Espoused Values Research Articles

Perceptions and practice: A social ecological approach to investigating assessment culture in student affairs

Given the dynamic nature of culture as both a social and individual phenomenon, an investigation of assessment culture in student affairs necessitates a look at the reciprocal relationship between individual practitioners and their surrounding environment. The purpose of this study was to explore the range of perceptions of student affairs practitioners regarding assessment of student learning by integrating various individual and environmental variables into a comprehensive framework that encompasses the multiple levels of the social ecological model (McLeroy, Steckler, Bibeau, & Glanz, 1988). The researchers employed Q methodology to illustrate the range of viewpoints of 44 student affairs practitioners regarding assessment in student affairs. Participants representing various functional areas, position levels, and institution types completed a Q sort of 51 assessment-related statements. Participants’ sorting data were subjected to by-person factor analysis, resulting in groupings of respondents who share similar perspectives. Additional qualitative data were collected via post-sort questions and follow-up interviews to assist with interpretation of three participant viewpoints: Assessment-as-Significant, Assessment-as-Irrelevant, and Assessment-in-Isolation. These distinct viewpoints clearly illustrated that the various beliefs individuals hold about themselves and their institution’s culture of assessment interact dynamically to impact participants’ assessment perceptions and practice. Study findings provide further insight into reasons for the gap between the espoused value and actual practice of assessment and reinforce the notion that addressing this gap requires attention to the dynamic interactions of both individual and environmental factors. Implications for the scholarship of assessment and assessment practice are discussed.

The Practice of Integrity Within the University

This paper examines the practice of integrity within the university and its relationship to university programs, faculty, and community. Integrity is framed within the construct of the university's social contract with the community. Examining integrity as occurring in faculty actions, programs, and the university's relationship to the community demonstrates the vibrant nature of organizational behavior through interdependent relationships within the university and in the university's relationship to the community. True stories are used to demonstrate the complex nature of organizational integrity and the difficulty the university and its members have aligning espoused values with theories-in-use. Aligning espoused values with theories in-use requires a commitment to ethical action and integrity to fulfill the tenets of the university's social contract.

Mapping Espoused Organizational Values

This paper develops an inventory and conceptual map of espoused organizational values. We suggest that espoused values are fundamentally different to other value forms as they are collective value statements that need to coexist as a basis for organizational activity and performance. The inventory is built from an analysis of 3112 value items espoused by 554 organizations in the UK and USA in both profit and not-for-profit sectors. We distil these value items into 85 espoused value labels, and these are assessed in terms of their similarity and difference through judgements made by 53 experienced individuals. The resulting conceptual map facilitates the evaluation of values which are espoused at the organizational level, as opposed to aggregations of personal values, an important distinction that is often ignored in the literature. This analysis identifies a number of distinct areas of emphasis occupied by espoused values. In particular, the richness of value labels that relates to broader ethical issues may be aimed at external stakeholder management, but also may have an increasing influence on organizational behaviour as they are embedded into organizational practices. By advancing our understanding of espoused values, through an analysis of those being used in practice, we provide a means by which future research into organizational values and ethical issues can progress.

The Big D(eal): professional identity through discursive constructions of 'patient'.

Professional identity formation has become a key focus for medical education. Who one becomes as a physician is contingent upon learning to conceptualise who the other is as a patient, yet, at a time when influential ideologies such as patient-centred care have become espoused values, there has been little empirical investigation into assumptions of 'patient' that trainees take up as they progress through their training. Our team employed a critical discourse analysis approach to transcripts originally produced from a micro-ethnography of medical student learning on an acute care in-patient paediatric ward. The dataset included 20 case presentations and 14 sign-over rounds taken from a 3-week observation period. We paid specific attention to how trainees used language to talk about, refer to and categorise patients. Identified discourses included patient-as-disease-category, patient-as-educational-commodity and patient-as-marginalised-actor. These discourses conceptualise 'patient' as an entity thatis principally biomedical, useful for clinical learning and spoken for and about. Medical student participation in these discourses contributes to an identity that allows them to move further into the professional medical world they are joining. We contend that as learners participate in these discourses, they are also performatively produced by them. By making these discourses visible, we can consider how to minimise unintended effects such discourses may cause. Our findings, although limited, offer a glimpse of the effects that those assumptions may have as we look to align better the formation of professional medical identity with the ideals of patient-centred care and socially responsible health care systems.

