gerichtheid

Gerichtheid is the quality or state of being oriented toward a specific aim, target, or audience. In Dutch usage, het describes how strongly actions, policies, or organizations align with their intended goals. Gerichtheid can refer to a strategic stance as well as to the focused attention of an individual or a team.

In management and business, gerichtheid is often expressed through compound terms that specify what a person or organization focuses on. Common examples include klantgerichtheid (customer orientation), marktgerichtheid (market orientation), resultaatgerichtheid (results orientation), and procesgerichtheid (process orientation). A high degree of gerichtheid implies clear objectives, coherent decision-making, and alignment across strategy, operations, and measurement. Conversely, a lack of gerichtheid can result in diffuse priorities or misalignment between activities and outcomes.

In psychology and public administration, gerichtheid can describe attentional focus or the degree to which behavior is directed toward certain goals or audiences. It is frequently discussed in the context of effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability, where a balance between targeted focus and flexibility is considered important.

Etymology and usage: gerichtheid derives from gericht (directed or aimed) with the suffix -heid, forming a noun that denotes a quality or state. The concept is widely used across Dutch-speaking contexts, including business, governance, and academia, often to assess or describe how well actions are aligned with intended objectives.

See also: alignment, orientation, focus, strategic planning.