What Are The Weaknesses Of Management By Objectives?

1) Failure to teach the philosophy of MBO:
As management by objectives may seem, managers who would put into practice must understand and appreciate a good deal about it. They, in turn, must explain to subordinates what it is, how it work, why it is being done, what part it will play in appraising performance, and above all, how participants can benefit.

2) Failure to give guidelines to goal setters:
Management by objectives, like any other kind of planning, cannot work if those who are expected to set goals are not given needed guidelines. Managers must know what the corporate goals are and how their own activities fit in with them.

3) Difficulty of setting goals:
Truly verifiable goals are difficult to set; particularly they are to have the right degree of stretch and pull, quarter in and quarter out, year in and year out. Goal setting may not be much more difficult than any other kind of effective planning, although it will probably take more study and work to establish verifiable objectives.

4) Emphasis on short –run goals:
In most MBO programs, managers set goals for the short term, seldom for more than a year and often for a quarter or less. There is clearly a danger of emphasizing the short run, perhaps at the expense of the longer range.