Professional values are much more than an abstract concept: they function as guiding principles that orient our decisions, attitudes, and aspirations, both inside and outside the workplace. They’re convictions we acquire throughout life and, although influenced by the social and cultural context, they remain relatively stable over time.
In this article, we analyse an academic study by Professor Sharon Arieli and her team, which examines in depth the relationship between values and work. Based on Schwartz’s model, we’ll explore how these are expressed in occupational choice, vocational interests, managerial leadership, and person–organisation fit.
What will I read about in this article?
Values can be defined as reference points that serve as a guide in people’s lives. They are, in a way, like train tracks: frameworks that orient direction.
They tend to be trans-situational — we carry them with us wherever we go. At the same time, they are usually universal, even if each culture emphasises them differently. A value recognised on a remote Pacific island is likely to hold true in the Community of Madrid as well.
They intertwine with other concepts such as personality traits or motivations, though they are not the same. Traits are the characteristics that define us in the present, whereas values are closer to our “ideal self”. Motivations, on the other hand, may be undesirable (envy or hatred), whereas values tend to be considered always desirable.
Each person arranges their values hierarchically: some are predominant and guide our behaviour more strongly. These values are usually influenced by social factors, transmitted from generation to generation, and remain quite stable over time.
“Values can be defined as reference points that serve as a guide in people’s lives. They are, in a way, like train tracks: frameworks that orient direction.
An interesting point highlighted by the authors of the review is the classification of Schwartz’s ten key values, based on earlier work by the American social psychologist Milton Rokeach. According to Schwartz, these key values can be grouped into four major blocks: openness to change, preservation, self-transcendence, and self-enhancement.
As the authors note, the Schwartz model generates a certain discomfort, since it puts into tension various values that are equally necessary but seemingly incompatible. If a person prioritises innovation, they inevitably come into conflict with someone who values preserving tradition. If one values personal success, it clashes with prioritising solidarity.
Some of these four major value groups may sound negative to some people; however, according to Schwartz, both at an organisational and individual level, balance among them is necessary. On a personal level, one must achieve “self-compensation”; on a collective level, it is necessary to have people with different values who can complement one another.
Values and occupational interest
According to the review, the choice of a professional career is one of the main ways to reflect personal and professional values. According to psychologist John L. Holland, there are six types of vocational interests, each linked to specific values:
- Conventional: inclined towards systematic, precise, and routine tasks. The predominant value is conservation. Typical career paths include accounting, administration, banking, or archiving.
- Artistic: seek creativity and personal expression and prefer free and innovative activities. The predominant value is openness to change. Typical professions include artists, writers, musicians, or designers.
- Investigative (analysis and knowledge): oriented towards research, abstraction, and problem-solving. The associated value is also openness to change. Career examples: scientists, researchers, mathematicians, engineers, or specialist doctors.
- Social (helping and caring for people): prioritise guiding, teaching, and supporting others. The main value is self-transcendence. Common professions include teachers, psychologists, family doctors, social workers, nurses, or physiotherapists.
- Enterprising (leadership and persuasion): prefer to lead, organise, and persuade, whether for economic or organisational goals. Their central value is self-enhancement. Typical career paths include executives, entrepreneurs, corporate lawyers, or politicians.
- Realistic (practical and technical action): enjoy manual, technical, and outdoor work with objects or machines. Their values combine elements of the previous categories. Examples include technical engineers, mechanics, electricians, or coaches.
Values and managers
Another interesting question raised by the authors in this review of professional values and work is whether managers generally share a specific set of values. The answer is both yes and no.
On one hand, a study with 32 groups of professionals found that, among the managers studied, there was a predominance of self-promotion over self-transcendence. However, this was not the case across the board, as seen with managers working in NGOs. It is clear that not all managers are driven by the same values; yet, at the same time, the research indicates that there are common traits in their predominant values.
In general, people seek to act in ways that allow them to express their values, even though this is not always possible. Research shows that when employees’ values align with those of the organisation, satisfaction, commitment, and effectiveness increase, turnover decreases, and communication among colleagues improves.
At the same time, the literature warns us that too much organisational homogeneity — that is, a perfect alignment between personal and organisational values — is not entirely positive either: it can lead to stagnation and lower adaptability. Therefore, employees who occasionally don’t fit perfectly with the organisation’s predominant values are welcome, since their presence, paradoxically, makes organisations more agile and adaptable.
The study of values and their relationship with work reminds us that, beyond technical skills or accumulated experience, what guides the lives of individuals and organisations are deeply internalised principles within each of us. Professional values are, to a large extent, an invisible reality that structures our career decisions, the way we relate to others, and the way we understand success.
For organisations, this has several implications. Firstly, understanding the values that predominate among their employees allows them to anticipate motivations, guide leadership, and design more coherent human resources policies. Secondly, recognising the diversity of values within a team shouldn’t be seen as a threat but as an opportunity: the balance between conservation and innovation, between self-transcendence and self-enhancement, is what makes groups more creative, resilient, and adaptable.
Professional values are, to a large extent, an invisible reality that structures our career decisions, the way we relate to others, and the way we understand success.
On an individual level, being aware of one’s own professional values helps make decisions more aligned with what truly matters to each person, avoiding career paths that, though seemingly successful, may generate dissatisfaction or internal strain. Values thus function as a compass that guides vocation, occupation, and the way one carries it out.
Finally, from a social perspective, dialogue among different values is what allows us to build richer and more democratic collective spaces. In an increasingly changing world, paying attention to values is not an academic luxury but a practical necessity for managing work, organisations, and human relationships in a more humane and sustainable way.
Sources:
- Arieli, S., Sagiv, L., & Roccas, S. (2020). Values at work: The impact of personal values in organisations. Applied Psychology, 69(2), 230-275.
- Schwartz, S.H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (vol. 25, pp. 1–65). New York, NY: Academic Press.
- Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York, NY: Free Press.
- Holland, J.L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments, 3rd edition. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources
Dr Marc Grau is Professor of Social and Family Policy at the Education Sciences Faculty, UIC Barcelona, and Coordinator of the Joaquím Molins Figueras Chair for Childcare and Family Policies. He was research fellow at Harvard Kennedy School (2016-2022) and has a Master in Business Administration from ESADE Business School, as well as a Master in Social and Political Science from the University Pompeu Fabra and Doctorate in Social Policy from Edinburgh University. He has published several books, including The Work-Family Balance in Light of Globalization and Technology (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017), The New Ideal Worker (Springer, 2019), Engaged Fatherhood (Springer, 2022) and Human Flourishing (Springer, 2023). He is currently Co-Editor of the magazine Community, Work and Family.