Objective vs Policies: Difference and Comparison

Objective and policies are two terms that are mistaken in their usage. The fine line of difference is that an objective is an aim or the target that the organization or the person aims to achieve, which is unsusceptible to personal feelings and emotions.

Key Takeaways

1. Objectives define specific targets or outcomes to be achieved within a set timeframe, guiding a project or organization’s progress.
2. Policies are rules, guidelines, or principles that dictate how an organization or system operates to ensure consistency and alignment with objectives.
3. Both objectives and policies work in tandem to steer an organization towards its goals, with policies outlining the acceptable methods for achieving objectives.

Objectives vs. Policies

The difference between objectives and policies is that objectives are the goals desired to be accomplished, whereas policies are the tools to achieve them.

Any organization should be well aware of its objectives at the primary level so that they are not rendered directionless in the future. Thegoalss are of the utmost importance, whereas policies, on the other hand, are necessary means of progress but are not indispensable.

Policies are the principles that guide people or organizations to achieve the desired goals. It is a statement implemented and followed as a procedure or protocol.

Objectives are the goals to be achieved, whereas policies help to achieve these goals by setting a set of rules and guidelines for the process to be followed to achieve those goals. Objectives form the basis of any organization.

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Comparison Table

Parameters of comparison	Objective	Policies
Definition	Objectives are any organization or individual’s predetermined ideas or goals to achieve the desired destination.	Policies are the means to achieve goals by stating various guidelines and rules.
Need	These are of primary and utmost importance to the individual and the organizations.	Policies are not of primary importance to the existence of the organization.
Importance	Objectives are required for the better functioning of any organization to let them fall directionless.	Policies are required to provide an organized way of achieving what is desired.
Curators	The top-level officials of management companies create objectives.	Policies can be created or suggested by anyone on the organizational committee.
Purpose	The purpose of the objective is to summarize the plans of the company in a precise manner.	The primary purpose of the policies is to help in the achievement of the objectives.

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What is Objective?

An objective means a thing aimed at or any desired goal. Objectives are the purposes for which the organization exists.

Without objectives, any organization will be purposeless, directionless, and chaotic. The top-level officials of management companies create dreams.

Objectives are the basic requirements to fulfill the predestined target and for any organization’s efficient and smooth functioning.

 The advantages of objectives are-

1. Objectives help to clarify the actions and procedures to achieve the desired targets.
2. They help the organization to function smoothly without future impediments.
3. Objectives form the framework for people’s work because top-level management manages and forms them.

 

What is Policy?

Policies are the course or principle of actions any organization or individual proposes to fulfill the desired goal. Policies are the broadways to achieve objectives that are not always of absolute importance because they only provide the guideline to reach the target.

Since all the determinant levels determine policies in any organization, they are more flexible and open-ended to be changed when required by the organization.

The advantages of policies are:

1. Policies are the tools for accomplishing the targets set by the organization.
2. Policies can be formed and suggested by people at various levels in any organization, making them approachable to many people.
3. They are any organization’s designed tasks that make working easy and quick.

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Main Differences Between Objectives and Policies

1. The objective is the target any organization or individual wants to fulfill, whereas policies are the tools to achieve those targets.
2. Objectives decide the purpose of an organization and are the path setters for other actions. In contrast, policies are unimportant to any organization because they can be modified anytime.
3. The top-level management forms objectives for efficient functioning, whereas all level determinants in the companies can form policies.
4. The primary purpose of having objectives is to provide a framework and direction to any organization, whereas policies only serve as a means to do so.
5. Objectives are the concrete plans to design the concrete future, whereas policies are adaptable and adjustable because they can be changed for the better functioning of the organization. 

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References

1. https://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/objective/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023