http://jhv.sagepub.com/ Journal of Human Values http://jhv.sagepub.com/content/8/2/119 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/097168580200800205 2002 8: 119 Journal of Human Values Tuan Haji Zulkifly Baharom and Yazdi Jehangir Bankwala Integrating Corporate Values: The Malaysian Airlines Experience Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com can be found at: Journal of Human Values Additional services and information for http://jhv.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Email Alerts: http://jhv.sagepub.com/subscriptions Subscriptions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Permissions: http://jhv.sagepub.com/content/8/2/119.refs.html Citations: What is This? - Oct 1, 2002 Version of Record >> at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014 jhv.sagepub.com Downloaded from at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014 jhv.sagepub.com Downloaded from
Transcript
http://jhv.sagepub.com/Journal of Human Values
http://jhv.sagepub.com/content/8/2/119The online version of this article can be found at:
DOI: 10.1177/097168580200800205
2002 8: 119Journal of Human ValuesTuan Haji Zulkifly Baharom and Yazdi Jehangir Bankwala
Integrating Corporate Values: The Malaysian Airlines Experience
Published by:
http://www.sagepublications.com
can be found at:Journal of Human ValuesAdditional services and information for
Tuan Haji Zulkifly Baharom is Head Executive Department, Tourism and Ground Services, Training, Malaysian Airlines Academy,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Yazdi Jehangir Bankwala is Consultant, Human Values in Management, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This paper is an illustration of the case study of trying to create an awareness of human values at theMalaysian Airlines System (MAS) as part of its work culture. Some of the principles of this intervention andthe key process used in developing a values-based culture are highlighted. A brief background of why MASundertook a values journey is given along with the approach and the process used, based on the valuesclarification process (VCP). The development of other internal processes customized to design in-housemodules through the values awareness programme (VAP) and the values inculcation programme (VIP) arealso outlined. The paper combines two perspectives in this case study: one of the authors was an internalconsultant with MAS and the other an external consultant to parts of the process. The objective is to shareinsights from such an intervention to enable other organizations to benefit from this experience.
Introduction
Long-term value creation in an organizationdemands focus on organizational values. Andorganizational values are a direct reflection ofemployee values. Employees are not separatefrom business; they are the business. The latterexists for the benefit of people and run by people.Yet global corporate history seems to indicate
that this fundamental concept is yet to be under-stood.
Today, in the knowledge economy, peoplematter more than raw materials, physical facilitiesor financial resources. The people strategy needsto undergo fundamental changes, moving beyondits traditional responsibilities or merely being anoperation process to play a central role in helpingcompanies fulfil their highest level of business
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
goals. No organizational strategy can be imple-mented unless the implementers have the know-ledge, skills, attitudes and values for doing so.The corporate world could also become a catalystto support individuals in fulfilling their highestpotential, with potential being couched in oppor-tunity, converting opportunities into realitiescontributes not only to self-realization but to theprogress of humankind itself. This understandingand its conversion to action depends on ourvalues. This makes a strong case for work in thearea of values.
In seeking to link human values with corporatestrategy, top companies are taking many differentpaths to enrich the depth of knowledge of humanvalues, to tighten the ties to corporate strategyand to communicate their enhanced capability.Connecting human values to organization strat-egy can bring extraordinary holistic results in thelong-term. It enables them to attract and retainvaluable staff by becoming highly successfulcompanies that take good care of customers andare able to reward both stakeholders and em-
ployees. When employees are recognized andvalued they will be able to aspire towards thequality of customer care that the global arenarequires.
Corporate human values transformation is notchoosing the ’right’ course of action. Many man-agement teams have had trouble figuring out whatit will actually take to transform corporate humanvalues into strategic function. At present effortsat transformation involve negotiating betweentwo or more right alternatives, especially whendealing with its stakeholders’ values and businesspriorities. As a result, much lip service has beenpaid to making people ‘strategic partners’. Theonly real changes that have occurred in mostcompanies have resulted from downsizing andother cost-control efforts rather than from realign-ment of responsibilities and values.Communicating and negotiating a moral
business consensus with external stakeholders
without sacrificing personal moral integrity is amajor corporate task for the twenty-first century.This means that added emphasis is being placedon identifying ethical values that balance anindividual’s sense of professional integrity andworth with the corporation’s. Therefore, the chal-lenge is to understand one’s own ethical values,as well as corporate human values, imperatives,guidelines and boundaries to ensure a psycho-logical contract between the two interests. Thishas been the complex understanding arising fromour work.
