KEY CULTURAL VALUES IN ORGANIZATIONS - INFLUENCES AND PRIORITIES

Abstract

It is a challenge to examine how the values of the society in which an organization is embedded affect thevalues of the organization. This influence can be determined both by the value culture in the surrounding society andby the personal value priorities of the organization's members and the nature of the organization's main tasks. It islogical to assume that culture in society affects organizational values not only directly, but also indirectly - throughits impact on the values of members and on the nature of organizational tasks in business management. In otherwords: how the cultural values of the society in which the organization operates affect the cultural values of theorganization.In the paper we will try to look at the dimensions of cultural values that distinguish societies as suitable forcomparing organizations. In addition to the challenges that societies face, organizations must deal with their specifictasks, structure and environment. This can produce other cultural value dimensions. Identifying and validating suchadditional dimensions will require research in many organizations from different sectors, industries and occupations,and in many countries. Here we focus on the cultural dimensions of organizations that share with societies, payingattention to communications and their management, considered fundamental in the development and prosperity ofmodern companies in general.Personal value priorities are the product of individuals' unique social experiences and distinct heredity. However, themembers of each society show some value similarity. This is because they are socialized and must adapt to thefamily, education, legislation, media, market and state system, whose daily practices and norms express to someextent the same underlying societal cultural emphases. In their day-to-day organizational activities, memberscommunicate continuously—they communicate to each other their important values and goals, which they expressthrough their ideas, preferences, and choices. Members' personal values thus affect the goals and objectives that theorganization adopts, the norms and practices that develop, and the shared perceptions and interpretations oforganizational actions. Individuals influence the cultural values of organizations both intentionally andunintentionally. They promote the values they find desirable through their deeds, serving as a model for others. Theyinfluence more the organization's views of the good and the desirable directly through formal and informalcommunication processes about the nature of the organization, with suggestions about what to look for in newmembers and how to socialize them and praise or condemn them for certain actions. Members also build structuresin the organization that promote their preferred values by designing practices (e.g., reward systems based on effort,sales, or seniority; e.g., regular staff evaluations and timely feedback; communication activities that encouragecertain types of behavior etc.) and physical settings (for example, open or closed spaces in offices, etc.).