Value Alignment1 Value Alignment Michele Morehouse University of Phoenix BUS/475 Scott Romeo
Value Alignment2 Overview The values that everyone holds as human beings develop as a child. Most values have to be taught, such as rspect for your elders. As a child grows, the external influences around a child will enable them to develop values based on those influences. Through all of the influences I have experienced in both my personal and professional life that help evolve my current values to what influence in what I believe in. Analyze Origins of Workplace Values My personal and workplace values are both similar and different. The values that I use are both in my day to day life and work, My personal values include independent, self-respect, pride, respect, integrity, truth, loyalty, stability, security, order and structure, and positive impact on others and society. My workplace values include, respect, diversity, problem-solving, customer service, teamwork, integrity, truth, loyalty, security, order and structure, making decisions by having the power to decide a course of action and having a positive impact on others and society. Over the past year several of my core values both personally and for the workplace have changed. The evolution of my values came about when several personal problems appeared and when changes in the workplace occurred. When my personal problems occurred I had to evaluate mu life and my values to seek out what was most important in my life. I found that I needed to have more self-respect, self-esteem, pride, order and structure to achieve my personal goals. I reassessed my life and made drastic decisions. The changes in the workplace influence the evolution of my workplace goals. I went from being stable and being able to make decisions that influenced a course of action to hiding in myself. The changes occurred when another assistant manager transferred to my store. For the past year the assistant manager has cut me down. Based on my own values and those in the workplace, I am no longer going to stand by and be harassed.
Value Alignment3 Individual Values Drive Actions and Behaviors My individual values drive my actions and behaviors because of my belief can be a powerful influence on how I make a decision. Those values will influence my personality, which drives my actions and behaviors. I am a independent person, whom strives to embrace her freedom. Being independent drives me to seek no help from other. I often have a stubborn attitude or behavior when someone tries to offer help. On occasion I accept help, since a change in my personality will influence a change in my actions and behaviors. Degree of Alignment Stated Values vs. Actual Plans and Actions Starbucks is a worldwide coffee house company that has been in business for several years. Starbucks bottom line is an organization that puts people before the product. Starbucks strives to meet their values with 100% commitment. Starbucks has core values that revolve not around the product, but the people whom they interact with everyday. The mission of Starbucks is, To inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. This mission statement not only defines the purpose of Starbucks, but reveals their values and beliefs (Starbucks Mission 2009).. The values that Starbucks lives by are quality, diversity, human connection and a sense of belonging. By analyzing these core values, the actuality of how Starbucks implements these values helps establish a positive influence with the stakeholders. The stakeholders include Starbucks suppliers, partners, customers, stores, neighborhoods, and shareholders. The quality of products and services at Starbucks is important. Starbucks believes in providing ethically sourced coffee beans for protecting the environment. Starbucks is committed to protecting the planet from the way coffee is bought, minimizing environmental footprints to being socially responsible. In respect to their values of quality through ethical sourcing Starbucks has been in partnership with Conservation International for the past 10 years. The goal of Starbucks and
Value Alignment4 Conversation International is to help farmers grow coffee in ways that are better for both people and the planet. Since Starbucks has open the Farmers Support Center in Costa Rica the goal has been to develop and use more responsible methods to grow coffee. Aside from the 2004 opening of the Farmers Support Center, Starbucks in 2008 has expanded operations. In Rwanda, Africa Starbucks has established another Farmers Support Center (Starbucks: Ethical Sourcing 2009). Through establishing better methods of growth, the quality of coffee and products Starbucks offers will be successful. Starbucks embraces diversitu to create a work environment where everyone can be themselves. Starbucks is committed to diversity because it helps create innovative ideas and influences to the Starbucks tenure, style and individual roles. Starbucks has partnered with the Magic Johnson's Urban Coffee Opportunities to introduce Starbucks to ethnically diverse communities. Starbucks was ranked in the top 50 companies for Diversity in 2006 (Starbucks CSR Report 2009). DiversityInc magazine reports and analyzes the diverse issues that companies take part in. Through Starbucks operating and connecting in diverse environments, they can embrace diversity as a core value. When providing a nurturing environment for customers, in which they can connect, laugh and inspire, shows the importance of human connection within Starbucks. The human connection is important because Starbucks is not just about coffee, but sharing in the moments that make life worth sharing. Starbucks adds to the human connection by providing customers with a sense of belonging when they come to the Starbucks coffee houses. In the Starbucks coffee houses a customers can sit down enjoy the moment, meet with friends and relax. Personal Values vs. Organizations Values My personal values are similar to Starbucks because several shared philosophies. Starbucks embraces diversity, the human connection and strives to be a positive influence. Based on Starbucks core values my personal values differ in the aspect that Starbucks is striving to produce and project
Value Alignment5 their values to a group versus an individual. As a far as my individual values go the values that I share with Starbucks are pride, integrity, loyalty, truth and having a positive impact on others and society. The reason Starbucks has such values is because they value putting the person before the product. Through their social responsibility efforts and diversity Starbucks has had a positive impact on society and myself. Based on the comparison of my personal and workplace values, I was able to identify several factors that either caused the evolution of those values or created the need for certain values. By identifying my values I can learn to develop them to adapt the ever changing world based on both internal and external influences.
Value Alignment6 References Starbucks (2009), Mission Statement, Retrieved June 22, 2009 from http://www.starbucks.com/mission/default.asp Starbucks (2009), Shared Planet: Ethical Sourcing, Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet/ethicalsourcing.aspx Starbucks (2009), CSR Report: Diversity, Retrieved June 25, 2009 from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csrreport/csr.htm