Purpose

1. A characteristic of human behaviour whereby actual behaviour is determined by the foresight of the goal. It presupposes that the future goal is already present in thought, and directs the present action. It is connected with the evolution of the symbolism of language and concepts and should be distinguished from other aspects of finality and teleology (described separately).

2. The intent that is intrinsic to planning action and which gives it direction. The main purpose of planning is to create controlled change in the environment and the reason for wanting such change is that complex dynamic situations tend toward increasing degrees of de-organization (ecological imbalance) unless higher order organizing activities are introduced. The purpose of affecting that situation is therefore either to solve the problems that in here to the situation , or to improve the situation, or to establish a general control and dynamic over the environment so as to obtain organized progress within it.

3. The concept of purposiveness involves a notion of a hierarchy of decisions in which each step downward in the hierarchy consists in an implementation of the goals set forth in the step immediately above. Behaviour is purposive insofar as it is guided by general goals or objectives. Such purposiveness brings about an integration in the pattern of behaviour, in the absence of which administration of an organization would be meaningless.

4. Purpose may be roughly defined as the objective or end for which a process is undertaken. There is no essential difference between a purpose and a process but only a distinction of degree. A process is an activity whose immediate purpose is at a low level in the hierarchy of means and ends, while a purpose is a collection of activities whose orienting value or aim is at a high level in the means-end hierarchy.