Belief in God: the differential prediction of workplace values

Abstract

We investigate the influence of three individual differences in the prediction of one’s workplace values: belief in God, conscientiousness, and Machiavellianism. Data were collected from students (n = 247) at a comprehensive university in the southeastern USA. The results supported the hypotheses, as belief in God, conscientiousness, and Machiavellianism were each predictive of different sets of personal values of importance to the workplace. The most intriguing result was the strength of one’s belief in God as a predictor of beneficial and organizationally relevant values. In ethically challenged work environments, virtuous advocates may provide a strong moral and social compass for organizations. These results also provide a foundation in demonstrating that those with higher belief in God endorse a different values profile than do those who are high on conscientiousness or Machiavellianism.