Background to theTake-off at the MAS
In 1996 a series of discussions was held on ini-
tiating values into the corporate culture of theMAS. Emphasis on akhlaq (impeccable charac-ter), with a special focus on the primary valuesof shukur (gratefulness), amanah (trustworthi-ness) and ik7zlas (sincerity) were gradually intro-duced into the workplace as well as into trainingprogrammes.
The 1996-97 annual report stated that MAS’continues to place emphasis on values education,training and development of the airline’s humanresource’. It was recognized that values woveninto the fabric of the corporate culture wouldensure that the company practises a purposeful,thinking corporate culture underpinned by strongethical foundations.
By mid-1997 it was perceived that the stagewas set for formal and systematic internalizationof human values as an integral part of the staffdevelopment programme. Further managementbrainstorming sessions on corporate humanvalues were held in which the senior managementexamined and fine-tuned their thoughts on values.The values process for the internalization of
corporate value was fonnalized by allocatingspecial responsibility for the iniative to appointed
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
that the key common corporate values that shouldbe crystallized should be shukur (gratefulness),amanah (trustworthiness) and ikhlas (sincerity).A fourth core value disiplin (discipline) was sub-sequently added to form four core SAID humanvalues. In’ arriving at the SAID human values,we also looked at it across the boundary of
religions, Malaysia being a multicultural andmultiracial society that is well rooted in therespective religious practices of the various reli-gions. Whether to a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist orChristian employee, it was examined that thesevalues represented a common ground and heldrelevance. However, translating the SAID valuesinto practice was a real challenge (see Figure 1).
Figure 1The Biggest Challenge: Translating SAID Values into Practice
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
By the beginning of 1998 the Malaysian Air-lines Academy (MAA) embarked into the valuesinitiative and training programmes. It began bycollaborating with other organizations, and hold-ing discussions with the International IslamicUniversity, Malaysia, University Tun Abdul Razak(UNITAR) and the Malaysian Graduate Schoolof Management (MGSM) of University PutraMalaysia (UPM). Benchmarking was also donewith world-class companies like General Electric,Motorola and the local Johor Corporation.From the beginning the MAA understood the
importance of the three key principles that wouldneed to be followed:
I . maintaining the support of the managementand the SAID values steering committee;
2. integrating values initiatives into all trainingprogrammes and day-to-day operations;and
3. working continually to earn the trust of allemployees.
The MAA adopted the SAID values process asan organizational development (OD) interventionat the MAS by the following:
I . reinforcing and establishing clear consistentstandards of values practices for the entirecompany;
2. developing and maintaining an employeebody that is aware of values issues and edu-cated in values practices;
3. communicating continually to all employ-ees on the values issues they may face fromday to day;
4. promoting ongoing discussions with em-ployees on SAID values best practices; and
5. capturing the real moments of truth for con-sistent application of values manifestationstandards throughout the company.
Getting Ready for the Process
By 1998 it was evident that gaining ownershipand understanding MAS employees numberingsome 22,000, located at several national and inter-national offices, was a challenge. A series ofworkshops and dialogues on SAID values as partof the initial learning process were organized. InMay 1998 a two-day in-house managers’ work-shop entitled ’The Influence of SAID Values onManagerial Practices’ was conducted. Eminentlocal experts from the corporate world, govern-ment bodies, academia and HR consultancieswere asked to present their views. The externalco-author was also invited to speak at this forum.This was the first formal interaction the twoauthors had on the values journey at the MAS.
In 1998 other values dialogue and internalmanagement presentations were held. In October1998 a values coaching clinic was conducted byProfessor Dr S.K. Chakraborty from the Man-agement Centre of Human Values (MCHV) atIndian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta.By December a timetable for the proposed 1999SAID values monthly calendar of activities forimplementation was presented to the managementby the MAA (see Figure 2).Commencing in early January 1999, an internal
values in-house newsletter was launched as a
communications tool. The co-author of this paper,representing the MAA, participated in the 10-dayinternational workshop on management byhuman values at the MCHV of IIM Calcutta andvisited other Indian organizations. (The other co-author had earlier attended a previous session atthe MCHV in 1997.)
