CONTEXT BUILDING BY VALUE STATEMENTS A STUDY OF CORPORATE INTENT

The usage of value statements by companies has become a common practice. These value statements are aimed at providing a context or implicit framework to guide behaviors. A clear set of values provides exact standards against which corporate behaviors can be judged for their appropriateness. The purpose of this study is to explore what values are espoused by organizations through these statements and are these values given only to provide business success related context or beyond to encompass other ‘existentialist’ concerns. The espousal of values assumes greater significance in the light of various corporate misdemeanors and scandals. The study finds four types of espoused values: the outcome values, performance values, external values and spiritual values. One most striking outcome of the pareto analysis is the supremacy of customer satisfaction, delight or value as the most commonly value incorporated by companies across all the categories. Although the external and spiritual values considered in this study are not commonly cited in the value statements, these are beginning to enter in the corporate consciousness.