Are Workplace Values Important?
Employees possess their own values -- ideals and concepts that are important to them. A company also cites certain principles as critical to its operations. In an ideal situation, employees' and the company's values should complement each other. The values of both parties help to form a moral compass that dictates the basis for making decisions regarding work or company direction.
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Men and Women
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Men and women have different values at work. According to a survey of 1,100 workers conducted by P. Michael Peterson, professor of health promotion at the University of Delaware, men cite money and achievement as their most important priorities in the workplace. Women are more likely to identify recognition and workplace relationships as most important. Managers must recognize the differences between the sex to effectively lead teams made of both men and women. By adjusting management style to the different values, a manager can ensure a better work experience and more productivity for his teams.
Incentive Pay
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At one time, very few jobs paid for performance, but paying workers based on how well they do their jobs -- not merely for quotas or numbers -- is becoming more common. Some workers identify this as the only way to secure a pay increase. Employees on a pay-for-performance system must always operate with a high set of moral values that is in the best interest of the company or the customer. An employee lacking in these values may find it easy to cheat the system, causing problems for the company, its other employees and its customers.
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Minor Breaches
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Even employees who have a strong sense of values concerning right and wrong may still give in to minor breaches in company policies. Most employees with Internet access use company email or Web browsers for personal reasons at some point; some employees use these resources daily. Though this is technically wrong and usually prohibited to a degree by company policy, most companies look the other way at such minor issues. The employer might expect the worker's values to keep these minor concerns from becoming major ones or from crossing a line into more serious infractions.
Company Values and Vision
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Many companies publish values statements and vision goals -- written guidelines that set the standard for the company's actions in certain circumstances and define which values are most important to the company. Employees are generally expected to abide by these company values and visions while they are at work -- and often when they are not at work. Many companies maintain policies allowing them to dismiss employees who are involved in crimes or incidents of moral turpitude or if the employee has a presence on social media websites that is contrary to the company's vision.
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