Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Organisational Values

Values are defined as characteristics of individuals that clarify what is preferred, what is selected as being important and that then guides a person's life (Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz, 1992) In one of the best-known approaches in the study of values, Rokeach (1973) defined values as modes of conduct and end states - namely instrumental and terminal values. He divided instrumental values into two categories: moral values are focused on interpersonal (e.g., helpfulness), and competence values with interpersonal (e.g., logical) modes of conduct. Rokeach classifies values as personal and social: personal values include self-centered values and self-respect, and social values include socially centered values such as equality, and world-at-peace.

There are several definitions of value: Allport, Vernon and Lindzey (1952) defined values as emotional-mental judgment toward some phenomenon.

Allport and Vermon classifies Values as

Theoretical Values which is more of discovery of truth through reasoning and systematic thinking

Economic Values which is more of usefulness and practicality

Aesthetic Values which is interest in beauty and artistic harmony

Social Values which deals with people and human relationships

Political Values which is acquiring power and creating influence on others

Religious Values which is a unity and understanding of Cosmos

All individuals will have their own ranking systems for these values, according to their individual behavior, which helps us in understanding their behavior, the fact is that different occupational people have different value system has led to a progressive organizations to improve the values-job fit in order to increase the employees performance and satisfaction

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