Patrick E. Connor

Personal Values and Management What do we Know and Why don't we Know more?

Research into the relationship between personal values and organizational phenomena has enjoyed a lengthy history. As a result, there is fair agreement among management scholars about two things: what values are and with what they vary. There are also substantial gaps in understanding, including how (if) values cause behavior and what happens to them when the individual joins an organization or enters an occupation. The authors identify some possible reasons for these gaps, having to do with the level(s) at which the values construct is conceptualized, methodological irregularities in values research, and neglect by management scholars, and discuss attendant corrective actions.

Self-selection or socialization of public- and private-sector managers?: A cross-cultural values analysis

Abstract This paper brings together two streams of research. First, systematic differences have been observed when comparing private- and public-sector managers. Second, when such systematic differences are found as between members of different organizations or occupations, they may be ascribed either to self-selection or to socialization processes. Our research, which measures respondent values and is set in a cross-cultural context (Canada and Japan), suggests that the influence of socialization is dominant.

Professionals in organizations: Some research suggestions

There seem to be four forces acting to transform research into something primarily concerned with specific material objectives, or missions. One of the ways by which the transformation of scientific research will be manifested is in the behavior of the professionals. Specifically, such technical organizations as industrial R&D firms, hospitals, and think tanks will develop norms and behaviors consistent with the traditional organizational demands, and less with the traditional professional ethos. The discussion concludes by describing several research propositions that merit empirical investigation.

Public-sector managerial values: United States, Canada, and Japan

This paper reports an investigation of the personal-values systems of 567 public-sector managers from the U.S., Canada, and Japan. The results of this research indicate that, despite some specific differences, there is an overarching, coherent North American public-sector managerial values systems. Moreover, it is similar in some ways to that of its Japanese counterparts. However, these values systems - North American and Japanese - are clearly distinct

A Course On Human Values for the Management Curriculum

to managerial practices (Becker and Connor 1979). In spite of the increased interest, the subject of values has not received serious attention in management curricula. Values may be discussed briefly in basic management texts in their treatment of changing organizational environments or in courses on business, government, and society. However, to our knowledge no pioneering effort in teaching a course focusing specifically on values as a scientific variable has been reported in the management education literature. We use the term &dquo;values as a scientific variable&dquo;

Developing Managers: A Case Study in Laying the Groundwork

“Natural” and “managed” management development are contrasted, with the latter guiding the attempt by a large North American financial service to answer the question, “What can we do to develop our managers most effectively?” In‐depth interviews with a stratified sample of managers produced strong suggestions about what is being done well, what is being done poorly, and what needs to be done. Representative responses are presented together with the recommendations and conclusions they engender for this company and others.