Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL

Only proper selection of members for the organization can change prevailing norms of this
kind.
Each individual in an organization has also a core of underlying values that contribute to his
system of beliefs, ideas and/or opinions (see ‘value’ in semiotics) Integrity in the application of a
"value" ensures its continuity and this continuity separates a value from a belief, opinion or idea. In
this context, a value (e.g. ‘truth’ or ‘equality’ or ‘greed’) is the core from which we operate or react.
Societies have values that are shared among many in the culture. Typically, individual values are
largely, but not entirely, in agreement with cultural values.
These values can be grouped into six categories:
• Ethics (good - bad, virtue - vice, moral - immoral - amoral, right - wrong, permissible -
impermissible);
• Aesthetics (beautiful, ugly, unbalanced, pleasing);
• Doctrinal (political, ideological, religious or social beliefs and values); and
• Innate/Inborn (inborn values such as reproduction and survival), and so on
A values system is the ordered and prioritized set of values (usually within the ethical and doctrinal
categories described above) held by an individual or a society. (see www.en.wikipedia.org)
Since values are more attitudinal than behavioural norms, they do not fully determine behaviour;
but they do create boundaries for behaviour - within a certain acceptable scope of action that does
not contradict the values - though these boundaries are not necessarily defined by obligatory
behavioural norms. Thus a value system may go through similar stages of development and can
be seen as a kind of meta-system with respect to behavioural norms. If culture is a kind of shared
knowledge about ‘the right way to do things around there’ - then a values system serves to find ‘the
right way’, when it is not given in explicit form. Values give criteria. When there is no formal
requirement or clear cultural norm to help decide between alternative actions (i.e. something new
has happened) – then values help to make the right decision. Therefore, the importance of a
values system is rising drastically in the modern world. The corresponding role of a manager is
also becoming more important. This was well described by Ralf Brody (with some references to
Shein).
Usually, cultural values develop over a long period of time, serve to stabilize the group, and are
highly resistant to change. Frequently, these values are taken for granted and may not even be
part of staff’s conscious thought process. … Effective managers can work with staff to crystallize a
formal values statement to help guide the work of an organization. …Effective managers serve as
the primary shapers and communicators of organizational values. They influence the
organizational culture by what they pay attention to, measure, and control; how they handle crises
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