Sometimes personal values conflict with organizational values: a leader who values honesty and an organization who values high profits. When does honesty replace profitability? Organizations have been deeply hurt by such value conflicts, primarily because employees did not feel they had a forum to discuss these conflicts. An open exchange of values upon values is critical to clarifying the boundaries of behavior and personal responsibility. “Value commitments, value judgments, value standards, value relationships, and value experiences are the everyday expression of symbolic human meanings that bring order and meaning to human transactions.” (Frederick, 1995, p. 111).
Leaders project values in the organization through their perceptions, attitudes and behaviors. A leader’s preferences are also revealed in the attitudes she adopts toward the organization’s stakeholders. While there will always be differences between leaders and the organizational community regarding levels of importance, building consensus on key values is an important task. “One of the most important keys to greater effectiveness is a close link between personal and organizational values. A survey by the American Management Association of 1,460 managers and CEOs suggests that understanding this relationship will provide a new lever for corporate vitality. (Jaffe, 1993, p. 22).
Frederick, William C. (1995). Values, Nature and Culture in the American Corporation. Cary, North Carolina: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Jaffe, Dennis T. (1993). Vision, Values and Organizational Mission. Menlo Park, California: Crisp Technology Course.