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
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
References: 2012 (film). (n.d.). Retrieved Sept. 21, 2012 from the OLPC Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_(film) Central Michigan University. (2009). Organizational Dynamics and 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. .