Based on the insights and learnings gainedfrom the earlier processes, the MAS sought toidentify suitable processes for developing avalues-based culture. For this, several alternativeswere examined and presentations made to thevalues committee. Based on these presentations,
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
Figure 2The Proposed 1999 SAID Values Monthly Calendar of Activities
for Implementation in the Malaysian Airlines Academy
Note: Presented at the management briefing on 29 December 1998.
the committee arrived at a final process of selec-tion. It was felt that the most appropriate method-ology was the ’values clarification process’(VCP) being pioneered and conducted by Dr J.M.Sampath of Arpitha Associates Pvt. Ltd, in Banga-lore, India. His doctoral thesis was on ’BuildingOrganizational Culture through a Process ofValue Clarification’ and his list of clients includesFortune companies such as Ford Motors, Detroit,USA. He has conducted around 350 workshops
across the world. As such, a four-day pilot VCPworkshop was organized in the first week ofMarch 1999 for a team of senior executives fromthe MAS Group and its subsidy company.
This VCP workshop addressed essentialelements of building organization culture. In theprocess of building organizational culture, valueclarification facilitates a change arising out ofthe realization that one’s own cherished values
rarely ever match the values one lives by. Until
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
we help the individual recognize and bridge thisgulf within, it would be difficult to expect him/her to match his/her values with the values of the
organization. While layers and layers of condi-tioning have fossilized each one of us, any attemptto bring about a change without touching the verycore of the individual would only be at the sur-face. If by using organizational authority oneforces organizational values on the individual,he/she only follows it as a rule to protect oneselfrather than internalizing the same. Under suchcircumstances, the commitment of the individualtowards organizational values would be very low,affecting the performance of the organization.Thus, it becomes essential to touch the very coreof the individual to bring about a long-lastingchange.
The Values Clarification Process
The objectives of the VCP are:
l. To understand the meaning of values andgain clarity on why one behaves the wayone does.
2. To understand the gap that exists at indi-
vidual, group and organizational level andlearn how to bridge this gap at a deeperlevel.
3. To understand the cause-and-effect rela-
tionship in value formation and learn howto work with cause than effect to bringabout a deep change.
4. To understand one’s own orientation
towards:
. freedom and achievement;
. relationship;
. power and influence;
. learning; and
. honesty and integrity.
5. To gain deeper clarity on one’s own styleof functioning and its implication in theorganizational and personal life context.
6. To learn the source of conflicts and be ableto deal with it at the cause level for bringingabout a lasting change.
7. To understand the gap between personaland organizational values, and find waysto bridge the gap.
8. To understand difference between being incontrol of oneself than being controlled.
9. To understand the power of trust, and the
ability to risk and accept challenges.10. To understand what prevents one from
changing.
The detailed design of the four-day VCP pro-cess is given in Table 1.
Methodology
The methodology adopted in the VCP is primarilysemi-structured, where enough scope is providedfor human processes to emerge. The small groupactivities are designed to enable an individual tolook into his/her own inner self and realize theneed for change. Tools like the ’value profile in-strument’ (VPI) and ’discovery’ are used as a partof the process.
The four-day workshop was followed by anindividual one-on-one coaching by Dr Sampathfor each participant based on the inputs from the360-degree VPI.
The Objectives of the Coaching
The one-on-one coaching session is an importantsection of the entire value clarification pro-
gramme. Dr Sampath spent time with each of theparticipants after the workshop, and coachedthem based on their value profile generated outof the VPI.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
The value profile is a unique 30-item, easy-to-fill instrument that evaluates an individual on fivecritical dimensions:
1. freedom achievement orientation;2. relationship (sociability);3. power and influence (managerial style);4. learning orientation; and5. honesty and integrity.
The instrument- is built on the principle that nosingle value by itself is valuable. Values are inter-dependent and one needs to understand this inter-dependence in order to understand one’s ownbehaviour.The instrument has been successfully used by
now to help over 15,000 individuals understandthemselves in the last 10 years. VPI offers ex-haustive and comprehensive understanding of thepersonal value profile of people as compared tomany other tools. The coaching based on theinstrument throws light on three styles of theperson in an organizational context (and, if theparticipant is willing, it can also deal with their
personal side):
. leadership; z
9 collaboration;9 followership; and. social (optional).
