Assignment 2: Putting Values into Action

COMM 105 - Section 105

October 2nd, 2023
Part 1 - Value System Assessment

a) Schematic (Schwartz’s model)

*I added Inclusion as my 6th value as I feel my surrounding environment are getting more diverse.*

b) Written Analysis

Schwartz’s model can be used as a classifying tool to divide our values into different

higher-order categories based on the nature of each value (Schwartz, 1992; Coelho,

Hanel, Johansen, & Maio, 2019). The six values I selected neatly fall into three

distinct categories in the model. As I categorize my values, I observe that some

complement each other and often intersect in many situations. For instance, curiosity

encourages individuals to think creatively, maintain an open mind, and seek new

opportunities. At the same time, self-enhancement values like persistence and

ambition can inspire curious individuals to embrace and take on challenges in new

environments. On the opposite end of the spectrum, self-transcendent values like

inclusion and reliability emphasize concern for others beyond our own self-interest, in
contrast to self-enhancement values. The values “ambition” and “inclusion” present

the most potential for conflict. Self-enhancement and self-transcendence values lie on

opposing sides in the model: ambition leans towards individual success, while

inclusion prioritizes creating a collaborative environment that benefits

everyone. Therefore, the competitive nature of ambition for recognition may hinder

the spirit of cooperation and collaboration of inclusion when making decisions. For

example, conflicts could arise if I led a team in a competitive event and a less skilled

individual sought to join. Such a situation would pose a challenge, as I would have to

weigh different values and perspectives. Nevertheless, contradicting values play an

essential role in helping me reflect on my instincts and discover my true values when

making decisions.

Part 2 - a) Goal Hierarchy

b) Written Analysis

My hierarchy is structured into three main sections, consisting of a well-rounded

portfolio of personal and professional objectives. At the top of the hierarchy, I

identified my ultimate, long-term aspirations that I wish to attain. I have chosen to

incorporate several layers of subgoals beneath these aspirations, as they serve as

essential milestones guiding me toward achieving these ultimate goals. When I

established my goals, I took into account the SMART goal criteria (Daniels, M.,

Gurton, T., 2023). For instance, in pursuit of my long-term goal of finding a career in

the investment banking industry, I set numerous realistic and attainable milestones

during my undergraduate years. These milestones collectively pave the way toward

my goal after graduation. I believe the more specific I am with my lower-level goals,

the more feasible it is to achieve my ultimate goals. As I continue to explore

goal-setting, I discovered that various lower-level goals can interconnect with

different medium-level goals to form a unified path to success. For instance, finding

an internship during university can support both my career goal in the investment

banking industry and personal goal of achieving financial independence. In addition

to SMART, I discovered the SMARTER goal framework where E stands for

evaluating, and R stands for rewarding (Madhuleena, R., & Chowdhury, B., 2023).

These two additional concepts closely relate to our cognitive “dual system”

introduced in class 4 (Daniels, M., & Gurton, T., 2023). Goal setting is included in the

planful system 2, as we often have to override the impulses and desires from

automatic system 1 to achieve our targets. Nevertheless, proper goal setting can
benefit both systems since goal-achieving stimulates a sense of satisfaction and

purposefulness. When system 1 evaluates the immediate rewards from reaching

lower-level goals, it motivates our minds to work harder, and when this process

becomes a habit, self-regulation is derived.

Part 3 - Habit Change Plan

Habits:

1. Pause and reconsider if the purchase is necessary before making impulsive

purchases.

2. Prioritize completing daily tasks before indulging in leisure activities.

3. Establish specific gym days and regular exercise time slots, and commit to these

appointments as non-negotiable commitments.

Plan:

Habits are the instinctive actions we carry out daily without putting conscious

thoughts towards them. The three habits I wish to develop directly relate to my goals

in the above hierarchy. As discussed in class, every habit develops through a habit

cycle (Daniels, M., & Gurton, T., 2023). Firstly, in order to attain my goal of

achieving financial independence after graduation, I need to override my impulsive

spending habits by developing a new habit of constantly pausing and reflecting before

money is swept away. The cue for this habit would be to take a few seconds to think

about what I could do with this money instead if I didn’t make the purchase.

Following the cue, I plan to track my monthly spending by recording and comparing
each month’s income and expenses and allocate a reasonable limit to each category.

The sense of accomplishment after discovering the amount of money I saved each

month will be the reward that incentivizes me to repeat this loop. The second habit

that I wish to develop is getting assignments and other tasks done before I leisure.

