Personal values and their influence on behavior

Personal Values Intersecting With the Values of Kudler Fine Foods

Personal Values

It is difficult to present one's values without sounding like one's making a case for themselves and being proud of the values in which he/she believes. Regardless of this state however, I find it necessary to communicate that my personal value revolves around an ethical, moral and caring behavior. I have always strived to attain my goals, but these have often changed and adapted to the needs of those around me. I have sometimes lost due to the inclusion of others' desires in my actions, but at the end of the day I got to feel good about myself and I was able to get a good sleep. This is probably all ethics should stand for -- the ability to proudly look at yourself in the mirror and get a good night sleep, without any remorse and with a clear conscious.

The ethical values which guide my life are similar to those which guide the life of any decent human being -- kindness, care for others, consideration, respect, integrity, ability to hear what the people are saying and so on. What has to be noted however is that these values do not represent traits which have to be used only in particular situations, but must be embraced as a way of living.

2. Values at Kudler Fine Foods

The most adequate source of information when looking for the values promoted by the company is constituted by its own statements. It must however be noted that the data forwarded by the organizational representatives might be biased as it has the purpose of sending a pleasant message about the organization and attracting the stakeholders. Since information from tertiary and less direct involved parties is currently not available, we will have to accept the data coming from the company as sound and solid.

As previously mentioned, the best source of company values is that of the company statements. For instance, Kudler Fine Food's Mission Statement sees that the organization focus falls on "providing our customers with the finest selection of the very best foods and wines so that your culinary visions can come true." The values which derive from this statement refer to a focus on customer satisfaction and the placement of the customer at the core of the business operations.

Throughout their Vision Statement, the company sets its goals of being "the premiere gourmet grocery store for those savvy shoppers who are searching for the finest meats, produce, cheeses, and wine." The relevance of this statement to the values implemented is fairly limited, but it can nevertheless be argued that the company is ambitious and hardworking, revealing a great desire to satisfy its most pretentious customers through the offering of a wide selection of gourmet products. The vision statement once more reveals the great emphasis placed on customer satisfaction.

The final document to be assessed is the Social Responsibility Statement, which argues that Kudler Fine Foods uses organic products. Additionally, they pay increased attention to ensure that all products on the shelves are fresh, with as little additives and preservatives as possible. In terms of the products which are no longer fresh, but which can nevertheless be consumed, these are donated to food kitchens and local shelters for the homeless people.

3. Alignment of the Values and the Managerial Function in Light of the Common / Different Values

A major difference between my personal values and those forwarded by Kudler Fine Foods revolves around the approach of the established goals. While along my life I have often changed my goals and dreams into what I believed to be better expectations including also others, the gourmet company sets the goals and then works hard to achieve these goals. As a manager observing a need to readjust the goal in the process of achieving it, the necessary strategy for an objective realignment might be impeded by the rather rigid organizational stand.

A second means in which my values and the company's values differ refers to the approach taken relative to the customer. Within any business environment, it is only natural to place the client at the core of operations as this client is the force purchasing the products / services and determining organizational revenues. From my standpoint however, I would place an equal emphasis on the satisfaction of all categories of stakeholders. To better understand where I'm going with this, consider the example of Wal-Mart -- they offer the lowest retail prices but create numerous dissatisfactions for other categories of stakeholders. I could not be the manager of a company which, through the creation of economies of scale, rips of manufacturers, underpays staff members and leads to the bankruptcy of local mom & pop stores.