Action Plan
The coaching resulted in drawing up an actionplan for each participant in the areas of concernas identified through the VPI. The coaching ses-sion was utilized by the participants to understandthe root causes of their behaviour.
The Evaluation
The participants’ feedback at the end of the VCPworkshop averaged 9.28 out of a maximum score
of 10 points. Some main comments from the par-ticipants about their insights from this workshopwere:
1. ‘Tools are available to analyze and changeone’s behaviour.’
2. ’Gives me the opportunity to better under-stand my true self and to enhance myvalues.’
3. ’Insights into one’s self, learn to learn,beliefs, values.’
4. ’People can change if they want to.’
The aspects of the VCP workshop that wereappreciated were:
1. The values profiling and group work to-wards better understanding of values.
2. The way the values are interlinked.
3. Allowing the participants to search withinthemselves, bring out their true self, checkflaws and examine areas of values.
4. The parables and real-life experiencesshared to bring about the deepest under-standing of the concepts discussed.
5. Case studies (the impact was great).6. The understanding that self-realization on
values is a very powerful tool in steeringyour life.
7. The fact that it touches the very core of yourbelief system.
Also, during the workshop se ssions, a modulewas included for the participants to arrive at theirown understanding of the SAID values and toexplore behaviourial manifestations of the samein both their home and work life. In conclusionthere was a consensus that the VCP process is so
far the best approach towards spreading valuesto the staff and that it should include top man-
agement.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
The above was the outcome of the pilot work-shop for a sample group from the organization.The profiles of the 15 participants were an aver-age age of 42 years, most being graduates and afew with master’s qualifications ranging frombusiness to engineering; in terms of designationthey ranged from VPs to managers and engineers.The average number of years of service was over
12. The number of staff reporting to this groupdirectly/indirectly was around 630.
Subsequently, a further half-day presentationwas held on 8 March 1999 on ’Values and Our-
selves’ for a larger audience of the MAS. More-over, the graduates made a presentation on theVCP session, highlighting their key learningpoints. On 7 May a presentation was also madeto the organization transformation team (OTT)meeting of MAS by two participants. The object-ive was to keep the involvement and commit-ment alive for this initiative at the different levelswith the MAS.
It was found that the enthusiasm for values was
gaining momentum. The numbers attending thevarious briefings and dialogues on a volun-tary basis seemed to be increasing. There alsoemerged some feelings amongst members thatbesides bringing awareness of values to the MAS,as a leading group in Malaysia, it should also playa role in exposing others in the corporate worldto the need for values.
Thus, the MAA took the initiative to launch apublic workshop on 27 April 1999: ’Workforce:Commitment Strategies for Reawakening HumanValues at Work’. Around 60 change agents andsenior managers from the MAS and other leadinginstitutions in Malaysia, representing financialservices, technology, government regulators andacademia, attended. Professor S.K. Chakraborty,who has gained global recognition in this field,facilitated this workshop. It was felt that thisworkshop achieved its objective in introducingthis unusual topic to the Malaysian corporate
sector. The momentum to expose others to the
subject of values continued.In line with the original plan, Dr J.M. Sampath
was invited again to the MAA in early May 1999to conduct a series of three further workshops onVCP. The idea was to expose more people froma wider cross-section at the MAS to the depth ofvalues. The objective was to create a wider poolfrom which volunteer facilitators would emergewho had the most passion and conviction to beinvolved in the cascading process. A further 60participants were involved in this series of ses-sions. These sessions were found to be equallywell received from the evaluations and feedback.
Based on the above common experience withVCP, the MAS alumni network grew. There wasa need for a continuous discussion to help keepthe values message fresh. In late May a gatheringwas organized to brainstorm and form actionplans with a network of like-minded managers andexecutives. This alumni network was designedto answer the needs as well as address the issues
and concerns raised by the OT’T on what stepscan the values team could take to ensure SAID
values are applied consistently throughout theMAS. Three representatives from the VCP alumninetwork also shared their learning from the work-shop. At this forum the three change agents ofvalue presented the tools and methods to helpindividual employees implement new change ini-tiatives. At these sessions, like in the past, DrSampath and the external co-author shared theirperspectives and clarified points raised by theforum, which was again open to all members ofthe MAS.
