The "practical significance" of Locke's theory of goal setting.

The practical significance of Locke’s theory of goal setting was assessed using a time series design. Data on the net weight of 36 logging trucks in six logging operations were collected for 12 consecutive months. Performance improved immediately upon the assignment of a specific hard goal. Company cost accounting procedures indicated that this same increase in performance without goal setting would have required an expenditure of a quarter of a million dollars on the purchase of additional trucks alone.