Leading school for learning: principal practices in Taiwan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how principals in Taiwan lead student and teacher learning at a time of leadership and learning paradigm shifts and the imminent implementation of the curriculum guideline for 12-year basic education.Design/methodology/approachThis study interviewed 32 elementary and junior high school principals purposively sampled based on reputation and recommendation from senior principals and government officials.FindingsAs a society which values credentialism, principals in Taiwan face challenges in executing the vision of educating student as a whole person. The authors discuss how principals are solidifying whole person education as the espoused value, how they are enforcing school-based curriculum and effective instruction, and encouraging teacher professional learning. Principals are sharing power by recruiting stakeholders’ participation in guiding school development and enacting distributed leadership, while also building relationship as social capital and soliciting support from the community to establish the conditions to improve teaching and learning.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper highlights how principal practices are evolving in a time of changing conception of learning from academic achievement to multiple competencies and the shifting paradigm of power from participatory decision making to distributed leadership. This paper ends with a discussion on how leadership for learning (LfL) as a community engagement has emerged.Practical implicationsWith the shifting of the concept and paradigm of learning, principals in a high power distance society like Taiwan are now facing opportunities as well as challenges to lead teachers to engaging students in inquiry and collaboration.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the indigenous practices of principal LfL in a high-performing East Asian education system in a time of changing notions of learning and leadership.

‘If they don't use it, they lose it’: how organisational structures and practices shape residents’ physical movement in care home settings

ABSTRACTOlder people living in long-term facilities (nursing and residential homes providing 24-hour care) spend the majority of their time inactive, despite the known health and wellbeing benefits of physical activity and reduced time spent sedentary. In order to successfully embed interventions that aim to increase physical activity or reduce sedentary behaviour, it is necessary to understand the features of the care environment that influence residents’ routine patterns of movement. Drawing on an organisational perspective, this paper explores the structures and mechanisms that shaped different care practices concerning residents’ movement in two contrasting care homes in the north of England. This study adopted an ethnographic approach, using a combination of qualitative observations, informal conversations and interviews. A grounded theory approach to data analysis was adopted. The findings illustrate the importance of translating espoused values of care into tangible and acceptable care practices, systems of management, staff training and development, and the use of care planning in residents’ routine patterns of movement. Understanding how organisational factors shape routine movement among care home residents will help inform the development of embedded and sustainable interventions that enhance physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. This study is part of a wider programme of research developing and testing a complex intervention, embedded within routine care, to reduce sedentary behaviour among care home residents.

PENGARUH BUDAYA ORGANISASI DAN PERSEPSI DUKUNGAN ORGANISASI TERHADAP KOMITMEN KARYAWAN

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of organizational culture and perceived organizational support toward organizational commitment. The instrument was used in this study were organizational commitment scale is based on aspects of organizational commitment, organizational culture scale is based on aspects of organizational culture and perceived organizational support scale based on aspects of the perceived organizational support. This study was involved 203 banking employees. The results showed that organizational culture and perceived organizational support significantly influenced of organizational commitment. It means organizational culture and perceived organizational support contributed to increasing organizational commitment. Meanwhile, organizational culture has a greater contribution to organizational commitment than perceived organizational support. This study also showed that two aspects of organizational culture contributed to organizational commitment, there were espoused values and artifacts. An espoused value has a higher contributed to organizational commitment. Meanwhile, for perceived organizational support, fairness aspect contributed to organizational commitment.

Behavioral Integrity Advances: Articulating and Testing New Mechanisms

Behavioral integrity (BI) is the perception that another party lives by his or her word – keeps promises and enacts espoused values, or aligns words and actions (Simons, 2002). Substantial empirica...

