The Impact of Values on the Workforce

The Impact of Personal Values, Organizational Values, and Cultural Values on the Workforce

When we are called upon to make decisions, several factors are taken into consideration before this decision can be made. Depending on the type of decision, such factors could be cultural beliefs, personal beliefs, and organizational beliefs. We have come to realize that there are fundamental challenges in trying to apply ethical principles in a cultural and organizational environment. Each culture has unique distinctions in values, which may or may not be considered ethical by each individual within society. These differences in culture and personal beliefs influence any decision, whether personal or professional, of any individual. Certain cultures within the work force may decide not to adhere to organizational codes of conduct because of not only personal feelings, but also because of the varying differences in cultural backgrounds. The intent of this paper is to identify values that are important to me personally, organizationally, and culturally, and the effects that these values have on decision making in regards to my personal and professional life.

Personal values are most important to me since these values define individuality. David Peters (2003) said it best when he said “an examination of our beliefs can offer valuable insights into our character and help us determine a clear pathway to a more satisfying life.” Honesty, integrity, loyalty, and respect are highly valued and these values are present in my everyday life. However, this does not necessarily mean that each individual within my society share these same personal values, thus creating an environment filled with varying personal beliefs, expectations, and philosophies that may not be logically connected with the society’s culture or ethics. Nonis (2001) states: “Values reflect the most basic characteristics of adaptation that guides individuals in deciding which situations they should enter and what they should do in them (Kahle 1980). According to Williams (1979), explicit and fully conceptualized values become the criteria for judgement, preferences and choices” (p. ---).

My decisions whether personal or professional, are dependent on my values and the environment that I am in. Before accepting my current position, I made sure that the company had similar ethical beliefs as m...

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...ead of forcing our beliefs unto others we need to respect the practices and traditions and get a better understanding why certain practices are done. Chris Jenks states: “Westerners, convinced that they are morally superior, have failed in their attempts to stop local practices because they did not take into consideration the culture and the reason for the practice” (p. 22).

In relations to the work force, organizations are diversifying their workforce. They are realizing the importance of diversity and how it can benefit the organization, given that diversity brings different point of views and values to light. As an organization, we should not simply proclaim a set of values. Instead we should immerse both managers and employees in the organization’s ideology. Any disconnect in behavior between mangers and employees will strongly undermine the values of the organization. The undermining of these cultural values creates uncertainty in the minds of employees thus leading to potential conflicts.

Work Cited

Gardner, John W. "On Leadership" New York: The Free Press, 1990

Jenks, Chris. "Western Culture: An Introduction." Culture. Ed. Chris Jenks. London: Routledge, 1995