Qualitative Objectives

Qualitative objectives cannot be easily measured because they refer to quality rather than quantity. The business may simply have to state how it is doing in achieving the objective rather than saying that 50% or all of it has been completed. Examples of qualitative objectives are:

• Customer satisfaction - it is very difficult to say whether or not a consumer is satisfied. Some businesses try to measure customer satisfaction by counting how many customers return in the future, by sending out questionnaires, or by monitoring the number of complaints they receive. Once this has been done it is possible to set measurable objectives for the future; for example, to reduce the number of complaints by 10%.
• Being socially aware - many businesses have an objective to become more socially or environmentally aware in their treatment of the environment, workers, suppliers or customers. It is very difficult to measure, for example, whether the price you pay to workers in a developing country is a fair one.
• Developing a good reputation - many businesses want to build a good reputation for supplying a particular product or service. Again there are difficulties in measuring what customers think of you.