Values Used In Business Decision Making

Abstract

This paper will identify my top five values and how they are used in business decision making. Examples will be given to explain the personal foundation of the values and justification as to why the corresponding values were place at their respected position on the list.

Values Used in Business Decision Making

Values have an influence on how we make decisions in our personal and professional lives. It is a difficult task to narrow the list of values to the top five. However, this paper will identify my top five professional values and their influences on my business decision making process. Examples will be given to explain the personal foundation of the values and justification as to why the corresponding values were place at their respected position on the list.

In the attempt to narrow the field to the top five values, I researched the definition of values so I could properly identify what my professional values were and their influences. According to Fukukawa, Shafer, and Lee (2007) values are characterized as "the determinants of specific attitudes and behavior" (p. 383). Keeping this in mind, my list became very long. After careful consideration and thought, the field was narrowed down to the following top five professional values: religion/spirituality, family, integrity, loyalty, and personal growth.

Value One - Religion/Spirituality

Religion/spirituality keeps me grounded. I was raised in the church and whenever there are situations that I must address, I turn to religion/spirituality. Knowing decisions I make will affect those around me, some more than others, I try to make the decision that I can live with both in this life and the after life.

While working at my present job, I have often been given the task of making a decision that affects the employee. For example, for the pass six months, the company I am currently working for begin reorganization and downsizing. This has placed an enormous amount of stress on the employees, to include myself. Prior to the reorganization and downsizing, the managing consulting firm informed upper management that there is a possibility of this taking place within the next several months. The rumors started at that point. A training consultant that I supervised requested a meeting with me to discuss the rumor. The employee asked if she should take a position that she was offered at another company or stay with this organization and if she stayed with the company could I guarantee her position was safe from downsizing. I knew her position with this organization was not safe, however, I was advised by the managing consulting firm that I could not divulge the information about the downsizing and reorganization at that time. Before the meeting I prayed for guidance. I knew I could not guarantee her position was safe, nor could I make the decision for her to take the new position. I had to live with my decision in this life and the next. I informed the employee to make the decision that she would be comfortable with, one which will be best for her career and to consider all the possibilities, even the rumors whether true or not. I am able to live with providing this guidance. I did not violate any rule of the organization and I was able to do unto others as I wish done unto me.

Value Two - Family

Your upbringing is important especially when it comes to your perception of right and wrong. In an article by Badaracco and Webb (1995), states "the most important source of ethical wisdom was the family, particularly the young managers' parents" (p. 19). I agree, for the reason that my mother was the guiding strength for me. My mother was a strong black woman, who raised nine children with the assistance of my grandparents and community elders. I was taught that you will get punished for what you have done wrong whether you were caught or not. Not only will you get punished, you will also have to deal with the consequences of your actions, right than or later in life.

I have experience the consequences of not stopping something that I knew was wrong. In 2004, as a training consultant, I was responsible for ensuring the employees received all mandatory training within the allotted time mandated by the Department of Juvenile Justice. One of these trainings was the Protective Action Response class, conducted by the Director who is the certified instructor for the class. The Director had an assistant, who was not certified assist him in conducting the classes. There were times when the Director left the class in the hands of the assistant, which is prohibited. This practice went on for about six months. I continued to discourage this practice with no success. One year later, the Department of Juvenile Justice conducted and audit which revealed the discrepancies. The company had to go back and retrain all of the employees who received this training during this six month time period. This cost the company a great amount of money, time and effort to get this accomplished. Although the discrepancies did not reveal itself at that time, but it did rear it's ugly head later.

Value Three - Integrity

At the age of 18, I join the United States Air Force. I have since retired after 21 years of service. While in the Air Force, we had a basic guide to our core values called The Little Blue Book. This guide provides the military family the definition, why these core values, and the strategy. The first core value is integrity. As a military member, I was taught that integrity is one of the values in which we will live and die for. The United States Air Force Core Values (1997) defines integrity as "the willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking" (3). This lesson has carried over into my civilian life. Conversely this value is not as important to some employees as it is to others.

In the business world,