How Company Values Shape Workplace Culture and Behavior

Company values have been pushed to corporate mission statements- documents framed on office lobbies that some employees may not internalize and live by. But the fact is much more influential. These values that an organization proclaims, and practices in its day to day activities, become the invisible architecture in which employees think, relate, make decisions, and act with on a daily basis. True values in the company when they are genuine, well-expressed, and supported by the processes of leadership and organization, create a strong force multiplier of culture, engagement, and organizational effectiveness. This association is vital to the success of any organization aiming to establish the work environment in a manner that individuals are inspired, coherent, and truly committed towards shared accomplishments.

Values As the Base of Organizational Identity

Company values are those values that an organization is characterized by and what it is more concerned with than profit margin. They provide answers to the general questions: What do we believe in? On what principles do we make decisions? How do we treat each other? The values turn into the attributes of identity that can be different in different organizations and appeal to those employees who share the beliefs.

When organizational values are acquired and accepted by the employees, employees will have a greater sense of purpose and belonging. They are not merely doing it to get a paycheck, they are helping something that they believe in. This conformity of personal values to organizational values brings about an intrinsic motivation that cannot be achieved by extrinsic reward such as salary or bonuses. Workers who operate in values-congruent organisations are more engaged, less likely to turn over and more likely to invest discretionary effort in their jobs.

Values Guide Everyday Decision-Making and Action

The real challenge of company values is not in mission statements and every day choices. In the case of an organization that places integrity at high regard, the employees of that organization will be forthright in viewing honesty as the best despite the fact that it would have been easy or more profitable to lie. In the event that an organization upholds inclusion, hiring and promotions are based on true dedication to diversity. Once an organization appreciates innovation, employees are given a psychological freedom to make innovative risks and break the status quo.

To organizations interested in knowing more about values in practice and to find tangible examples of values in practice, the company values examples from Workhuman show how major organizations can inculcate values into their culture. These practical cases show how such values as recognition, collaboration and human-centeredness can be applied to concrete policies, practices and behaviors that define the experience of employees.

Developing Responsibility and Reliability

Value systems also establish systems of accountability. When organizational values are clear and well comprehended, leaders and employees have the opportunity to compare decisions, behaviors, and policies against the organizational values. This consistency is of great significance. The lack of trust in employees occurs when they see that there is disconnect between the values and organizational behavior that is stated. Culture on the other hand is coherent and reliable when the leaders are ready to lead by example, and they expect themselves and others to adhere to the same values.

Conclusion

The values of the company are not aspirational statements; they are the core forces that influence the workplace culture, employee behavior and organizational effectiveness. Organizations can enable workplaces whereby employees are motivated, feel aligned and have a vested interest in common success through the creation of authentic values and the continued demonstration of those values through leadership, decision-making and systems. This culture of values has become important in the current competitive talent market in order to attract and retain engaged and motivated employees.