Management by objectives in a hospital social service unit

A Management By Objectives (MBO) system has been installed in the Social Service Department of the University of Minnesota Hospitals. MBO involves administering organizations through establishment and follow-up of goals. In order to accomodate a human service milieu two additions have been made to the usual MBO format: (a) a statement of program philosophy, and (b) a statement of essential program functions. Staff reaction to the system has been mixed, while hospital administration has been uniformly favorable. In the future the MBO system will be integrated with a management information system, and "significant others" will be surveyed to get more outside input inot the formulation of objectives. MBO meets organizational needs for effective planning, management of resources and control, while at the same time maximizing staff input into the overall operation.