OB IS FOR EVERYONE
How do countries differ in
their values?
What can you learn about
OB from Aboriginal
culture?What would you need to
know to set up a business in
Asia?Are Gen-Xers really
different from their elders?1 What are values?imothy Penner is president of
Toronto-based Procter & Gamble
(P&G) Canada. He leads a com-pany that values diversity in its work-
place. Consider P&G’s statement on
employee diversity:
Developing and managing a
strong, diverse organization is
essential to achieving our business
purpose. We value the different
perspectives that the diversity of
Procter & Gamble people bring to
the business. At Procter & Gamble,
we operate on the fundamental
belief that these diverse viewpoints are
needed for organization creativity which pro-
duces genuine competitive advantage.^1Generally, we expect that an organization’s values,
like those of an individual, will be reflected in correspon-
ding behaviour and attitudes. If a company stated that it
valued workforce diversity and yet no behaviour followed
from that statement, we would question whether that
value was really so important to the company. However, in
P&G’s case, they back up their value statements with con-
crete policies and actions to show support for their values.
Does having strong values make for a better workplace?
In this chapter, we look more carefully at how val-
ues influence behaviour, and consider the relationship
between values and attitudes. We then consider two
specific issues that arise from our discussion of values
and attitudes: job satisfaction and organizational
commitment.T
73VALUES
Is capital punishment right or wrong? How about employment equity guidelines in
hiring? If a person likes power, is that good or bad? The answers to these questions are
value-laden. Some might argue, for example, that capital punishment is right because it
is a suitable punishment for crimes such as murder. However, others might argue just as
strongly that no government has the right to take anyone’s life.
Valuesare concepts or beliefs that guide how we make decisions about and evalua-
tions of behaviours and events.^2 An individual’s values can be ranked according to
importance. Values tend to be relatively stable and enduring.^3 Most of our values are
formed in our early years—with input from parents, teachers, friends, and others. As
children, we are told that certain behaviours or outcomes are always desirable or always
undesirable. There are few grey areas. It is this absolute or “black-or-white” learning of
values that more or less ensures their stability and endurance.
We examine two frameworks for understanding values: Milton Rokeach’s terminal and
instrumental values and Kent Hodgson’s general moral principles.
Procter & Gamble Canada
http://www.pg.com/en_CAvalues Concepts or beliefs that
guide how we make decisions about
and evaluations of behaviours and
events.