Introduction
When it comes to discussing about values, they should be reported to different levels: individual, organizational or national, as at each level there are different values that prevail (Clothier, 2011). In the case of United States of America, in 2010, the top three most values prevailing individual values were family, caring and honesty customer satisfaction and continuous improvement, the top organizational values were ethics and continuous learning, and the most representative national values were bureaucracy, corruption and blame (Clothier, 2010). While Bellah et al. (2007) indicate that the most important political and philosophical principles of the USA are republicanism, individualism, freedom and religion and entrepreneurship, personally I solely relate with the freedom and religion and entrepreneurship, but other principles, complete my personal values.
Claims
As the societies advance in different times, the social values are changing. Like this, studies indicate that the most prevailing values are changing even in the course of 12 months. For instance, Clothier (2010) shows that in 2009, the most prevailing organizational values were achievement, efficiency and professionalism, but this situation changed in 2010, when the most important values were ethics and continuous learning. Similarly, at individual level, patience dropped from 11th (in 2009) to 15th position (in 2010), while accountability rose from the ninth position in 2009 to the sixth place in 2010 (Clothier, 2010). Particularly, for the physical therapy profession, professionalism has also been the top value since 2003 (APTA, 2004). As societal values change over time, so do the individual values.
Analysis
Personally, my most prevailing individual values are independence, family and honesty. In an organizational context, the values that I mostly praise and exert are accountability, professionalism and entrepreneurship. My personal values guide the way in which I live my life as an individual, and these values are similar with the ones that define the top three most prevailing individual values in United States. Independence is also present in the top that classifies America’s values, but it ranks on the seventh position, while for me it is the most important personal value (Clothier, 2010).
These personal values also evolved through time. Five years ago I would value more hard work, but now I consider quality more important. Individually, I would consider as very important achieving, while now I value more the honesty. Aligned with Clothier’s (2010) finding, my patience has decreased in the recent times, as I am no longer as wishful to wait for change as I was when I was younger.
Conclusion
The fact that some of my personal individual values and organizational values coincide with those that are prevailing form Unites States indicates that I adhere to the social values that sediment this nation. On the other hand, the fact that I exert different values than the ones highlighted as the most important in USA (transparency and creativity) confirms the fact that this nation encourages diversity. The individual can express his or her own values, without contradicting the others, to which the society generally identifies with.
References
American Physical Therapy Association (2004) Professionalism in physical therapy: Core values. Virginia: APTA.
Bellah, R.N., Madsen, R., Sullivan, W.M., Swidler, A. and Tipton, S.M. (2008) Habits of the heart: Individual and commitment in American life. London: University of California Press.
Clothier, P. (2011) Global values development. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/PhilClothier/global-values-development-phil-clothier-bvc-at-salar-stockholm-jan-2011.
Clothier, P. (2010) America’s values: Results from the Barrett US National Values Assessment 2009-2010. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/PhilClothier/americas-values-results-from-the-us-national-values-assessment-2009-2010.
Ofori-Dankwa, J. (2015) Comparative case studies in entrepreneurship in developed and developing countries. Hershey: IGI Global.