Reconciling the maintenance of on-field success with off-field player development: A case study of a club culture within the Australian Football League

ObjectivesAs a contribution to developing understanding of how professional athletes may successfully develop a dual career and maintain a balance between life on and off the field, the present study sought to analyse a professional Australian Football club culture that has been identified within the industry as successfully supporting player dual career development. At the same time the club has been able to maintain a successful on-field record. MethodsA case study methodology was used for the analysis with Schein's (2010) levels of organisational culture providing a theoretical framework. Data were collected by means of fifteen interviews which included players (11), and non-playing staff (4) comprising an executive staff member, a coach, a team manager, and the player development manager. Observations were also made and recorded by the first author during a two week immersion in the club environment. ResultsFour basic assumptions that explained the coherence between espoused values and artefacts concerning dual career development were identified. They were that: dual career development is important however football comes first; balancing sport and off-field life ensures players' well-being and facilitates on-field performance; players should be encouraged to find personal meaning in their dual career activity, and; the club has an ethical responsibility to support player dual career development. ConclusionAnalysis of the findings suggests that the successful support of dual careers requires a coherent club culture, where related activities exist as part of a holistic approach to player development. This approach must recognise the priority placed on athletic performance.

Nearbies

Community colleges enroll nearly half of the students enrolled in public undergraduate programs and a disproportionate number of first-generation, low-income, underprepared and minority students. The new national completion agenda has brought both visibility and pressure to these open-access institutions, which have completion rates of less than 25% for first-time full-time students and even lower rates for part-time students. While interventions to improve success tend to be focused on the first year, a surprisingly large number of students successfully complete more than 1 year of college credits yet leave without completing a credential or transferring. This study focuses on these “nearbies,” successful students close to completion who leave higher education. Results indicate students have varied reasons for departing, demonstrate behaviors at odds with their espoused value of earning a certificate or degree, and need support and encouragement throughout their time at the college. Personal relationships are particularly important in fostering a sense of connection.

Aligning and Propagating Organizational Values

That organizational values are positively related to performance is well established by works such as ‘Good to Great’ (Collins, 2001) and ‘Built to Last’ (Collins and Porras, 2004). Academic works also show several positive relationship such as 1) organizational commitment and citizenship behavior (Cohen, 2011; Arthaud-Day et al., 2012; Vurgun and Sezai, 2011), 2) organizational culture and job satisfaction (Danuta & Vytautas, 2011), 3) work engagement (Anna et al., 2013), 4) lower burn out (Anna et al., 2013), 5) team performance (Arthaud-Day et al., 2012), 6) organizational learning (Cohen et al., 2011; Cohen & Liu, 2011), and 7) organizational integration (Levent et. Al, 2011). While values are important, whether we align the values of the individual and organization and propagate them adequately to benefit from their positive relationship is not so clear. This study is motivated by the observation that many MBA students could not easily find the values of many good Indian companies and that they could not easily decipher them when tasked to do so as part of their assignment. Auster and Freeman (2013) also found that value-fit in organizations leaves much to be desired. In this work, I examine the question whether organizations match their values to the individual values and whether they propagate their espoused values in an easy to access manner. Using secondary input procured from the web site of companies that figure among the top 25 in the Business Today's ranking, 2012, I examine these issues by cognitive mapping of the espoused values to the value theory framework (Schwartz, 2006) and find that many organizations do not map their values to the individual values or propagate them in an easily accessible manner. Recommendations are given to mitigate this problem.

