Conceptualizing the Relationship between Personal Values and Sustainability—A TMO Case Study

Abstract

Sustainability is associated with many contemporary challenges facing society, prompting sustainability initiatives and research in this field. An emerging strand of research has sought to investigate sustainability as a function of values. Given that values determine and predict perceptions, attitudes and behaviors, understanding employees’ underlying values would provide important insights on how values relate to sustainability-related actions. However, there is a gap in knowledge around individual actors’ roles as influencers or change agents for sustainability, particularly in a construction project context. Drawing on values theory, this exploratory research addresses this gap by conceptualizing the relationship between personal values and sustainability performance. A Temporary Multiple Organization (TMO) (a major infrastructure project in the UK) was used as the case study. An adapted version of Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) was used to measure and analyze the personal values of employees with professional and managerial roles. Statistical and multidimensional scaling analysis were deployed to analyze the responses. Given the lack of theory and research in a construction management context, the potential significance and implications of the findings were explored and analyzed by drawing on existing empirical studies around values. This enabled the development of six theoretical concepts (‘Feeling of Oneness’, ‘Moral Obligation’, ‘Creativity’, ‘Challenge’, ‘Change’ and ‘Compliance’) latterly expressed as propositions. This novel conceptualization has the potential to explain and articulate the relationship between personal values and sustainability performance. This research has both practical and theoretical implications, as it is the first to explain the role of personal values in enabling projects to deliver sustainability in a TMO context.

Sustainability of Organizations: The Contribution of Personal Values to Democratic Leadership Behavior Focused on the Sustainability of Organizations

“…The theoretical implications of this study may be directed to holistic considerations of the associations between the investigated variables, where the influence of leaders' CVs and IVs on their democratic behavior should be considered simultaneously. We connected together dispersed cognitions concerning (1) the impact of personal values on leadership style [3,11,31,32], (2) the impact of personal values on achieving sustainable working and behavior [41,46,47,109], and (3) cognitions about how leadership contributes to the achievement of sustainable goals via the creation of socially responsible organizations [40,[43][44][45]. We concluded that democratic leadership contributes to the sustainable working and behavior of organizations.…”

“…From the current perspective, one of the most challenging tasks for leaders in circumstances of constantly evolving organizations is concern for sustainable development [40][41][42]. Thus, there have been several studies examining the role of leadership in the creation of the sustainable working behavior of organizations [40] by emphasizing the role of ethical leadership [43,44], servant leadership [43], and transformational leadership [45] in corporate social responsibility.…”

“…Thus, there have been several studies examining the role of leadership in the creation of the sustainable working behavior of organizations [40] by emphasizing the role of ethical leadership [43,44], servant leadership [43], and transformational leadership [45] in corporate social responsibility. Another stream of research examined sustainability as a function of values [41]. In this context, researchers identified personal values as a driver of propensity for sustainability actions [46], as a catalyst for corporate social responsibility [47], and as a link to pro-environmental behavior [36].…”

Person-centered approach effectiveness in Human Resource Management in the agriculture of Azerbaijan

“…It thus becomes increasingly important for businesses to treat their employees with respect and appreciation, and the efficiency of a business, enterprise, or industry depends on the satisfaction of the EV (Joseph, 2019). Most scientists mean by the EV a certain system of beliefs that prioritize a person and predetermine a conscious manifestation in relationships at work or in society (Rickaby, Glass & Fernie, 2020). It is personal values, as an integral part of a person, that determines where he invests his energy, resources, and time.…”

“…It is personal values, as an integral part of a person, that determines where he invests his energy, resources, and time. The results of modern research indicate a direct relationship between the EV (Rickaby, Glass & Fernie, 2020;Mazilescu et al, 2021;Bolis et al, 2021) and management (Rickaby, Glass & Fernie, 2020;Nedelko & Potocan, 2021;Mazilescu et al, 2021) on organizational performance by influencing labor productivity. Thus, the EV is a decisive factor in labor productivity, and effective Personnel Management is the basis of the key to its increase.…”