Mapping Personal Value Space: A Study of Managers in Four Organizations

Abstract

The concept of personal values is a much referenced but little documented one in the organization behavior literature. In this study, a modified version of the Rokeach Value Survey is used to generate data on the personal values of 132 managers from four different organizations. Comparisons are made by level and by organization, and the value space of each organization is partially mapped, by combining the value data of the managers themselves with the values attributed by them to relevant and nonrelevant others. The results indicate the existence of by-level, by-organization differences hither-to undetected by other, more general measures of personal values. Suggestions for expanded research and diagnostic use of the Value Survey are made.

Job attitudes and work values.

“…G. Watson & Ryan, 1979), race ( J. G. Watson & Barone, 1976;J. Watson & Williams, 1977; J. G. Watson & Simpson, 1978), religion (Rokeach, 1969), and hierarchical level (Clare & Sanford, 1979). (For a detailed review of these relationships, see Agle & Caldwell, 1999.)…”

Cultural orientations and preferences for HRM policies and practices: the case of Oman

“…The cross-cultural literature shows that value orientations are not homogenous within countries and that there is a certain amount of diversity due to demographic characteristics of individuals (e.g., Buchholz, 1978;Clare and Sanford, 1979;Connor and Becker, 1994;Dickson and Buchholz, 1977;Heller et al, 1988;Lincoln et al, 1982). In addition to age, this research will explore whether differences exist in cultural orientations among Omani employees due to their gender, education level, work experience, and marital status.…”

Work values: An integrative framework and illustrative application to organizational socialization

“…A discussion of work values appropriately begins with an examination of the values concept itself. Despite use of the term in a variety of literatures, comparatively little research (Clare & Sanford, 1979) and even less consensus exist concerning what constitutes a value (Borg, 1990;Clare & Sanford, 1979;Kilmann, 1981;Kluckhohn, 1951;Payne, 1980;Rokeach, 1968Rokeach, , 1973Wiener, 1988). Theorists have alternatively likened values to beliefs (Rokeach, 1968(Rokeach, , 1973, needs (Super, 1973), goals (Schwartz & Bilsky, 1987), criteria for choosing goals (Locke, 1976), and attitudes (Eagly & Chaiken, 1992;Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).…”