There had been a common concern that prac-
tising values was difficult. The challenge was toensure continuously through communication andactions that ways are found to make the values
and traditions understood and embraced byemployees.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
The internal magazine for the MAS calledBerita had also featured values to ensure a con-sistent flow of communication to the wider circle
of employees. By now an internal confidence andoptimism was creating a further push to bring theawareness of values to an even larger corporatearena. Thus, in August 1999 a one-day nationalseminar on corporate human values was organ-ized jointly by the MAS, Celcom and UNITAR(a local university). The theme was, ’Can ValuesGuarantee Corporate Success? Challenges for theNext Millennium’.
This seminar was opened by the minister ofeducation, Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib TunRazak. The minister stressed that only nationswith values that are in line with success will
achieve excellence. He also urged the forum toaddress the gap between mission statements made
by organizations and the actual policies withrespect to values. The role of leadership in theinculcation of core values amongst the people andconflict between organizational goals and thegoals of society also needed serious attention.Most of the speakers, including Tuan SyedMohamad Amin, a board member of one of thenewest universities, UNITAR, expressed thatvalues will define the way we look at our business
and people. He went on to share the core valuesof UNITAR, which, in his view, would bringabout excellence in education to the people. DrSyed Hussein Al-Attas cautioned that the cor-porate culture must operate within the parametersof moral values or they will face ruin. ProfessorS.K. Chakraborty stressed that in shaping ethicalholistic decision- making, ’wisdom leadership’,oneness, teamwork, and the distinction betweenmoney and wealth were needed. One prominentissue he stressed on was that there is a wide gapbetween knowing and doing.
This seminar was attended by people from avariety of organizations keen to learn more. It
put forward a strong case for the corporate sector
in Malaysia to develop a values-based cultureby:
1. developing consciously a values perspec-tive in business; and
2. implementing a corporate human valuespolicy.
The national television network and thenational press covered this event and, probablyfor the first time, the subject of corporate humanvalues was being introduced. The MAS had beeninstrumental in pioneering the introduction ofvalues to the society at large in Malaysia.
The Next Step: Internalizingthe Process
A further five-day design/coaching was con-ducted by Dr Sampath for 20 of the previous par-ticipants of the VCP sessions who had by nowhad some time to internalize and implement someof the insights gained from the earlier sessionsconducted by Dr Sampath on VCP. Here, the ob-jective was to involve the potential internal train-ers in the design of smaller modules that couldbe internally facilitated.
Thus, it became an important prerequisite toclearly understand the role and the responsibilityof the internal facilitators. As such this phasefocused on:
1. developing an in-house design customizedfor the MAS; and
2. developing the facilitators.
Before the design could be put into motion,the prospective internal facilitators had someinteresting concerns that needed to be explored.Some of the points raised included:
1. Why do we need values now when we havenot needed them earlier?
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
change in values?3. When as an individual I am struggling to
control myself how can I help others?4. How can we facilitate the understanding of
values by others in the MAS?5. How can we be catalysts in a systematic
way and make an impact?6. How do we resolve internal conflicts?7. How can we align personal values with
corporate values?8. How can we narrow our own values gap?9. How can we create an interest in values
when others cannot?10. How can we help others discover them-
selves ?
11. How can we create an awareness that moves
to internalizing, to understanding?12. How can we avoid making this into an ex-
ternal process rather than an internal one?
Understanding the Concerns andObservations of Internal Facilitators
The enhanced understanding on the subject ofvalues had also manifested into insights and con-cerns of the internal facilitators. It is importantto be aware of their observations to help preparehigher quality internal facilitators:
1. The facilitator needs to have a passion forvalues, as prospective participants mayhave negative mindsets or emotions.
2. Selection of the facilitators is critical. The
effectiveness of values depends on theamount the facilitator lives the values.
3. Focus on helping individuals clarify per-sonal values then help them to align tocorporate values.
4. Many of us are not aware of our own valuesgap.
5. How can we do a self-audit?
6. We need a solution-focused culture not
giving problem mindset.
Some additional issues arose relating to theirown observations/experience with values. Theycould already see the benefits in their departmentsin terms of:
1. Better team spirit.2. Reduction in ’company bashing’ conver-
sations in the canteen.3. Better negotiations in contracts.4. Some outstanding issues for over two years
were now being promptly attended to.5. Younger heads of department enjoyed bet-
ter cooperation from older employees.
