What is goal succession? Give an appropriate example of goal succession.

Goal succession is the intentional, planned modification or change of an existing goal by management, that is, a deliberate change of course to adopt a new goal. It happens when an organization either achieves its original goal or finds that the original goal no longer fits the situation. Unlike goal displacement, which is unintentional, goal succession is always a conscious and planned decision taken by management to keep the organization relevant and moving forward.

Example:
An appropriate example of goal succession is a Nepali hotel, say a mid-sized resort in Pokhara. During the political instability and insurgency period (roughly 1999 to 2006), when tourist arrivals collapsed, the resort deliberately shifted its goal from earning profit to simply surviving. Once peace returned and tourism recovered, it consciously shifted its goal back from mere survival to growth and profit. This planned change of goals in response to the changing situation is exactly what goal succession means, and the same resort's journey can illustrate every form and reason below.

The forms of goal succession are explained below.

1. Add new goals to existing goals: Here the old goals stay in place and new ones are added to expand the organization. As business recovered, the Pokhara resort kept its original goal of earning profit but added a new goal of becoming known for eco-friendly, responsible tourism, so both goals now run side by side.
2. Replace existing goals with new goals: Here new goals take the place of the old ones, done when existing goals cannot be achieved, have become irrelevant, or have already been fulfilled. During the insurgency, the resort's profit goal became impossible, so it was fully replaced by the goal of survival until conditions improved.
3. Enlarge the scope of existing goals: Here the goal stays the same but its reach is widened. After recovery, the resort widened its original goal of serving trekking tourists to also serving conference guests, wedding parties, and domestic holidaymakers, keeping the same profit goal but over a much larger market.

The reasons or conditions for goal succession are explained below.

4. Achievement of the original goal: Once the original goal has been met, a new or wider goal is needed. After the resort achieved a stable local reputation, it set a new, higher goal of attracting international tour groups.
5. Non-achievement of the original goal: If the goal cannot be reached, it is reviewed and modified. When the resort's early plan of aggressive expansion into new districts failed during the unrest, it modified this into simply maintaining its existing operations.
6. Change in the environment: Modern organizations must adjust their goals to survive in a changing environment. The shift from profit to survival and back to growth was driven entirely by the changing political and tourism environment around the resort.
7. Shifting of organizational priorities: As the organization's needs and priorities change over time, its goals are modified accordingly. As the resort grew after recovery, its priority shifted from short-term cash survival toward long-term brand building and quality service.