General Objective | Meaning & Concept [Explained]

We explain what a general objective is, its function, its characteristics and how to make one, with various examples. Also, the differences with the specific objectives.

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What is a general objective?

The overall objective It is the main and global goal of a project within a company or organization that is, its ultimate mission. This objective gives meaning to the set of activities, since it is the axis on which task planning is carried out. An overall objective can only be achieved once the specific objectives .

Usually, the general objective determines the purposes of a project and serves as a guide for action, since it sets the course of activities and guides decision making.

The general objective differs from the specific or particular objectives, since the latter are the guidelines for the different activities or tasks that, when fulfilled, will allow the general objective to be achieved.

General objective characteristics

The general objective:

It is usually brief, clear and abstract . It indicates in a simple and summarized way what the global perspective of the project is.
Represents the result you want to obtain . It indicates what you seek to achieve or what you aspire to achieve with the execution of the project, that is, when it is finished.
Influences the entire project . It is an idea that goes through all the stages and activities of a project, since it establishes what should be done, how and at what time.
It is determined by people at a high hierarchical level . In companies and organizations, it is prepared by those who make the most important decisions.
It's long term . It is a result that is sought to be obtained in months or years.

Examples of general objective

Some examples of general objectives of projects of different types are:

General objective of a company:

“Introduce a new organization of tasks that allows reducing production times and improving product quality.”

General objective of an experimental investigation:

“To determine if a serum is effective as a treatment to reduce baldness in patients who have hereditary alopecia.”

general objective of a monograph in humanities:

“Trace the philosophical influence of Renaissance art in the late production of the French poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), based on his best-known work, The flowers of evil”.

general objective of a NGO :

“Fight hunger and poverty in Latin America by promoting primary and secondary education in groups of high social vulnerability, through the application of substitute educational methods that reduce school dropouts.”

General objective of a thesis:

“Demonstrate the relationship between droughts in a region and global warming.”

How to make a general objective?

To formulate a general objective, you can follow a series of steps:

Define an ideal result . You must indicate the result or state that you want to achieve with the execution of the project. In this step, the expectations are identified, which may be related to the purpose of an investigation, the launch of a product or service, a personal project, among others.
Evaluate resources . It is necessary to analyze which elements are necessary, which ones are available and which ones are missing. In addition, external opportunities and limitations are evaluated, that is, those that do not depend on those carrying out the project.
Define the general objective . You must establish what you want to achieve with the project and in how much time, taking into account the expectations and available resources, since the general objective has to be achievable, that is, it has to be a goal that can truly be achieved.
Determine specific objectives . It must be explained how the general objective is to be achieved by establishing the specific objectives, that is, indicating the specific tasks that must be carried out and who will carry them out.

Differences between the general objective and specific objectives

	General objective	Specific objectives
Meaning	It is the most important purpose or goal of a project.	They are the different tasks that will allow us to achieve the general objective.
Amount	There is usually only one per project.	There are usually three or more per project.
Time	It's long term.	They are short or medium term.
Way to name them	It is presented in a short statement.	They are stated as tasks or activities.
Specificity	It is abstract.	They are precise and concrete.

The distinction between the general objective and the specific objectives, in any project, is the same as that between the whole and the parts that compose it. If the general objective is one that encompasses the fundamental goal of the project, Specific objectives reflect the smaller goals that allow us to achieve that general purpose. that is, the steps that must be taken in order to complete the proposed route.

In this way, the general objective is usually only one and is defined by answering what you want to achieve with a project. On the other hand, the specific objectives are several and are defined by answering how that goal is intended to be achieved.

In research, the specific objectives usually define the chapters of the research or the steps to be taken within an experimental methodology. They are generally short or medium term, and much simpler and more concrete than the general objective. Its writing, however, also respects the use of the infinitive.

References

García, O. (1983). Management by objectives. Administration Notebooks, 6(8), 45-60.
Sánchez, R., González, M. and Enríquez, BA (2011). Goals. Research project. Academic Portal of the CCH, UNAM. https://portalacademico.cch.unam.mx/
Suárez-Montes, ND, Sáenz-Gavilanes, JV and Mero-Vélez, JM (2016). Essential elements of research design. Its characteristics. Mastery of Sciences, 2(3 Special), 72-85. https://dominiodelasciencias.com/