Some suggestions for systems and process en-hancements included:
1. Incorporate practising values as part of thejob description for employees.
2. Connect internal communications/circulars
to values.3. Make senior management to go through
values training.4. Connect values to other MAS transform-
ation processes.5. Incorporate values component in the selec-
tion process.6. Incorporate a values component in the
appraisal process.
After a week of intense work on the designand coaching, two main components evolved assuitable modules for bringing awareness of valuesto the wider audience at the MAS. These two ini-
tiatives were a values awareness programme
(VAP) and a values integration programme(VIP). Once it was felt that the designs for VAP
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
2. Course Description: The path of excellenceis through goal setting and human values,where the goal is organizational trans-formation and what human values do tobusiness.
This programme will enable participantsto clarify their personal values and be awareof the importance of human values in thetransformation of individuals and organ-izations, and thus translating these valuesinto real-life practices at home and theworkplace.The programme will also focus on the
internalization of SAID values as a way of
life and the setting up of values circles,which will bring about the behaviours,which eventually will result in the valuescommunity in the organization.
3. Who should attend: This programme is
carefully designed for all people from alllevels in the organization.
4. Course objectives:
~ Understand the process of learningbetter.
~ Understand the meaning of values moreclearly.
~ Know how to integrate personal valueswith organizational values better.
~ Know the importance of internalizingand translating values into practice moreclearly.
. Know the need and mechanisms to set
up values circles.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
~ Group discussions. Parables~ Games~ Individual work~ Brainstorming~ Ice-breakers
6. Course leaders: This programme is con-ducted by 15 values facilitators in the pool,who are:
~ Managers/senior executives/executives~ Specially trained by overseas values
consultants
Academically and professionallyqualified
7. Course highlights:
~ What is the process of learning?~ Understand the meaning of values.
~ Integrating personal values with organ-izational values.
~ The internalization and translation ofvalues into practices.
~ The concept of values circles and howto go about it.
The Take-off
In providing the 22,000 employees of the MASwith values education, it was agreed that allemployees must go through the VAP first. Asthis process could take some time, in order to
speed up the process, the facilitators were encour-aged to conduct the VAP concurrently in the dif-ferent departments.By the end of the year 2001 a total of approxi-
mately 14,915 employees had attended the valuestraining all over Malaysia (Figure 3). Themajority of the participants, numbering 12,700,were from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and the balancefrom some of the main operating stations in eastand west Malaysia. These were Kuching (KCH),
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
Penang (PEN), Ipoh (IPH), Langkawi (LGK) andAlor Star (AOR).
In conducting the programme for all employeesof the MAS, the response towards it was also
being gauged from time to time. At the end ofprogramme evaluation forms were distributed toall participants with the purpose of getting feed-back. Direct feedback was also received by talk-ing to the participants after the programme hadbeen conducted.
In March 2001 a study was carried out on theeffectiveness of VAP by the practical traineesfrom one of the local universities where a sampleof 6,343 participants was taken from the 12,700respondents (Figure 4). It was rated as follows:
~ Excellent: 30 per cent.~ Very good: 42 per cent.~ Good: 25 per cent.w Poor and very poor: 3 per cent. -
From May to August 2001 a total of 528 em-ployees in Kuching, Sarawak, had gone throughthe programme, and the feedback was:
~ Excellent: 41.2 per cent.~ Very good: 43.9 per cent.~ Good: 13.2 per cent.~ Poor and very poor: 1.5 per cent.
Based on the above feedback, it is generallyagreed that almost all the employees accepted theVAP programme.Some of the main employee feedback from the
various departments for VAP indicates that:
1. The programme was applicable to all levelsof employees.
2. An increase in the duration of the course
was requested.3. It was beneficial.
Figure 4Number of Staf, f’~4ttended According to
DivisionlDepartment in 2001
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
A more detailed analysis of main feedback bythe different divisions is given in Figures 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10 and 11.
In another study done with 614 employeesfrom Kota Kinabalu and 452 employees from
Penang in 2001, 11 per cent mentioned that theprogramme was suitable for all levels of staff and33 per cent suggested that the two-hour pro-gramme should be extended to three hours or
more. Twenty-two per cent admitted that the
Figure 5Feedback from Ground Services Staff
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
suggested that it should be conducted continuous-ly. The remaining 22 per cent suggested that theprogramme should include more illustrations.
