SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS
1 What are values? Values guide how we make decisions about and evaluations of
behaviours and events. They represent basic convictions about what is important,
right, and good to the individual. Although they do not have a direct impact on
behaviour, values strongly influence a person’s attitudes. So knowledge of an indi-
vidual’s values can provide insight into his or her attitudes.
2 How can we understand values across cultures? Geert Hofstede found that
managers and employees vary on five value dimensions of national culture. His
insights were expanded by the GLOBE project, an ongoing cross-cultural investi-
gation of leadership and national culture. That study has identified nine dimensions
in which cultures can vary: assertiveness, future orientation, gender differentia-
tion, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, individualism/collectivism, in-group
collectivism, performance orientation, and humane orientation.
3 Are there unique Canadian values? In his recent books, pollster Michael Adams
identifies the social values of today’s Canadians. He finds that within three broad age
groups of adult Canadians—the Elders (those over 60), Baby Boomers (born between
the mid-1940s and mid-1960s), and Generation Xers (born between the mid-1960s
and the early 1980s)—there are at least 12 quite distinct “value tribes.” More recently,
discussion has turned to the Net Generation, now in their early 20s, who are the
newest entrants to the workplace. Canada is a multicultural country, and there are
a number of groups that contribute to its diverse values, such as Aboriginal peo-
ples, French Canadians, and various immigrant groups. Canadian values differ from
American values and those of its other trading partners in a variety of ways.
4 What are attitudes and why are they important? Attitudes are positive or neg-
ative feelings about objects, people, or events. Attitudes affect the way people
respond to situations. When I say “I like my job,” I am expressing my attitude to
work and I am likely to be more committed in my behaviour than if my attitude
was one of not liking my job. A person can have thousands of attitudes, but OB
focuses our attention on a limited number of job-related attitudes. These job-
related attitudes tap positive or negative evaluations that employees hold about
aspects of their work environment. Most of the research in OB has been concerned
with two attitudes: job satisfaction and organizational commitment.90 Part 1 Understanding the WorkplaceSNAPSHOT SUMMARY
1 Values
Rokeach Value Survey
Ethical Values
2 Assessing Cultural
Values
3 Values in the Canadian
Workplace
Cultural Differences
Generational Differences
4 Attitudes
Job Satisfaction
Organizational
Commitment