Lesson 3

VALUES AND VALUE SYSTEM

VALUES

• are those things that really matter to each one of us; the ideas and beliefs we hold as special;
caring for others, for example is a value, so is the freedom to express our opinions.

• Most of us learned our values or morals at home, church, or at school.

• Values are ideals that guide or qualify our personal conduct, interaction with others, and
involvement in our career. Like morals, they:

 Help us to distinguish what is right from what is wrong

 Inform us on how we can conduct our life in a meaningful way.

CATEGORIES OF VALUES

• 1. Personal Values

- are principles that define an individual. Personal values such as honesty, reliability and trust
determine how an individual will face the world and relate with people.

• 2. Cultural Values

- like the practice of one’s faith and customs, are principles that sustain connections with our
cultural roots. They help us feel connected to a larger community of people with similar backgrounds.

• 3. Social Values

- are principles that indicate how one relate to others in social situations, including those
involving family, friends and co-workers.

• 4. Work Values

- are principles that guide our behaviour in professional contexts. They define how we work
and how we relate to our co-workers, bosses and clients. They also reveal our potential for
advancement.

The following table provides examples for each type of values:

Personal Values Cultural Values Social Values Work Values

Caring Celebration of Diversity Altruism Autonomy

Courage Ethnic Roots Diversity Competitiveness

Creativity Faith Eco-consciousness Conscientiousness

Friendliness Linguistic Ties Equality Dedication

Honesty National Ties Fairness Equanimity/Ethics

Honor Regional Ties Family Closeness Loyalty

Independence Tradition Lovingness Professionalism

Integrity Morality Punctuality

Spirituality Reliability Remunerative Worth

Team Player
VALUE SYSTEM

• refers to how an individual or a group of individuals organize their ethical or ideological

values.

• A well-defined value system is a moral code.

• One or more people can hold a value system.

• A value system can likewise apply to either one person or many.

MORAL CODE

• A set of rules or guidelines that a person or group follows in order to live a just and good life

VALUE SYSTEMS

• A personal value system is held by and applied to one individual only.

• A communal value system is held by and applied to a community/group/society. Some

communal value systems can take the form of legal codes or law.

VALUE CONSISTENCY

• A value system in its own right is internally consistent when its values do not contradict each
other, and its exceptions are abstract enough to be used in all situations and consistently
applied.

VALUE CONTRADICTIONS

• A value system by itself is internally inconsistent or contradictory if its values contradict each
other, and its exceptions are highly situational and inconsistently applied.

PHILIPPINE VALUE SYSTEM

The great majority of the Philippine population is bound together by common values and a
common religion. Philippine society is characterized by many positive traits. Among these are strong
religious faith, respect for authority and high regard for:

• Amor propio (self-esteem) and smooth interpersonal relationships.

• Bonds of ritual kinship, sealed on any of three ceremonial occasions: baptism, confirmation
and marriage, intensify and extend personal alliances. This mutual kinship system known as
compadrazgo, meaning godparenthood or sponsorship dates back at least to the introduction
of Christianity and perhaps earlier.

• A dyadic bond between two individuals may be formed based on the concept of utang na loob
(Debt of Honor).

• In the commercial context, suki relationship (market-exchange partnership) may develop

between two people who agreed to become regular customer and supplier.

• Filipinos also extend the circle of social alliances with friendship.