Value Alignment
Team Students Name
Integrated Business Topics/BUS 475
University of Phoenix
Teacher Name
Date
Value Alignment
In the following paragraphs team A will provide a brief analysis in regard to the origins and evolution of values at a personal level and in the workplace. The team will explain throughout the paper how an individual’s values can drive actions and behaviors, and the alignment between values, actions and behaviors.
The team will include in the mentioned analysis the degree of alignment between Wal-Mart’s stated values, and the company’s plans, and actions. Last the team will explain the differences, between personal …show more content…
One sociologist’s research suggested values are formed during four periods. This sociologist, Morris Massey, believed these values originate at pre-birth and continue to the age of approximately 21. The first period begins at pre-birth and continues through four years, and is considered the basic programming period. During this time, a child is not capable of differentiating between important and not important information so all experiences are absorbed and values are formed. Subsequently, a person’s first job experience, which is usually at about the age of 16 to 18 years, plays a large role in forming workplace values. Without any previous exposure to workplace ethics, his or her first experiences are absorbed without differentiation (Squidoo, 2010). The second stage is the imprint period that takes place …show more content…
Labeled the modeling period, a person begins to mirror or model behaviors of other people. A person’s constant exposure to ethical or unethical behavior during this time is often mimicked. According to the Squidoo (2010) website, “from Massey’s research he suggests that our major values about life are picked up during this period at about age 10” (How Values Are Formed, para. 6). Further, he infers that world happenings and where a person was at the time is a basis for forming values. With the recent state of the United States’ economy over the past few years, it leaves one to wonder the repercussions to workplace ethics. Individual ethics may improve because people will appreciate their jobs and decide to make better decisions in the workplace. Conversely, people may believe they are trapped in their current position and may make poor ethical