Final answer:
Inconsistencies between official and operative goals refer to the misalignment of an organization's publicly stated goals and the actual goals pursued within the organization, leading to goal displacement where focus shifts from organizational goals to personal objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of organizational behavior and management, inconsistencies between official and operative goals occur when the publicly stated goals of an organization (official goals) do not align with the actual, practiced goals and behaviors within the organization (operative goals). This misalignment can lead to goal displacement, which is primarily defined as a) Shifting focus from organizational goals to personal objectives. This displacement of goals can create various forms of organizational dysfunction, such as workers prioritizing their own interests over the company's objectives or deviating from the company's mission.
Several responses to the tension between conformity to organizational goals and personal objective fulfillment have been identified, including innovation, where individuals pursue goals through unaccepted or deviant means, and ritualism, where people lower their goals to achieve them in socially accepted ways.
In organizational settings, there can be collective dilemmas and coordination challenges, which arise when members of a group agree on the broader goals but have conflicting personal motivations or disagree on the means to achieve them. Recognizing these dynamics is crucial for ensuring that operative goals are aligned with official goals to prevent goal displacement and organizational inefficiency.