Shika Gounder

ID: 23429461
Assignment 1: Individual Essay & Reflection
Part 1: Essay How values affect Individual and Organisational behaviour
All individuals use values to guide them in their everyday life, whether its inside
or outside their work environment. An individuals values are developed at a young
age from parents, teachers, friends and others. They are further influenced by
culture, society and organisations, which affect the individuals behavioural choices
at their work. Organisations also have their own set of values placed out for their
employees inorder to make positive impacts on their behaviours and attitudes in the
workplace. However, ultimately, there are often conflicts created between what an
individual believes in and their organisations values. There is also intragroup
conflicts which organisations are faced with which arises when each individual
employees values clash with one another. This essay will focus on the various
individual and organisational values and how they are different and similar to one
other thus affecting the behaviour at work.
Values are defined as an individuals basic standards and beliefs about what is
good and bad, acceptable and not acceptable, moral and immoral (Carlopio,
Andrewartha & Armstrong, 2001) Individual values as stated earlier, are usually
formed early in life and thus it reflects their behaviour and attitudes in society and
their workplace. Values however are not always the same amongst everyone.
Different people, based on their personality and their cultural background, inherit
different values. Rokeachs (1973) Value Survey (Nelson & Quick, 2006; Jehn,
Chadwick & Thatcher, 1997) consisted of 18 most common values which were
further divided into two groups. The first group called Terminal values represents
the goals an individual would want to achieve. For example almost everyone in this
world wish for world peace, achievement and happiness etc (Nelson & Quick, 2006).
As the name implies, a distinguishing feature of terminal values is that they are
pursued for their own sake. People always strive for terminal value which implies that
they tend to not forget these particular values and are often consistent throughout
their lives. The second group Instrumental values represents the acceptable
behaviour to be used by the person to achieve their goals. For example, honesty,
independence and responsibility (Nelson & Quick, 2006). Often people would be
seen working hard trying to maintain instrumental values inorder to attain their
terminal values. Individuals may prioritise their values depending on the situation
they are in. World peace may not always be the first thing in mind for a newly
graduate student as they are looking for a job, thus they value achievement more.
However seeing things from a different perspective for a person who values honesty
may not necessarily be honest when they are placed in the scenario of reaching late
to work. People most commonly blame the traffic but there is hardly anyone out there
that would honestly say that they woke up late. Individual values are normally seen
as something part of a persons everyday life. People are always put in situations
where they have to decide what is more important for them and what they value at
that moment. Rokeachs (1973, as citied in Jehn et al., 1997) value survey shows
Shika Gounder
ID: 23429461
that people adopted many different values through these various situations which
were brought about through the many difficulties and challengers they face over their
lifetime.
Many Organisations values are articulated in a value statement, which states out
the core values of the corporations. The core values are defined as beliefs or
principles that guide organisations, helping them reach their future goals (Speculand
& Chaudhary, 2008). These core values are placed out within organisations so that
each individual member is able to share the same beliefs. This enables businesses
to create and shape their own unique identity that defines who they are as an
organisation. Values are an important part of an organisations day to day business.
The most common values found in every organisations value statements are:
integrity, quality, creativity/innovation, accountability and fairness (Sullivan, Sullivan
& Buffton, 2001). A study conducted by Kotter and Hesketh (1992, as citied in
Dearlove & Coomber, 1999) showed these values led companies to outperform their
competitors. As it was seen, there were many companies who had a much faster
growth rate for revenue and stock prices, their profit performances were also higher
than previous years and as a result there was a lot of job creations for newly
graduates (Sullivan et al., 2001) These positive consequences of placing
organisational values were due to the fact that employees adopt and change their
values accordingly and thus the behaviour within the work environment changes.
However it is important to note that not all individual employees would endure to
share the same values of their organisations. The value statement is thus developed
to guide employees when making important decisions and serve as a basis for
motivation. As its been established that both individuals and organisations have
their own set of values, it is possible to see how conflicts might arise in corporations
and thus the behaviour in the working environment will change.
Once an individual becomes part of an organisation, both parties values either
tend to clash or match against one another. Sullivan et al. (2001) provides with an
example where an individual who values responsibility and whose organisation has
accountability as a value, is likely to gain the opportunity to take on responsibility
inorder to manage the companys day-to-day business. This enables both the
individual and organisations values to be achieved. However its not always a
common case where the values of the employee match their organisation. An
example might be in the case where an employee does not treat the customer with
respect or avoid attending to their requests in the manner that is expected by their
organisation, this may be corrected by the manager, but yet the employee may deny
that they had done anything wrong. Having seen the differences between how
companies and their employees perceive their values, it can be said that its more
beneficial if they are able to adopt similar values. Research has shown that shared
values are important as it suggests that the stronger the bridge between
organisational and individual values, the more easier it is to determine the direction
Shika Gounder
ID: 23429461
of the business performance (Dearlove & Coomber, 1999, as citied in Hyde &
Williamson, 2000).
When it comes to collaborating with organisational values, intragroup conflicts are
created. These intragroup conflicts are due to the reason that each individual has
their own set of values which may conflict with the other group members. It therefore
becomes important for organisations to identify each of their employees values and
how it affects their behaviour. Many studies have shown that often similarity
between employees values amongst groups can influence the amount of conflict
within that group (Jehn 1994; Pelled, 1996, as citied in Jehn et al., 1997). This
means that where there are members with similar values put together in a group,
they would end up agreeing on final decisions rather than having disagreements.
