MBO, political rationality and information inductance

Abstract

Management by Objectives (MBO) was adopted by the Federal government as a means for managing agencies and programs. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate MBO as a management technique and as a political strategy using concepts developed in the organizational theory, general systems theory, planning and control, and political science literatures. It is concluded that as a management technique, MBO falls short of its mark and that it has been primarily used as a political strategy for controlling and directing controversy.