What are values?
Section audio
Values describe the ends (i.e., the goals) we wish to achieve and the means (i.e., the methods) we are willing to use to achieve them.[1][2][3] Values, in short, guide the actions of individuals.
When individuals come together to create organizations, they do so with the intent that the organization will implement a set of values. People create an organization to pursue a goal and define the means it will use towards that end.
Key Takeaways
- Values describe the ends we pursue and the means we find appropriate to achieve those ends.
- Values guide the actions of individuals and organizations.
- Kalberg, S. (1980). Max Weber’s Types of Rationality: Cornerstones for the Analysis of Rationalization Processes in History. American Journal of Sociology, 85(5), 1145–1179. ↵
- Townley, B. (2008). Reason’s Neglect: Rationality and Organizing. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. ↵
- Weber, M. (1978). Economy and Society. (G. Roth & C. Wittich, Eds.). Berkley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. ↵
