BEYOND MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES: HOW THE WEG CONTROLLING MODEL SECURED MARINA RESILIENCE DURING COVID-19

Abstract

Strategic management faces challenges of digital transformation, algorithmic competition, unstable supply chains, and integration of artificial intelligence into decision-making, particularly in transitional economies such as Croatia. Classical frameworks, such as Management by Objectives (MBO), introduced by Peter Drucker in 1954, remain a foundation of participative goal-setting but exhibit limitations in real time control and monitoring as well as scalability under the dynamic conditions of modern business. This paper examines the evolution of MBO towards Albrecht Deyhle’s WEG model (Wege, Ergebnisse, Gestaltung – Paths, Results, Design), which integrates controlling as a predictive, cascading, and iterative methodology for goal attainment. The Croatian marina industry serves as a case study (Marina Frapa Rogoznica), demonstrating the application of the MBO-WEG framework in setting goals for capacity, supply, sustainability, and financial efficiency during the COVID-19 crisis. The findings indicate that this approach significantly improves decision-making in the marina
business sector, where tourism, environmental, and economic imperatives intersect, rendering it scalable for coastal development of small municipalities and national macro-strategies.