UCL School of Management is delighted to welcome Sim Sitkin, Duke Business School, to host a research seminar ‘Aspirational goals: Theoretical and empirical work on raising aspirations at the individual and organizational levels of analysis.’

Abstract

The research presented is driven by two related questions concerning the use and effects of aspirational goals in organizations. First, what leads individuals in organizations to set their own goals higher – and what role might leadership play in that process? This question will be explored through an empirical lab study and survey field methodology. Second, what leads to the setting of extremely high organizational goals and what are the consequences of doing so? This will present a theoretical model that synthesizes a great deal of relevant research to identify a paradox.  This is currently being tested at the unit and organizational level of analysis in a field experiment.  Implications for research on individual and organizational aspiration goals will be discussed.