Organizational Behavior - Workplace Values

Workplace values are the code of ethics by which a business operates. According to the person-organization fit theory people are attracted to and selected by organizations that match their values and leave those which are not compatible with their personalities. (Robbins,2018, p.97)
There are two types of workplace values, personal and organizational. Personal values are a guide to one’s behavior and choices, they can be used as decision guidelines to keep a person truthful and out of trouble. Daum, K.

(2013, April 26). On the other hand organizational values are abstract ideas that guide organizational thinking and actions. (JD, n.d.)

Personal values are very crucial in the workplace. Everyone has a different set of values which influences the behavior and impact the life a person chooses to lead. There are a number of ways these values affect the workplace. Makin, L. (2014, April).  Conflicting with your work- It is very important to work for an organization whose values meet yours. This is mainly because if the employee possesses different values then it can hinder his productivity and lead to stressful situations.

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Makin, L. (2014, April).

Impacting your relationships at work – The relationships at work are impacted due to differentiating values among employees. For instance an employee who values privacy will feel distressed in answering all the private and personal questions. This can lead to conflicts in the workplace. So it is very important to think from both the individual’s perspectives in order to maintain harmony in the workplace. Makin, L. (2014, April).

Conflicting with each other.

You may find that your individual values may be conflicting with each other at work or in your business. Your values may include success and healthiness and you may be achieving success at work or in your business but you are feeling very unhealthy due to the long hours you are working. To feel better you will need to align your values by taking action to reduce your working hours. Consider areas of conflict between your individual values and take action to increase alignment. Makin, L. (2014, April).

If we look at Patagonia, it is said that to be the most authentic organization out there.(“Yvon Chouinard: Values that enable Patagonia to remain authentic - YouTube,” n.d.) From its recruiting system to its low employee turnover, there is something really positive and unique about it. Every organization possesses some core values by which it abides, for Patagonia they are:

1. Corporate Social responsibility – This value is very important for the overall growth as it focuses on societal benefits from the working of the organization. This means preserving and protecting the environment while earning a profit.(citation)
2. Trust – An atmosphere of trust helps in creating a harmonious environment and gives the employees work flexibility and reduces the need of micromanagement.(citation)
3. Employee engagement – It has done wonders for Patagonia, the employees are interviewed in a very workplace like atmosphere. They are interviewed with the members they will be reporting and managing to understand the true values of the person to make sure it aligns with the company values.

All these workplace values are detrimental in the organization’s success.

“Attitudes are evaluative statements either favourable or unfavourable about objects, people, or events. They reflect how we feel about something”. (Robbins,2018, p.97)

Types of attitudes in the workplace:

1. Respect towards others: It is very important to maintain an atmosphere of respect in the organization because it does not end with interaction with the superiors only. It is crucial for employees to understand each other and try to provide solutions in the most regardful way possible even if they don’t agree to the point of view of others. Belcher, L.M. ( 2019, March11 )
2. Eagerness to help: The drive to help and elevate others is a positive attitude that is prevalent in many organizations. The more the employee has an positive attitude the more people will want to work around him and this will help likeminded employees to work together and work towards common goals.
3. The pluralist ideology: Managers hold this which means that an organization is made up of different sectional groups with similar as well as conflicting attitudes, there is a potential for risk conflicts but it does not have to be negative. This in return helps the employees to be more open about their true feelings and are more engaged in the working of the organization. (Geare, Edgar, & McAndrew, 2009)

Types of behaviors:

1. Deviant workplace behavior: Due to job dissatisfaction and frictional employee relationships, employees can to wasteful activities which could lead to counterproductive behavior. This type of behavior can be contagious and could influence other employees to reduce their productivity and perform wasteful activities. Robbins,Judge,Breward.(2018, pg.58)
2. Commanding Behavior: This type of behavior is found in people who have aggressive and domineering nature. The commander shows tactfulness and takes charge in the organization’s working. Dealing with such employees need evaluation and validation to face challenges, implement and attain results. Oscar, T. (2015)
3. Drifter: Drifter behavior needs management style that is flexible and assignments that have lots of fun. This is because of the short attention span of a drifter which hampers the productivity of the person. Failure to manage these kinds of employees can question the management skills of the managers.

In today’s dynamic environment it is very difficult for managers to manage a multigenerational workforce and there is a constant need to adapt to these changes. This is because every person has different personal values and in order to cater every employee changes must be made regularly.