This will also enable members to overcome group problems without the need to
consult group leaders. Where there is similarity of values relationship conflicts will
also be reduced (Jehn et al., 1997). Members will be able to identify each individuals
likes and dislikes, which are likely to be similar and thus help to understand one
other and work more enthusiastically. Furthermore, Berings, Fruyt & Bouwen (2004,
as citied in Cohen, Rosenblatt & Buhadana, 2011), has applied the assumption that
people will be happier, more motivated, satisfied and committed to their work if their
values are congruent with the values stated by their organisation. However its also
important for employees to understand the values adopted by their organisation
which are there to help acquire a positive working environment, therefore its
essential that they try to adjust their selves with these values. It was determined in
the research of Posner & Schmidt (1993, as citied in Hyde & Williamson, 2000), that
people who had a clear view about both sets of values (organisational and
individual), had the highest level of commitment towards to their organisation. If
people had different perspective between two sets of values, it often results in a
number of undesirable outcomes ranging from soaring costs, failed projects, loss of
good people and time, which eventually leads the whole organisation to collapse
(Henderson & Thompson, 2003). These outcomes can be solved in many other
different ways through the help from OB scholars and leaders who would be required
to do intensive studies on the individuals work behaviour.
Through many research and studies on values affecting organisational behaviour,
there still remains some concerns. Leaders and OB scholars are challenged with the
question on how they can manage and motivate people at work without conflicting
with their individual and group values. As previously stated, it requires both the
organisation and employee to understand each others values. However, there still
are disputes as to how they can be brought together as one. OB scholars can
conduct some critical research by observing and further on suggesting methods on
how leaders can effectively manage their groups. Studies can be conducted on
groups, where members are observed on when they work at their best levels and
with whom they are with. This creates the opportunity to apply the understanding of
different values as it enforces OB scholars to put different people with different
Shika Gounder
ID: 23429461
values together and examine their behaviour. This also enables leaders to later
create subgroups and combine people with similar values together inorder to be able
to effectively manage the groups (Meglino & Ravlin, 1998). Another effective
advantage of understanding values provides the ways in which individuals can be
motivated. Leaders can apply the idea of having group outings or a special day
where employees bring food to work so everyone can share and talk about their
interests and more importantly get to know each other (Schein, 1985). By
understanding the differences in values, OB scholars and leaders are able to come
up with various plans in getting group members to co-operate with one another and
respect each others opinions. This further creates the motivational factor amongst
employees which lets them enjoy their work and respect their organisations values
and build on their own values.
Many researches have expressed that organisational values lead to
organisations success. However in comparing the way organisations operated 10
years ago to now, it can be seen that many of them tend to consider their employees
values. Furthermore, organisations have adopted the trend in developing value
statements inorder to let employees know what the organisation requirements are. At
times it can often be seen that the value statements are immaterial to the company
and often fails to guide their employees, thus it affects the work behaviour. It
therefore becomes very important for organisations to consider their employees
values in the context of their work inorder to create positive work behaviour. This will
ultimately lead to the achievement of organisational missions and goals.
Word count: 1822


Part 2: Reflective piece
Every organisation as discussed in the essay has issues arising when their
values clash with the individual values of their employees. Sullivan et al, (2001) has
suggested some organisational values, which are integrity, quality,
creativity/innovation, accountability and fairness. The organisation Im employed at,
Kumon is where values are part of how the organisation was developed and the
reason its become so successful. Kumon values Education, ability, sense of
community and self-learning (Kumon, 2013).
On the very first few weeks of my employment, I was unaware of Kumons values,
thus it was an experience itself in inheriting what Kumon values as something that I
learnt to value myself as well. Sullivans et al (2001), suggested organisations value
creativity, this is very well visible at my workplace. Since I had to teach children and
make sure they understand their study materials, it becomes important for me to
learn and adopt some creative ways in helping these children gain something from
Shika Gounder
ID: 23429461
Kumon. The value of quality is also visible as the work I am required to do has to be
done in a proper, well presented manner, this includes my behaviour with the
children, I have to control how I talk to the students and always be mindful of any
harmful language.
The very most important value represented at Kumon which affects every
employees behaviour including mine is fairness. Its always important to consider if
other members part of my group are not under pressure with the task they are
handed with. Often at Kumon, the staff required to do the marking and recording of
students homeworks are always under pressure trying to handle the massive
amount of recording. My values have taught me to always provide a hand to the
ones in need, and often I value the importance of teamwork, therefore it becomes
fair for me to take over some of the other employees responsibility during times
when I am idle. Unfortunately, there are instances where this particular value of mine
clashes with the other staffs. Many of the staffs at my work consider to value the idea
of doing work that is equal to the amount of money they get paid. This meant that
often the younger staffs would take their time doing a particular task which would
affect the whole teams behaviour. Members, including me, are put under pressure
as the workload doubles and often there is tension between everyone. Value clashes
amongst members are seen as the main factor that brings a group to its downfall.
This issue is however still an ongoing concern which can only be overcome, if
everyone can either comply with Kumons values or readjust to consider the other
employees values.
Comparing the values suggested by Sullivan et al, (2001), not all organisations
have the same values, but it can be said that there are some values organisations
perceive more than the others. When it comes to comparing the individual values
with the organisations, there are a lot of differences as well, however through my
experience, I have learnt that often there are cases where I begin to reconsider the
things that I value. Furthermore, Im pressured to see my values through the same
point of view as Kumons. The reason for this is that I like to always be on top of my
job and often derive for leadership, therefore I tend to change the way I think and
view things according to my surrounding.
Word count: 557