Behavioral Integrity –Perceived Word-Action Alignment -- as a Driver of the Power of Words

Behavioral integrity is the perception that another party lives by his or her word – keeps promises and enacts espoused values, or aligns words and actions (Simons, 2002). This perception, applied to leaders, has substantial impact on leader credibility and thus on the power of their words to effect change or drive performance (Simons, 2008; Simons Tomlinson & Leroy, 2011). This symposium assembles a set of papers at the forefront of behavioral integrity research that examine different aspects of the impact of behavioral integrity. Using laboratory and field methods, these papers focus on the impact of perceived word-action alignment, actual word-action alignment, and the relationship between the two. A Behavioral Integrity Lens On Climate Research Presenter: Lisa Hisae Nishii; Cornell U. Presenter: Hannes Leroy; Cornell U. Presenter: Tony L Simons; Cornell U. What Happens To Employee Behavior When Ethical Leaders Do Not Practice What They Preach? Presenter: James B. Avey; Central Washington U. Presenter: David Mayer; U. of Michigan Presenter: Tony L Simons; Cornell U. Presenter: Michael Palanski; Rochester Institute of Technology

Corporate culture change: adaptive culture structuration and negotiated practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present adaptive culture structuration, a new approach for theorizing and analyzing culture change and for creating an “adaptive cultural structurated learning environment”. Design/methodology/approach – Incorporating a case study in the financial sector the paper explores 12 employees' narrated accounts of living through a culture change initiative. A constructivist, interpretive, qualitative research study followed grounded theory principles. Organizational documentation provided secondary data. Semi structured interview data were analyzed using content analysis, constant comparison and theoretical sensitivity and were managed by ATLAS.ti software. Findings – Three themes emerged: respondents' investment of self, accepting the culture change initiative and its values; employees' epistemic analyses of the embedded value promises including experiencing a critical incident that interrupted managers' enactment of values; employees' resulting “received practice” which represented the enacted (versus the espoused) values and was not visible to managers. Practical implications – An adaptive culture structurated learning environment fosters a relationship of “negotiated practice” instead of “received practice” between managers and employees in the constitution of corporate culture change. In this space, employee interpretations and assessments, which may otherwise remain hidden from managers and thereby prevent workplace learning opportunities, can be drawn upon, shared meaning co-produced and psychological contract issues explained. Originality/value – While much has been written on espoused culture change, this is the first theoretical model to examine the process from an employee perspective through an adaptive culture structurated lens.

Impediments to applying the ‘dignity of risk’ principle in residential aged care services

This discussion paper identifies four core factors currently impeding the application of the dignity of risk principle in residential aged care settings in Victoria, Australia: the fluctuating decision-making ability of residents; multiple participants in decision-making; discordance between espoused values and actions; and confusion and fear around legal responsibilities of care providers. Potential solutions identified include a conceptual shift in approach and consensus between key stakeholders, as well as more tangible solutions such as education and point-of-care decision support tools.

Mao Meets the Market

This study sought to examine the relative impact of several competing sources of values and ideologies—Chinese Traditional Values, Capitalist Values, Socialist Ideology and Deng Xiaoping’s Philosophy—on Chinese businesspersons. In contrast to previous research that has focused almost exclusively on cultural influences, this research was aimed at also understanding political influences. Questionnaire data from 487 respondents drawn from two cities and three industrial sectors was analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Positive and significant relationships were revealed between Socialist Ideology and both Chinese Traditional Values and Deng’s Philosophy. While a negative and significant relationship was shown between Socialist Ideology and Capitalist Values, Capitalist Values were positively and significantly related to Deng’s Philosophy. Chinese businesspersons live with some apparent contradictions between espoused values and the realities of economic life. The paper explores how they are reconciled and examines their implications for various stakeholders.

Evaluating Chris Argyris's ideas: an Islamic perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate Chris Argyris's ideas from an Islamic perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe main approach is a literature review combined with an analysis based on Islamic principles. At the end, there is a short case study that demonstrates the possible application for practitioners.FindingsChris Argyris's work touches on a fundamental point: the lack of congruence between espoused values and theories‐in‐use. Such incongruence is amplified by the existence of organizational defense routines. From an Islamic perspective, such an incongruence is very problematic. The paper discusses two mechanisms in the Islamic tradition – sincerity to others and mutual consultation – to overcome this problem. The case study also suggests that more modern techniques can be useful as well. The implications for management education are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsIt is proposed that the points raised by Chris Argyris should be taken very seriously by all researchers. Generally, it is proposed that management education should concern itself more with the congruence between values and behaviour.Practical implicationsThe case study demonstrates that there are techniques that can be used to overcome organizational defence routines.Originality/valueThis is the first time Argyris's ideas have been examined from an Islamic perspective.

