Essay on How Values Affect Individual and Organizational Behaviour

This essay examines the crucial role of values in shaping both individual and organizational behavior. It defines values as enduring beliefs that influence conduct and decision-making, highlighting their importance in fostering positive workplace environments and ethical conduct. The essay distinguishes between terminal and instrumental values, emphasizing how value congruence impacts job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and overall effectiveness. It also explores how organizational behavior scholars and leaders can leverage this understanding to improve organizational performance by aligning individual and organizational values. The personal reflection underscores the importance of honesty, dependability, and positive relationships in the workplace, illustrating how aligning personal values with organizational goals contributes to a harmonious and productive work environment.

Running head: MANAGING PEOPLE AT WORK
Managing people at work
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

1MANAGING PEOPLE AND WORK
Essay:
Values are defined as “the enduring beliefs which state that a specific mode of conduct or
end state is personally or socially preferable”. These are usually difficult to change or alter. With
the increase in the visibility of the ethical conduct in the workplace, the importance of values is
increased as a topic of discussion. The general principles which regulate the day to day
behaviour come under the concept of values. Values are responsible for the positivity of human
behaviour and for shaping our character. These help judge the basis on which people make their
judgements, as to what is desirable and what is undesirable to them. Values are not only the
foundation for getting an idea about the level of motivation but also influence the perception of
people in ways which govern their mindsets. Values are also crucial to study the organisational
behaviour as they help in laying the foundation for the understanding of attitudes as well as
motivation. It helps organisations to interact harmoniously and it makes it much easier for
different goals to be achieved individually (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
Values evolve from the circumstances connected to the outside world and can also
change over time. These have a significant influence on the behaviour and emotion of
individuals and also on the organisational culture (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
Values have been explained to be desirable, trans-situational goals which change in
significance and govern the lives of people. Values evolve from circumstances within the outside
world and can change over a course of time. They are considered to have a significant influence
on the behavioural and mental state of individuals. The values are of two main types which are
either terminal or instrumental. Terminal values are desired states of existence and these are
things which people can work towards and which help in cultivating most desirable behaviours.
Instrumental values are core values and are permanent in nature and these are comprised of
several behavioural modes. Due to the variation of these two types of values, there have been
instance of conflict and compatibility among value priorities (Arrow, 2012).
In this connection it can be said that the organisations have instrumental values which
are permanent in nature and difficult to change. In case the values of a person are ranked in terms
of their intensity the value system of an individual can be obtained. Values are stable and possess
characteristics of being long lasting and endurable. There are different influences on personal

2MANAGING PEOPLE AND WORK
values which can be derived from family, religion and several other factors. Variations in values
and value goals are responsible for several undesirable outcomes which can be failed projects,
loss of good employees and soaring costs (Greenberg, 2012).
Based on research it has been stated that the best predictor of job satisfaction was the
concept of value congruence. Perceptions of organisational values help in the prediction of levels
of commitment of the employees to a certain extent. The perceived organisational values bring
forth the fact that the organisation is conducts itself in a fair manner based on the individual.
Companies which own values of humanity and vision can create more and more positive
workplace behaviour which is bound to lead to higher level of commitment for the organisations.
A proper vision and humane values are responsible for the promotion of organisational
commitment (Taras, Rowney & Steel, 2013).
At the organisational level, it is considered that shared values are perceived to be a
crucial factor in the organisational culture. Individual values are similar to the way their effects
are perceived on organisations. In case individuals fit well with a particular organisation, it is
likely for them to interact in a very efficient manner and due to this more and more positive
attitudes and behaviours are to be shown in the workplace. Levels of organisational commitment
and satisfactions are bound to increase in case the employees possess considerable levels of
congruence on all the values which are essential in case of organisational behaviour. These
values include, “superior quality and service, innovation, importance of people as individuals
importance of details of execution, communication, profit orientation and goal accomplishment.”
In situations where the values of the employees match with the values of their co-workers higher
and better satisfaction levels are reached (McShane & Von Glinow, 2013).
Organisational behaviour is that field of study which investigates the impact of
individuals, groups or organisational structure on the behaviour in organisations. This is also for
the purpose of improving organisational effectiveness. It can be said that the variation in the
nature of individual behaviour is responsible for individual behaviour in certain ways and this is
responsible for affecting a particular organisation. Values also have a huge impact on the
opinions of the individuals regarding the organisational function. The ways in which individuals
tackle a particular problem and approach any particular topic is bound to affect their
organisational behaviour (Luthans, Luthans & Luthans, 2015).

