Goal-setting in economic and social systems – the ambiguity, the multivariate, insubordination

Abstract

Purpose: of the article is to identify the fundamental properties of goal – setting in social and economic systems associated with a plurality of their subsystems, characterized by various functional and institutional features. Discussion. The authors put forward a hypothesis about the impossibility and inexpediency of the formation of a strictly unambiguous system of strategic goals of socio-economic systems. The analysis of the theoretical foundations and practice of formation of socio-economic systems strategies, carried out mainly in relation to the systems of regional and municipal levels, showed that the formation of the tree (pyramid) goals is largely due to the views of experts on their subordination, compliance. The objective grounds for forming a pyramid of goals inevitably require a limited vision of the mission and, consequently, the uncertainty of the system's future position. This circumstance implies the possibility and necessity of further "branching" of uncertainty. In practice, the formulation of goals at various levels, from the General goal to the functional goals of various subsystems, is not associated with rigid cause-and-effect relationships. At one level can be fixed different from the point of view of the hierarchy of the goal. There is also the reverse situation-fixation at different levels of the objectives of the same property relating to different functional subsystems. Results. The analysis suggests that goal-setting in socio-economic systems has the properties of ambiguity, polyvariance and lack of coordination.