Decision Making: Espoused Versus Enacted Values
Decision Making
Espoused versus Enacted Values No matter what type of organization it is there are always tough decisions to make. These decisions are based off of the companies preferred norms and values or the employees. In any case, a decision has to be made. Sometimes there is a battle to stick with an organizations preferred values and norms or go with the values and norms exhibited by the employees (p. 39). We will look at the movie 2012 and take a look at concepts that have been described in regards to espoused values versus enacted values from Kreitner and Kinicki text Organizational Behavior (eighth edition).
The movie 2012 begins in India where a geophysical team learns that the earth’s core is heating up at a rapid pace. Dr. Adrian Henley makes the decision to warn the President of the United States that the crust of the earth is becoming very unstable. This instability can lead to a major catastrophe and the entire race will be doomed. Dr. Hemley assumed the President would alert the nation immediately. He was acting on his personal values and felt that everyone should be warned. Dr. Hemley felt as though everyone should have an opportunity to prepare for the worst.
This is an example of an enacted value based off of emotions and what was ethically right. The government had their own agenda that was already established. . They only alerted the rich who were able to purchase a spot on arcs that were built for this type of disaster. This is an example of an espoused value within the organization. The government saw this as a way of meeting “humanity’s needs without harming future generations” (p. 39). They believed by saving the wealthy families they would have money to invest in rebuilding civilization. Again, Dr.
Henley just could not sit right with the fact that the wealthy were only being warned. It was a constant battle inside him and he had to at least alert those closest to him. Dr. Henley gave his father a call and he warned the geologist in India that first figured out the earth’s crust was heating up at a very rapid pace. This is another example of making a decision based off of an enacted value, emotions, and what was right ethically. Besides Dr. Henley and the government, another character in the movie was dealing with the same type of decision.
Writer Jackson Curtis was working as a driver for a wealthy business man. Curtis was instructed to pick up the children of his boss and bring them to the plane where they would leave for the arc. In the midst of completing his assignment he stumbles upon the same information regarding the disaster that was about to occur. Curtis had children of his own and of course he wanted to save them as well. So he used the company car to pick up his kids, rent a plane, and get them to safety. Curtis still followed his boss’ instructions while following his heart.
Hence, the struggle between espoused values versus enacted values is present in a smaller business as well. Organizations and their managers hope that their espoused values will directly influence the behavior and decisions of employees (p. 39) values from Kreitner and Kinicki text Organizational Behavior (eighth edition). However, employees are human and can form their own opinions based on their own observations. Employees are human and emotions can affect their behavior and decisions. Organizations can have a strong desire to deliver results and not be oo flexible in getting those results. But with outside influences of the employees, a struggle between those espoused values and enacted values can present themselves.
References
- Retrieved Sept. 21, 2012 from the OLPC Wiki http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2012_(film) Central Michigan University. (2009). Organizational Dynamics
- Human Behavior (2nd ed. ). McGraw-Hill. Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2009).
- Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills, and best practices (4th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
