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The UWA Business School
We may not be consciously aware of it, but every one of us has a set of core values that guide our thoughts and actions. These values may serve our own goals, such as enjoying life, being creative and being personally successful, or may serve the goals of our groups, such as being loyal and trustworthy and caring for our environment. No matter what our values are, we express them in what we think, what we do and what we think about others.

In a new four-year project, Winthrop Professors Julie Lee and Geoff Soutar from The University of Western Australia Business School, along with world renowned values theorist Emeritus Professor Shalom Schwartz from Hebrew University, and the creator of best-worst scaling Professor Jordan Louviere from the University of Technology, Sydney, are exploring new directions in the theory and measurement of personal values. This program of research will improve our understanding of the ways in which values influence our thoughts and actions. Initially, the project will examine the influence values have in two very different contexts: innovative behaviours and giving behaviours.

According to Professor Lee: ‘These very different behaviours [innovation and giving] are both thought to be strongly related to specific sets of personal values, but the evidence is sparse, as a large number of behaviours can be reflective of a specific set of values. For instance, innovative behaviours can be displayed in a work environment by suggesting ideas, creating new products, or writing a book. In a leisure environment, innovation can be demonstrated by painting, making pottery, or creating an innovative garden. Innovation can even be displayed in a shopping environment by creating new clothing combinations or buying new products.

‘The context in which innovative behaviours are likely to emerge depends on how different values combine within an individual. For instance, people who value self-direction and stimulation and are also achievement oriented are more likely to display innovativeness at work. And, you just have to look at the sheer number of charitable organisations to understand that there are many different ways to express altruistic values, and this is only part of the picture. We rarely think about other forms of giving, such as helping friends to paint a house or buying products that support charitable projects. It is important to examine how our values direct us to a wide range of relevant behaviours. This is no small task.'

The main project, titled ‘Extending the theory and measurement of personal values and testing relations of values to attitudes and behaviour,' has received a Discovery grant from the Australian Research Council (ARC). It will build on Schwartz's value theory, examining potential refinements in the theory and methodology, as well as new directions in examining relationships between values and behaviours. These new directions include examining how values combine within individuals and countries and how value combinations influence our behaviours. This work will examine the relative importance attached to a range of values, rather than the importance of any single value.

According to Professor Soutar, ‘Two people may attribute similar importance to the value of achievement, but it is the relative importance of other values that may lead to quite different choices. A person who places great importance on both achievement and stimulation may look for jobs that emphasise advancement through innovation, whereas a person who places great importance on achievement and personal security may look for jobs that emphasise advancement through explicit steps, such as qualifications.'

The researchers will also work with the Centre for Social Impact at the UWA Business School, exploring ways to apply the findings about innovative and giving behaviours in charity, not-for-profit and social enterprise settings. This is just one of the ways that the value of the research will flow into wider society. ‘On the domestic front, a better understanding of people's motivations to give or to promote change will help the social sector in particular,' said Professor Lee. ‘On the international front, understanding value priorities and behaviours of people from a wide range of backgrounds, including different countries, will help policy makers engage with people in our region more effectively.'

The study will run from 2011 until 2014.

Media references

Heather Merritt
Director, External Relations
UWA Business School
T: +618 6488 8171
E: [email protected]

Verity Chia
Communications Officer
UWA Business School
E: [email protected]