The Influence of Personal Values on Organisational Choice

The role of self identity and personal values in organisational choice was investigated. Results obtained from the Australian National Social Science Survey 1988 (NSSS), as well as from interviewing 26 lawyers and public relations officers from two types of organisations (corporate and community) supported the hypothesis that individuals select to work in organisations that complement their personal values. Firstly, a correspondence analysis revealed that individuals who had a right wing "capitalist" perspective were more likely to be employed in private organisations, whereas individuals with a left wing "socialist" perspective tended to be employed in government institutions. Furthermore, the interviews showed that organisational choice was a subjective process whereby individuals attempted to match their personal values with that of the employing organisation. Although objective job factors were shown to influence choice, the ability to implement one's self identity and personal values underlined the individual's organisational selection behaviour.