Would work values disappear?

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According to Schwartz and other researchers, work values are the reflection of basic human values in the work setting. But I was always wondering: would work values disappear? Since basic human values are lasting, then shouldn’t their reflection, i.e. the work values also last? Then how do we explain the fact that some women quit their jobs after having kids and never return to the workforce? Do their work values disappear completely? Similar to basic human values which are believed to be formed at early adulthood, Jin and Rounds claim that work values are also stabilised after adulthood and that work values are more stable than personal characteristics. But how to explain the drop-out? I find it hard to get any literature exploring the phenomenon of working women becoming stay-home mums and its values mechanism behind. Anybody has some suggestions?

2 thoughts on “Would work values disappear?”

  1. Hi Angelina! In your blog you query why women do not go back to work after giving birth to their kids; and what happens to their relatively ‘enduring’ work values? I hope I have understood your query right my friend. Please correct me if I am wrong. I guess first it my be important to establish the definition of values as ‘Important and lasting beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. Values have major influence on a person’s behaviour and attitude and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. Some common business values are fairness, innovation and community involvement” (Ref:http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/values.html#ixzz2eZduMTic). However every person, influenced by family, developmental environment and culture may cultivate different values…Collectivist societies for example value working over time as underlying value for them is to provide for their family/ies…working overtime is the right ting to do to make family members provided for…where as individualistic societies value personal space and recreation time and do not appreciate a work-life imbalance. Coming to your point Angelina, I think gender plays a big role in values and the hierarchy of values within one self…For women it may be that they value work but their value to parent their infant/ child as a mother could be higher than work values. Since values are also inculcated from our role models and society, parenting may become a top most value for women; especially if that is the role model they have developed and followed; and if they have not evinced work values in either parents and the community. However the role of women has changed over the last couple of decades or more …education, greater opportunities, vocational courses, media, feminism, industrial relations, equal opportunities, politics etc. all have given a face-lift to career paths that women may choose in their life-time…they learn and inculcate the value of work…However come the time they become ‘mums’ they choose to prioritise their parenting values: I do not think this choice is a reflection of their’ losing’ their work values though! Cheers! Indrani

    Reply

    • Hi Indrani

      THank you for reading my blog and taking the time to comment. I really appreciated that very much!

      Coming back to the duability of work values, I do agree that people prioritise their goals, – of either life or work – when their circumstances change, such as having a family. Maybe you are right, their work values are not lost even when they quit the workforce for good, – then should we say that work values are not reflected only by paid work, that is employment and that are also reflected by non paid work such as housework? I just find difficult to locate relevant literature for some explanation or evidence.

      I know you are also on similar constructs of values and do look forward to exchanging more views with you.

      Thanks.

      Reply

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