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It is seen that every organisation establishes a core set of values with the purpose of
directing individual and organisational behaviour. Organisations which perform well align
individual values with the values of the organisation. In order to make sure that organisational
success is reached, the company needs to link the organisational values with the values of the
individuals who work for the organisation (Thomson & Van Niekerk, 2012). There might be
generational as well as personal gaps in the organisational values which is nothing but the idea of
value congruence. This is nothing but the state of congruence within the organisation which help
in maintaining a parity and a sense of balance in the organisational functions. At a time when
there is the establishment of value congruence within an organisation, there is the achievement of
promotion of communication in an organisation (Furnham, 2012).
Therefore it can be said that values are indeed crucial for the importance of organisational
behaviour. The importance as well as the relevance of values stems from the fact that there are
functions which influence individual as well as organisational behaviour and the clarity in the
differences also make it easier for the managers to manage people and motivate them in a much
more effective manner.

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Personal Reflection:
I feel that values are the core of any individual The way in which an individual goes
about in the society as a whole as well as in the organisation in which he or she works is
governed by the values or principles about life which he or she holds. Values have much depth to
them than is usually perceived. I feel that values are instilled within an individual from the time
of birth. The family which a person hails from plays a crucial role in governing the way in which
the individual perceives the world.
I believe that when a child is small that is the time to make him or her understand about
the values which are necessary for survival and for getting accustomed to society and also to
work. Understanding the difference between right and wrong is extremely essential for a person
to survive in the present situation.
For me, the most important value which a person needs to incorporate in his or her life
and also in their place of work is that of honesty. My greatest value in my opinion is that of
honesty. I try to make sure that all my conversations of any sort of consequence and related to
my place of work are truthful and genuine at all times. I ensure that whatever information which
I disclose in my place of work is genuine and without fault. Another value which I try to
maintain at all times is that of dependability and integrity. I feel that in case an individual cannot
be dependable he or she is not fit or suitable enough to perform any sort of work. I always have
maintained dependability at the workplace and this has made me a dependable employee of my
organisation.
I also believe that I should behave with others in exactly the same way as I would want
them to behave with me. I always maintain a positive and cordial relationship with the
employees of my organisation. Positivity goes a long way in ensuring that the organisational
environment and employee relations are also of a positive nature. I believe that individual
responsibility and accountability also plays a huge factor in maintaining relationships in an
organisation. I have always been responsible towards my work and have fulfilled my
responsibilities on time.

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Once in my existing organisation I had experienced an issue with my reporting head
which I felt was hampering my level of work. Therefore when it was getting out of hand I mailed
the higher management and without taking any names specified the entire issue which I was
facing. The organisational heads were quick to respond and replied to my mail promptly. They
also arranged a meeting where I was able to state my grievances clearly and made sure that they
were resolved before I resumed work. All my problems were catered to and my colleagues also
got an example which they could abide by in future. This incident helped me understand that
organisational behaviour aligned with personal values helps in the establishment of overall value
system and goals.

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References:
Argyris, C. (2017). Integrating the Individual and the Organization. Routledge.
Arrow, K. J. (2012). Social choice and individual values (Vol. 12). Yale university press.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.
Furnham, A. (2012). The psychology of behaviour at work: The individual in the organization.
Psychology press.
Greenberg, J. (2012). Managing behavior in organizations. Pearson Higher Ed.
Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., & Luthans, K. W. (2015). Organizational Behavior: An
evidencebased approach. IAP.
McShane, S., & Von Glinow, M. (2013). M Organizational Behavior. New York, New York:
McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Taras, V., Rowney, J., & Steel, P. (2013). Work-related acculturation: change in individual
work-related cultural values following immigration. The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 24(1), 130-151.
Thomson, K., & Van Niekerk, J. (2012). Combating information security apathy by encouraging
prosocial organisational behaviour. Information Management & Computer
Security, 20(1), 39-46.