Bridging the Values Gap: How Authentic Organizations Bring Values to Life - Softcover

Auster, R. Edward Freeman And Ellen R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1459696344 ISBN 13: 9781459696341

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant, 2015

Synopsis

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 most companies' values are handed down from on high, with no employee input or discussion. This practically invites disconnects between intention and reality. To bridge this values gap, Freeman and Auster provide a process, Values through Conversation, that focuses on four key types of values: introspective (reflecting on who we are and how we do things), historical (understanding our past and how it influences us), relational (asking how we can best work together), and aspirational (articulating our hopes and dreams). By developing values through discussions - casual or formal, one - on - one or in groups - VTC ensures that they are dynamic and evolving, not static words on a wall or a website. Freeman and Auster offer advice, real - world examples, and sample questions to help you create values that are authentic and embraced because they are rooted in the lived experience of the organization.

About this title

Review

"Freeman and Auster demonstrate how companies imbed or disregard values in their operations. With these examples, we learn why bridging the values gap makes a difference in economic and social value creation and long-term success. This book is a must-read for practitioners as well as academics."
--Patricia H. Werhane, Wicklander Professor of Business Ethics and Managing Director, Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, DePaul University

"Bridging the Values Gap should be essential reading for business leaders. Freeman and Auster demonstrate how business executives can use shared values to create platforms that engage employees and drive results. In my twenty-five-plus-year career at Procter & Gamble, I saw how its purpose, values, and principles provide the foundation for P&G's success. Simply put, values drive shareholder value."
--Lisa Hillenbrand, former Director, Global Marketing, Procter & Gamble

"A lot has been preached about the importance - and unfortunate absence - of values in business. Freeman and Auster spare us the preaching and instead show us how values come to life in real companies. Most important, they then provide managers with specific tools for bringing values to life inside their organizations."
--Joshua Margolis, James Dinan and Elizabeth Miller Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

"Consistently living up to strong values--both organizationally and individually--is among the hardest challenges facing business leaders today. This is also why it is such a powerful force for competitive advantage. If you aspire to make values a key part of your business or your own career, Freeman and Auster will help you avoid the most common mistakes and see more clearly the panoply of opportunities that Values Through Conversation can create."
--Robert Phillips, Professor of Management and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, University of Richmond

"Freeman and Auster identify a problem facing most businesses--what they call the 'values gap'--and they demonstrate how it impedes business success. They provide concrete ways that managers can bridge the values gap in their corporations. Their solution directly integrates values into business practice. This book will appeal to managers at all levels, and they will find that it is an excellent resource for their personal and professional growth and development."
--Adrian Keevil, Partner, PlusTick Partners

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. He is the author of numerous books, including Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, and is the recipient of many awards and honors. 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. She is widely published and is the recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Educator Award conferred by the Academy of Management.

Edition details

• Publisher: ReadHowYouWant
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459696344
• ISBN 13: 9781459696341
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 296