| Mid-managers within organizations experience competing and conflicting values on a regular basis. They must be aware of and manage these values in order to be effective. This study did not define workplace or individual values. Instead, it explored the patterns, structures, situations, and factors that underlie multiple value sets in the workplace.; A literature review and two in-depth interviews were the primary methods used in this qualitative research study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted over a five-month period. Data from the interviews was sorted, organized, and analyzed to provide identification of patterns, themes, and trends.; A number of findings emerged from the research. First, the manner in which the participants articulated their thoughts concerning values varied greatly. Participants shared how values were discussed in the context of the workplace. Several participants confused personal values, with what was valued in their workplaces, and how they, as individuals, were valued in their organizations. Other participants explored the alignment between personal values and workplace values. They discussed how values differ between organizational levels, and how symbolic messages fill the gap between espoused and actual values. Second, the participants discussed barriers to communicating and aligning values in their workplaces. Among barriers mentioned were time availability, appropriateness, personal biases, and organizational practices. Third, participants shared how their understanding and management of their personal values had changed as they had matured. Participants shared how maturity brought clarity and focus to their values. Fourth, participants discussed how the combination of leadership integrity and organizational processes and systems were critical for the alignment of workplace values.; The results of the study showed that the organizations with strong values alignment had leaders who demonstrated consistent and positive values. These organizations had processes and systems that directly supported the organizational values. This demonstrates that when values are aligned from the top down, the workplace becomes predictable, which increases trust and commitment. The organizations with weak value alignments, in turn, tend to be fragmented in their communications and focus on "do as I say, not as I do" and give mixed messages. |
