Interpersonal Communication at Your Workplace

Values

Values are beliefs, attitudes, or conceptions regarding the ideals of how the world should be. Individual choices and interpretations are influenced by a person’s particular values. An individual is likely to be more successful when working for an organization whose values mirror his or her own. When this occurs, the employee is likely to feel that he or she fits in with the organization.

Diverse organizations are not only increasingly common but also tend to be more successful, creative, and productive. How do you think organizations and their members integrate their values effectively when they are made up of diverse individuals? In part, they do so by understanding the six basic value orientations and how individuals and cultures may vary across them and accepting these differences. Does your organization do this?

Although some cultures overall are more likely to endorse a specific value orientation, any individual may have his or her own unique set of value orientations. The six basic value orientations are individualism or collectivism, preferred personality, view of human nature, human-nature relationship, power distance, and long-term vs. short-term orientation.