Around 40% of employees report that individuals whose behaviour consistently goes against the values of the organisations they work for are either left unpunished or are rewarded or promoted, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Only a third (33%) of those asked said that individuals were reprimanded for consistent rule breaking, indicating that employers are not doing enough to ensure that their business values are being upheld.
Just over half (52%) of the 2,000 employees surveyed agreed that their organisation's values positively influence behaviour at work.
The top reason cited by employees who don't believe values have an impact on people's behaviours and decisions in the private sector is that profit is placed ahead of organisational values. The most cited reason by those in the public sector is that there is one rule for senior managers and one rule for everyone else, highlighting the importance of consistency and accountability at all levels within the organisation.
The research suggests that communication of values is also a problem as less than a third (29%) of employees say they are aware of the values of the organisation they work for to a great extent. Businesses are also failing to match their values to those of their workforce with just six in ten (58%) of employees reporting that their personal values match those of the organisations they work for.