This is a very useful habit, especially in the upper years when it is difficult to have a

work-life balance, and almost all my short-term goals require productivity. The cue

for this habit is to imagine an earlier deadline for each task. Having a mere pressure

triggers motivation for our body to act. For routine, I decided to carry out a revised

version of the Pomodoro technique with a 10-minute break between every 2 hours of

work. (Sheldon, R., & Wigmore, I., 2022). The short-term reward of this habit would

be the opportunity to enjoy leisure time without pressure while a long-term reward

would be the ability to balance and reach many goals. For example, maintain

academic success while having part-time job and extracurricular responsibilities.

Lastly, to support my fitness goals of visiting the gym twice a week, I intend to

establish a habitual fitness schedule. The cue for motivating myself to exercise could

be placing my gym gear and water bottle near the door on chosen gym days as a

visual reminder to myself. Establishing non-negotiable gym days and regular time

slots throughout the week will be an excellent routine for me to follow. As time goes

on, this routine will become a commitment, and seeing myself getting into my ideal

shape is the reward that will motivate me to keep exercising. Fortunately, the three

habits that I aim to develop align with my underlying core values of persistence and

ambition, thus strengthening my journey to achieve my goals.

Part 4 - “Dear Professor” Letter

Dear Professor,

I hope this letter finds you well. Upon graduation, I wanted to take a moment to

reflect and express my sincere gratitude for the experiences I received at UBC Sauder

School of Business, especially in the area of ethics. Over the past four years, I gained

extensive textbook knowledge about business and finance, however, the most

profound impact on me close to graduation was the ethical and moral lessons that

shaped me into the individual that I am today.

Thinking back to my very first VEC class in my first year, I was confused about how

ethics and values can play a vital role in the business world. As I delved deeper into

the course, I began to understand the importance of ethics in business and learned that

businesses should consider both their profit and purpose before making a decision

(Freeman, E., 2020). In my third year at Sauder, I experienced an ethical dilemma

while I interned at ABCD Financial-advising, a well-known and established company

in the investment banking industry. Halfway through my internship as a bookkeeper, I

discovered that the company’s finanical records and those reported to the public don’t

add up. However, before I realized this issue, my supervisor had offered me a

full-time employee position as soon as I graduated from Sauder. It was very

challenging for me to make a decision, so I decided to apply the Moral

Decision-making Framework (Daniels, M., & Gurton, T., 2023). Working at ABCD

Financial-advising had been my dream career, but I am aware that the organization is
not being honest about its financial record to the public, and that contradicts my moral

standards. My moral judgment did not allow me to turn on motivational blindness and

ignore the unethical issue for of the benefit offered (Bazerman, M. H., & Tenbrunsel, A.

E., 2011). As a result, I decided not to take the opportunity to be hired as a full-time

worker and chose to quickly finish my internship contract and leave in the most

prudent way possible. Now thinking back, I am proud of my decision because I stayed

true to the values I held.

Learning about how individuals make moral and ethical decisions has been

transformative, and it helped me to evolve into a better person both personally and

professionally. I was glad to meet many like-minded peers in the same faculty who

shared similar values and visions. The materials I learned have guided me to make

decisions with integrity, rigour, respect, and responsibility; values that continue to

shape me beyond my journey at Sauder (Caddell, N., 2020).

Sincerely,

Your former student

Citations

Schwartz, S.H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values. In M. P. Zanna

(Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 1–65). Academic

Press.

Coelho, G. L. D. H., Hanel, P. H., Johansen, M. K., & Maio, G. R. (2019). Mapping the

structure of human values through conceptual representations. European Journal

of Personality, 33(1), 34-51.

Madhuleena, R., & Chowdhury, B. (2023, September 19). The Science & Psychology of

goal-setting 101. PositivePsychology.com.

https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-psychology/

Daniels, M., & Gurton, T. (2023). Class 4 - Self-regulation [Dual systems model].

Canvas@UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/

Daniels, M., & Gurton, T. (2023). Class 4 Asynchronous Content [Introduction to

self-regulation]. Canvas@UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/

Daniels, M., & Gurton, T. (2023). Class 6- Behavioral Ethics [Framework for Moral

Decision Making]. Canvas@UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/

Freeman, D., (2020). Class 7 Prep - [Finding Purpose and Managing Stakeholders: The

New Story of Business]. Canvas@UBC. https://canvas.ubc.ca/

Bazerman, M. H., & Tenbrunsel, A. E. (2011). Ethical breakdowns: good people often let

bad things happen. Why? Harvard Business Review, 89(4), 58.

Sheldon, R., & Wigmore, I. (2022, September 15). What is Pomodoro Technique Time

Management?. WhatIs.com.

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/pomodoro-technique#:~:text=The%

20Pomodoro%20Technique%20is%20a,tomato%20(plural%3A%20pomodori).