Abstract
Because goals will not operate as intended without commitment, goal commitment plays a central role in goal theory. This essential moderator has been recognized since the inception of goal theory (Locke, 1968), and commitment's role has been clarified as the theory evolved (e.g., Locke & Latham, 1990). In this chapter, we focus on the published literature between 1989 and mid-2011 to highlight the advances made and the challenges that remain. We begin with a discussion of how commitment has been defined and measured. We then review the extant literature, summarizing what is known about the consequences of goal commitment and then its determinants. We give special attention to three research streams that have emerged or grown substantially since Locke and Latham (1990) and close with a research agenda to further our understanding and prediction of goal commitment and its consequences.