Values.

 

Values are about long-lasting beliefs about what is a worthwhile and desirable. They are personal judgments about what is right and wrong, good and bad. Understanding values is important for leaders because they affect how leaders lead. This section examines value systems, investigates how culture affects values, and considers the interplay between values and ethics.

 

Value System and Culture

The way in which a person organizes and prioritizes values is that person's value system. Each of us has a personal value system around which we prioritize our actions. Some people are aware of their values and their priorities, whereas others are unclear about their own priorities and become cognizant of them only when conflicts arise.

 

Particularly, researchers have found consistent gender and cultural differences in values. For example, surveys of political attitudes in the United States consistently reveal what some people call the gender gap, a difference in the value systems of men and women. In the United States, women tend to place a higher value on family and social issues, whereas men focus more on economic problems. Leaders must understand their own values and those of their followers and how they influence styles and behaviors.

 

Cultural values indicate what a cultural group considers important, worthwhile, and desirable. We share the values of our culture.

 

In general, the Euro-American cultures within the United States, as well as many other Western cultures, value individuality. As a result, leaders from these cultures rate personal achievement and recognition highly, and organizations target individuals for rewards and recognition. By contrast, collectivist cultures place a higher value on the community and a lower value on the individual. For instance, the Japanese value and reward conformity to the group.