When we talk about personal values, we think of what is important to us. Values are defined in scholarly literature as objectives worth striving toward; principles that stem from people’s basic biological and social needs. Personal values provide a basis for formation of social groups and motivated behaviour by the groups. Values also have an important role in choosing jobs – employees who have chosen theirs based on their personal values to identify with an organization or contribute to a certain field are already highly motivated when they first enter the organization. Managers and other superiors must be able to harness that inner commitment to achieve objectives. This is especially important for volunteer organizations where personnel are not bound by an ordinary employment contract, whose work is not remunerated and who are free in their decisions in contributing to a field that fits in well with their own personal aspirations and desires.
When we talk about personal values, we think of what is important to us. Values are defined in scholarly literature as objectives worth striving toward; principles that stem from people’s basic biological and social needs. Personal values provide a basis for formation of social groups and motivated behaviour by the groups. Values also have an important role in choosing jobs – employees who have chosen theirs based on their personal values to identify with an organization or contribute to a certain field are already highly motivated when they first enter the organization. Managers and other superiors must be able to harness that inner commitment to achieve objectives. This is especially important for volunteer organizations where personnel are not bound by an ordinary employment contract, whose work is not remunerated and who are free in their decisions in contributing to a field that fits in well with their own personal aspirations and desires.
This analysis is part of a larger study and provides answers to the following questions:
1) What values are espoused by people who serve as professional Defence Forces members or contribute as volunteers to the activities of military organizations? Do they prioritize values differently?
2) To what extent do personal values align with the organization’s values and mission?
3) In what ways can an organization increase employees’ motivation in light of their personal values?