3 Review(s)

Business has a values problem. It's not just spectacular public scandals like Enron (which, incidentally, had a great corporate values statement). Many companies fail to live up to the standards they set for themselves, alienating the public and leaving employees cynical and disengaged, resulting in lower productivity, less innovation, and sometimes outright corruption. The reason, argue top scholars and consultants Edward Freeman and Ellen Auster, is that all too often values are handed down from on high, with little employee input, discussion, or connection to the challenges and opportunities facing the organization. Although the words may be well-intentioned, they aren't reflected in the everyday practices, policies, and processes of the organization. This practically invites disconnects between intention and reality. To bridge this gap between the 'talk' and the 'walk', Freeman and Auster provide a process through which organizations can collectively surface deeply held values that truly resonate with everyone, from top to bottom. Their Values Through Conversation (VTC) process focuses on four key types of values conversations: introspective, historical, connectedness, and aspirational. About the Author R. Edward Freeman is university professor, Elis and Signe Olsson Professor, academic director of the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, and senior fellow of the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics at the University Of Virginia Darden School Of Business. Ellen R. Auster is professor of strategic management and founding director of the Schulich Centre for Teaching Excellence at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada.