. Federal Agencies. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 15(4), 529–557. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mui030
Danaeefard, H., Ahmadzahi Torshab, A., Mostafazadeh, M., Delkhah, J., & Imanikhah, F. (2022). Organizational goal ambiguity and public service motivation: evidence from Iran. Personnel Review, 51(9), 2103–2128. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-07-2020-0523
Ellsworth, R. R. (2002). Leading with purpose: The new corporate realities. Stanford University Press.
Estlund, C. (2003). Working together: How workplace bonds strengthen a diverse democracy. Oxford University Press.
Gagné, M. (2018). From strategy to action: Transforming organizational goals into organizational behavior. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20, S83–S104. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12159
Garg, K., Dar, I. A., & Mishra, M. (2018). Job satisfaction and work engagement: A study using private sector bank managers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(1), 58–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422317742987
Geetha, V. (2024). Corporate Culture and Employee Morale: Understanding. Multidisciplinary Research in Arts, Science & Commerce (Volume-13), 44.
Harrington, J., & McCaskill, J. (2021). Does goal setting matter? The impact of employee-level and organizational-level goal properties on public employees’ perception of performance appraisal fairness. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 35(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijpsm-02-2021-0042
Harrington, J., & McCaskill, J. (2022). Does goal setting matter? The impact of employee-level and organizational-level goal properties on public employees’ perception of performance appraisal fairness. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 35(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2021-0042
Humairah, K. Al, Irawan, A., Ibrahim, M. B. H., Yendra, Y., & Rasyid, A. (2023). Crafting Effective HRM Strategies for Enhancing Organizational Performance and Employee Engagement. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(3 SE-Articles), 126–136. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i3.183
Imperatori, B. (2017). Engagement and disengagement at work: Drivers and organizational practices to sustain employee passion and performance. Springer.
Jumady, E. (2023). The Role of Organizational Culture, Work Environment and Motivation in Improving Employee Performance. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 1(1 SE-Articles), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v1i1.40
Kadous, K., Proell, C. A., Rich, J., & Zhou, Y. (2019). It goes without saying: The effects of intrinsic motivational orientation, leadership emphasis of intrinsic goals, and audit issue ambiguity on speaking up. Contemporary Accounting Research, 36(4), 2113–2141. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3846.12500
Kalaivani, K., & Venkatachalam, S. (2024). An impact of employee motivation on organizational performance:(A special reference with car dealership industries). E3S Web of Conferences, 491, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202449102012
Kuvaas, B., Buch, R., Weibel, A., Dysvik, A., & Nerstad, C. G. L. (2017). Do intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relate differently to employee outcomes? Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 244–258. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.05.004
Lakshmi, M. M., Varalakshmi, T., & Ahmed, M. M. (2024). Impact of Employee Motivation on Organizational Growth. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM), 2(05), 1633–1636. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaem.2024.0228
Latham, G. P. (2023). Motivate employee performance through goal setting. Principles of Organizational Behavior: The Handbook of Evidence‐Based Management 3rd Edition, 83–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394320769.ch5
Latham, G. P., & Pinder, C. C. (2005). WORK MOTIVATION THEORY AND RESEARCH AT THE DAWN OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 485. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.142105
Levinthal, D. A., & Rerup, C. (2021). The plural of goal: Learning in a world of ambiguity. Organization Science, 32(3), 527–543. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2020.1383
Locke, E. A. (2000). Motivation by goal setting. In Handbook of organizational behavior, revised and expanded (pp. 65–102). Routledge.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2013). Goal setting theory, 1990. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203082744
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2019). The development of goal setting theory: A half century retrospective. Motivation Science, 5(2), 93. https://doi.org/10.1037/MOT0000127
Manolache, M., & Epuran, G. (2023). The mediating impact of goal–role clarity on the relationship between feedback–seeking behavior and goal orientations with job satisfaction intrinsic cognitions and person–organization fit. Sustainability, 15(17), 12776. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712776
Nagy, G. J., & Walsh, I. (2024). Managerial Blurring of Employee Goals. M@ N@ Gement, 27(5), 64–81. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2021.12518abstract
Najafi-Tavani, S., Zaefarian, G., Robson, M. J., Naudé, P., & Abbasi, F. (2022). When customer involvement hinders/promotes product innovation performance: The concurrent effect of relationship quality and role ambiguity. Journal of Business Research, 145, 130–143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.03.001
Park, H., Ahn, D., Hosanagar, K., & Lee, J. (2021). Human-AI interaction in human resource management: Understanding why employees resist algorithmic evaluation at workplaces and how to mitigate burdens. Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445304
Rini, Y. W., Mandasari, D. A., & Ismail, I. (2023). Goal-Setting Appraisal and Employee Motivation of Education in Public sector Organization: A Literature Studies. Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 7(1), 918–931. https://doi.org/10.33487/edumaspul.v7i1.5677
Rollins, A. L., Eliacin, J., Russ-Jara, A. L., Monroe-Devita, M., Wasmuth, S., Flanagan, M. E., Morse, G. A., Leiter, M., & Salyers, M. P. (2021). Organizational conditions that influence work engagement and burnout: A qualitative study of mental health workers. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 44(3), 229. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000472
Rubin, E. V, & Edwards, A. (2020). The performance of performance appraisal systems: understanding the linkage between appraisal structure and appraisal discrimination complaints. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(15), 1938–1957. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2018.1424015
Savandha, S. D., Azzahra, A., & Purbasari, N. K. (2024). Task Ambiguity: The Effects of Missing Standard Operating Procedures and Inter-Leadership Harmony in Organizations. American Journal of Economic and Management Business (AJEMB), 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.58631/ajemb.v3i1.80
Stringham, S. (2012). Strategic leadership and strategic management: Leading and managing change on the edge of chaos. iUniverse.
Suryani, N. K., Wahid, U., & Toni, A. (2023). Peran Efektifitas Komunikasi Organisasi dalam Meningkatkan Motivasi Kerja Karyawan. Widya Manajemen, 5(2), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.32795/widyamanajemen.v5i2.3670
Usman Malik. (2023). STRATEGIC PLANNING: ALIGNING GOALS WITH ACTION. Advance Journal of Econometrics and Finance, 1(1 SE-Articles), 39–52. http://ajeaf.com/index.php/Journal/article/view/28
Vassilev, V., GERGOVA, N., & VELINOV, E. (2024). Exploring the Relationship Between Performance Management and Employee Motivation: Case Study of Serbian Railways. Journal of HRM, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.46287/lnio1301
Wahyuni, N. (2024). Applying Occupational Psychology Principles to Enhance Organizational Effectiveness. Advances in Human Resource Management Research, 2(1 SE-Articles), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.60079/ahrmr.v2i1.208
Yinusa, D., & Ogoun, J. (2024). Exploring Communication Practices as Drivers of Employee Loyalty and Engagement. Journal of Policy Options, 7(3 SE-Articles), 1–11. http://resdojournals.com/index.php/jpo/article/view/368
Zhang, L., Li, X., & Liu, Z. (2022). Fostering Constructive Deviance by Leader Moral Humility: The Mediating Role of Employee Moral Identity and Moderating Role of Normative Conflict. Journal of Business Ethics, 180(2), 731–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04909-x
Zhang, Z., Ni, G., Lin, H., Li, Z., & Zhou, Z. (2023). Linking empowering leadership to work-related well-being and project citizenship behavior in the construction context: a self-determination perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 16(2), 232–257. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-10-2021-0288