Work in the Nonprofit, Government, and Business World and Personal Values

Background of the study

The core purpose of this study is to explore the differences between personal and individual values among employees of public, non-profit, and business corporations. Contemplating these differences is a fundamental aspect especially when it comes to the process of designing various organizational practices including retaining and recruiting the talented experts. In addition, understanding the differences between individual and work values, the management personnel manage to provide both sets of these values in order to not only achieve the set organizational goals and objectives within the set duration, but also to retain and satisfy the needs of every employee (Jaskyte, 2014). In addition, most job motivational research studies to a large extent focus on work values paying little or no attention to individual values, and this is one of the major factors that is contributing to job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and even high turnover rates of most talented workforce.

Research questions

• What are the differences in individual values of employees working in public, non-profit and business organizations?
• What are the differences in work values of employees working in public, non-profit and business organizations?
• What are the differences in individual values of employees in all the three areas based on age, gender, and job position?

Hypothesis

There are differences between individual and work values among employees working in public, non-profit and business organizations.

How this study has set up its importance?

The author of this article have set up its importance in a number of ways. First, the earlier researchers have been focusing on work values alone, without paying any attention to the individual values, and considering that this article does not only focus on both individual and work values, but also goes an extra mile to examine the differences between the two sets of values make it unique and important. In addition, the author of this article have also stipulated the importance of this study especially when it comes to the aspect of designing organizational practices as well as making organizational decisions such as reward and recognition, employee evaluation, promotion, recruitment, job design, among others (Jaskyte, 2014). Moreover, this article has also stipulated that contemplating the differences between individual and work values helps organizational managers to reduce barriers that largely exists between personal and work life, enhance employee productivity, and more importantly, enhance employee satisfaction.

I am highly convinced by the importance of this article, because in the present world, the level of competition of talented workforce has increased more than ever before, and it is through learning the differences between personal and work values that organizational managers can manage to retain talented workforce. This would reduce situations where experts from one organization fall into the lucrative promises that are placed before them by the competitors to the extent that they opt to quit their current organizations and get recruited by the immediate competitor. In addition, this article will help most organizational managers to start treating employees as valued assets of the organization, rather than less beings who are there to follow orders.

In addition, I like the manner in which the author of this article have organized it, as well as the writing style that they embarked on. Every reader can manage to clearly understand the major points that the author of the article is trying to convey to various organizations and managers, since there are no complex and technical terms used.

Conceptual framework of the article

The conceptual framework in this study have been well demonstrated, especially the manner in which the author has illustrated how various variables are related to each other. For example, in the literature review section, the author starts by stipulating examples of individual and work values and gives examples of each. Moreover, in order to show the relationship between these set of values, the author devised a table which illustrates individual value items, individual items, work values and work value items, in such a way that the reader can manage to establish the relationship between them even without reading the entire part of the literature review. In most of the other studies, a conceptual framework is illustrated in form of a diagram, rather than a table, especially due to the fact that the former facilitates effective illustration of the relationships of various variables.

The main argument being tested in this study is whether or not there exists some differences between individual and work values among employees working in the public, non-profit and business organizations. This argument is logical to a greater extent, especially due to the fact that it can be easily tested in order to establish whether the initial hypothesis is true or not. for example, there are numerous variables that can be used to measure this hypothesis, including individual values, work values and job and demographic values.

Ways in which the extant literature informs the study

The extant literature has informed the study in a number of ways. The author of this article have used a number of past literatures in order to reinforce his main arguments as well as establishing the association or relationship between different variables. For example, the author used the work of Schwartz (2007) in order to illustrate various motivational values, such as conformity, self-direction, tradition, universalism, security and others (Jaskyte, 2014). In addition, the extant literature has helped the author of this article to back up his claims. For example, in order to show or convince his readers that there are a number of differences between individual and work values, the author borrows information from past studies, which shows that some individuals prefer working in private organizations while others prefer public organizations, and the individual interests are based on his or her values.

What is missing

Though the author of this article has clearly demonstrated that there are a number of differences between individual work values among employees, he has failed to discuss whether the individual values are in any way influenced by the work values. In addition, though some individuals prefer working in a given organization based on the work values that exists in those organizations, the author ought to have discussed whether there are motivational differences between different organizations, such as private and public organizations. Moreover, this article has revealed that most young individuals (both males and females) consider the level of income while applying for a job. However, the article fails to reveal whether this could be the major reason as to why most youths are unemployed compared to the older population.

Other literature that strengthens or weakens the argument

In order to strengthen this literature, I found additional literature that can as well be incorporated. Precisely, Buelens (2007) argued that employees working in private organizations value economic values compared to those working in public organizations. By considering that most employees are highly motivated when given monetary rewards, most individuals would prefer working in private organizations compared to public ones. Alternatively, individuals who value job security would prefer working in public organizations compared to the private ones.

References

Jaskyte K., (2014). Individual and Work Values of Nonprofit, Public, and Business Employees: How Similar or Different are they? Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 38:283–296, 2014. DOI: 10.1080/03643107.2013.866606

Buelens M., (2007). An Analysis of Differences in Work Motivation Between Public and Private Sector Organizations. Public Administration Review. Retrieved from, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2f8a/46c75ba8baabc36a34bee9b2cc8272c3a028.pdf