Exploring the role of espoused values on e-service adoption: A comparative analysis of the US and Nigerian users

Technology adoption in developing and developed countries needs to be studied and contrasted in order to identify similar and unique factors which impact adoptions. Information technology acceptance and the influence of espoused values (EV) have been investigated in developed countries but such studies are rare for developing countries. The present study surveyed 201 Nigerians and 188 Americans using constructs based on accepted theories, with the aim of comparing the influence of national culture on the acceptance of e-services in each country. The combined data indicate that user satisfaction with e-services is affected by perceived usefulness and information/system quality (with R2=0.64). User satisfaction, in turn, affects users’ behavioral intention to continue to use e-services (R2=0.50). EVs moderate the effect of perceived usefulness and information/system quality on satisfaction. In general, the moderating effects of EVs are more pronounced for Nigerian respondents than for US respondents, due to national cultural differences.

Alternative relationships among integrative beliefs, time‐based manufacturing and performance

PurposeGlobalization and accelerating product life cycles require use of time‐based manufacturing practices (TBMP) accompanied by organizational integration. Evidence has suggested that cultural integrative beliefs (IB) influence the presence of TBMP but research has not investigated two alternative theory‐based views: TBMP influences the formation of integrative beliefs; and TBMP and integrative beliefs interact to enhance performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between espoused values, TBMP and performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors empirically re‐analyze work carried out in 2004 by Nahm et al., using structural equations modeling and factor scores regression.FindingsSupport is found for the competing model that implies IB is a consequent of TBMP rather than an antecedent. This new theoretical perspective is not reconciled via the interaction model.Practical implicationsThe authors' re‐examination suggests TBMP and IB are mutually reinforcing, implying that resources can be devoted to simultaneously implementing TBMP and IB, rather than a time‐consuming sequential strategy.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to empirically test three perspectives on how organizational culture and operations management practices interrelate. Conventional conceptions of cultural beliefs' role are questioned and a new perspective is offered. Additionally, the FSR method gives a structured approach to latent variable interaction modeling.

The inheritance of a promise of democracy-to-come: of resistance and tolerance

This article examines Derrida's conception of democracy-to-come. It argues that democracy is but a promise, a promise to come that never actually arrives. Democracy always remains autoimmune and lacking in-itself. Such democracy always defers its own espoused values exactly in order to protect itself and to become more concrete. The article connects Derrida's discussion of democracy-to-come with resistance and tolerance. Building on Nietzsche and Mouffe the article argues that the agonistic struggle, which is crucial for the democracy that is becoming, is enabled by certain tolerance for differences. The article points to a new status and a new way of thinking of public policy that conceives of public policymaking as an incessant process of exploration of different possibilities of becoming. It concludes that the inheritance of a promise of democracy-to-come is this openness to imagining new horizons, horizons that are impossible to prevision.

Becoming a learning organization

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which espoused values among police managers in the Norwegian police force are compatible with those of a learning organization.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was developed and administered to police managers in two police districts in Norway. A set of values was developed to measure police culture and their significant correlation with those of a learning organization. All values were believed to represent cultural dimensions of potential importance to law enforcement performance.FindingsIt was found that police managers espoused values of informality and empowerment rather than authority and hierarchical order. These values are the only police values that are found to be significantly correlated with those of a learning organization. Moreover, these findings contradict the previous literature within policing, which describes a police culture of hierarchy, authority and closeness. Also, these values only represent two of the eight values that were found to be crucial for becoming a learning organization.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a need for police managers to both espouse and enact values in accordance of those of a learning organization, but this study only investigates espoused values. Hence, further research is needed to investigate the possibilities for the Norwegian police force to become a learning organization.Originality/valueThe paper provides empirical research to generate insights into espoused values of the Norwegian police force and identifies those values that are crucial for their possibilities of becoming a learning organization.