The Robert H. Smith School of Business (Smith School) is the business school of the University of Maryland, College Park.
The school was renamed in 1998 after alumnus and benefactor Robert H. Smith (accounting, 1950). The school offers programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in business.
Edwin A. Locke (born May 15, 1938) is an American psychologist and a pioneer in goal-setting theory. He is a retired Dean's Professor of Motivation and Leadership at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was also affiliated with the Department of Psychology. As stated by the Association for Psychological Science, "Locke is the most published organizational psychologist in the history of the field. His pioneering research has advanced and enriched our understanding of work motivation and job satisfaction. The theory that is synonymous with his name—goal-setting theory—is perhaps the most widely-respected theory in industrial-organizational psychology. His 1976 chapter on job satisfaction continues to be one of the most highly-cited pieces of work in the field."
Locke is a proponent of global capitalism, was personally acquainted with the philosopher Ayn Rand, and is affiliated with the Ayn Rand Institute.