Values

By: Mary Anne Winslow
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:25:20
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Do personal, organizational, and cultural values matter in our daily life? In this article I will discuss different values individual might have.

An individual's personal, organizational, and cultural values are key components in the decision-making process during personal and work related choices. "The term value has been defined as an enduring prescriptive or proscriptive belief that a specific end state of existence or a specific mode of conduct is preferred to an opposite end state or mode of conduct for living one's life". These values are closely related because they do not function independently in an individual's day-to-day life. The organization that an individual joined was chosen because it best matched their personal values. In addition, organizations succeed in business competition by adapting to the cultural values of the society that encompass their work environment. Thus, an individual's decision-making process is a thoroughly combined evaluation of personal, organization, and cultural values.

Personal values are the results of both cultural values of the surrounding society and personal experiences. Our families play the biggest role in developing personal values. Parents are the role models that the foundation of our values is centered upon. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that the child's values are a mere reflection of their parents. For example, the child of a nefarious criminal does not always follow suit. They may develop personal values and ethics which are opposed to those of the parent simply because the society they live in views the behavior as unacceptable. This is where cultural values play a factor. The mafia is well known around the world for their activities in gambling, racketeering, and drugs. In some parts of the world, this way of life is accepted into society, whereas others view it simply as criminal activity. Individuals growing up in these separate societies will develop personal values closer to the cultural values of their society. Personal experiences also play a role in developing those values held by an individual. If an individual grows up in an environment where civil war causes death in the streets on a daily basis, they may develop values and make decisions differently than someone who lives on a rural farm in a peaceful village.

Organizational values set the guidelines of how a company wants its employees to conduct business on a daily basis. Most companies have a set of values established that makes their employees more efficient in accomplishing the job. They also put a greater amount of stress on those values that directly relate to their line of work. The military represents all these ideas in the core of their organizational values. Service before self, integrity first, and excellence in all we do are the Air Force's core values. In protecting the constitution from enemies, both foreign and domestic, the Air Force possesses deadly and destructive capabilities of force. To make sure that these weapons are used for the good of the country, the Air Force established its organizational values. The value of integrity first shows that individuals will make the morally correct choice when dealing with ethical dilemmas where they are put in a position of power over the civilian sector. Service before self signifies that the welfare of the individual is subservient to the military mission. Military members are willing to sacrifice their lives during combat to win victories over the enemy. Excellence in all we do is an encouraging motto for individuals to always improve their skills and overcome obstacles. Therefore, it is important that the organizational values are clearly stated to each employee so that they have an opportunity to see if they will fit within the company. Individuals will not succeed in a company where there is a mismatch between the personal and organizational values. For example, if an individual's personal values stress individual accomplishment and success, he/she would fit more with a brokerage firm than with the Air Force. Unless a company's charter and employment office articulate these values, companies will waste time and money discovering that an individual is not right with their business direction.

Cultural values help determine the direction a business might take if they are interested in the respect and support of the local community. "Cultural values represent the implicitly or explicitly shared abstract ideas about what is good, right, and desirable in a society".

It is important for a business to understand the society they work around so that their actions are viewed as good and desirable for the community. Cultural values are developed in a society over long periods of time and passed down from generation to generation.

Because cultural value priorities are shared, role incumbents in social institutions (e.g. leaders in governments, teachers in schools, executive officers of corporations) can draw on them to select socially appropriate behaviour and to justify their behavioural choices to others (e.g. to go to war, to punish a child, to fire employees).

Therefore, these cultural values are deeply routed in the individuals of a society. Businesses can use these cultural values to their advantage. For example, "the goals chosen by managers to motivate workers will be more effective if they are compatible with prevailing cultural emphasis"

On a daily basis, we are confronted with decisions that affect both of our personal and professional lives. Our personal values aid in the decision making process to determine the outcome that will correspond to how we want to live our life and perform in our work environment.

Managers and staff who are guided by personal ethics in their dealings enjoy great self-assurance. Having a standard for dealing fairly, equitably and predictably in all situations, no matter what may happen, makes these individuals more effective in the fulfillment of their own job responsibilities.

In the military, organizational values are linked to an individual's personal values where they play the same role in any decision concerning social and professional choices. The organizational values of the Air Force demand individuals possess high standards of ethical behavior both during work and while at home. Cultural values usually play a lesser role in determining the outcome of our business and social lives in the United States. However, in a culture where the group is emphasized as more important than the individual as in most Eastern countries, then cultural values would play a greater role. Each decision an individual makes at home or work is influenced by their personal, organizational, and cultural values.

Article source: Expert Articles