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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Values

In the last byte, we looked at persuasion routes and understood the difference between them. In today's byte, we move to understanding the concept of value.

In our surroundings, we find people doing various activities. On watching some of these, we find that it creates a negative feeling in our mind; if you were in such a situation, you possibly wouldn’t do it. While the action was right for an individual, it looked completely wrong in your eyes! What is it that creates a sense of right and wrong, good and bad in the minds of an individual? It is the value that the individual possesses.

Values could be understood as enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence. - This definition was proposed by Rokeach, an early scholar on human values.

Values exist at a deeper level than attitudes and are more general and basic in nature. The behavior of the individuals is generally evaluated with the use of values. It is these values that give the sense of right and wrong, good and bad.

If one is to think about what are the various factors and sources that would influence values - these are generally picked up when an individual grows and matures. These values also change over time - the experiences of life are the major factors which create this change. Cultures, Society, and Organizations also influence the shaping of these values.

Businesses realize the importance of understanding the values compatibility of their employees, and are increasingly trying to understand the relation of values with the corporate behavior, ethics etc.

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