In an internal memo a district managerrecorded his own observations/feedback on the
VAP course held at his station. He felt the pro-gramme was excellent as it instilled a sense of
responsibility, teamwork, spirit and honesty inall. The VAP had also highlighted the importanceof human values among the staff, irrespective oftheir ranks, beliefs, culture and upbringing. Hebelieved the programme had also been able to
improve staff morale and made them realize thatthey have to make the changes themselves, whichwould benefit them at home and their workplace.The programme had also demonstrated how littlesome staff value their job, he said. Some staffalso realized that in this millennium they shouldbe IT literate, multi-skilled and self-motivated.In conclusion, he felt the message had been suc-cessfully delivered as some staff had alreadyshown encouraging changes in carrying out theirdaily duties.
Another regional manager, interviewed in thein-house Reach magazine, recommended theVAP to all staff of all grades, and urged them tomake it a point to attend.
Although initially it was a challenge to get vari-ous departments to give priority to values educa-tion, over time different divisions had also startedinitiating requests to the MAA for schedulingtraining. People it seems had begun to see themeaning for themselves and their organization.Regardless of the various business pressures, bythe end of 2001 about 200 participants wereexposed to the one-day VIP. This representedgroups from security, cabin crew, chief stewardsand a group from Indonesia.A sample evaluation based on 77 participants
yielded the following feedback:
1. Excellent: 26 per cent.2. Very good: 66 per cent.3. Good: 8 per cent.
4. Fair: 0 per cent.
5. Poor: 0 per cent.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
Comments from an end-of-workshop feed-back form from a sample group for the VIP(GP05/00) on 25 April 2002 of 22 participantson the process were as follows:
1. I liked:
~ The style of the teaching process.~ The way the facilitators present their pro-
gramme ; it is wonderful!. The content of the presentation.~ The presentation contents and the
speaker’s presentation; the presentationtechnique.
~ The course/subject matter on values.~ The way the internal facilitators con-
ducted the class.~ The course of the programme.~ The course and the facilitators.~ All the presenters.~ The course facilitator.~ The learning methods.~ The method of teaching.~ The entire session.~ The course.~ The course because of the material, in-
creasing my knowledge and motivatingme to be a different person.
2. I didn’t like:
~ The time allocation; it was too full.~ The short break time.
~ The limited time given by the organiza-tion to take this course.
. The duration; it is too long.~ The mix class and wasting time (ob-
served).~ The very limited time in presentation.
.
. The duration; not enough for us.~ The duration is too short to learn about
values.
~ The time as it moves very quickly.
3. I’ll use:
~ The values and some of the methods.~ The teaching techniques the facilitators
performed.~ This values information to improve and
be successful.
~ The VIP to improve myself and my or-ganization/office.
~ The advantages of values learning to mylife and work.
~ The values to improve myself.~ The course to inform my students.~ The technique or methods of teaching.~ The values; it is good for me.~ Values integration in my life.~ The computer and OHP.~ The examples given and all the subjects
to improve my values.~ The session to increase my motivation
in work.
e Good values.
~ The content and materials of the courseto implement when I go back to myworkplace.
. The method you showed.
. The system of the course.
4. I’d also like to say:
~ Thank you for your cooperation.~ That this topic is interesting and all of
us are very involved in all the activities
of this session.
~ Thank you very much for training us.~ Thank you. The facilitator opened my
eyes to do better than before.
~ Many thanks to all of the facilitators andthe MAS Academy that give me theopportunity to attend this course.
w Your teaching is good and interesting.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
~ Thank you very much.~ I love this subject and thanks to the pro-
fessional instructors.. Thank you very much for your explan-
ation.~ I’d suggest less activities in morning and
more in the afternoon to keep peopleawake.
~ Thank you very much for your pre-sentation about values. I hope I can applyit to my life.
~ Thank you for this programme/course tocheer me on in my job.
~ Thanks to the MAS Academy and theMAS staff.
~ Thank you for your kindness, for givingme new knowledge and experience dur-ing the course.
~ Thank you very much for your infor-
mation.w Thank you En Manaf and Mr Jothi.~ Many thanks to the speakers/presenters
at the VIP for the experiences on teach-ing and everything else.
. Thank you for your good presentation.~ The speakers are very professional, so I
would like to say thank you for givingme the chance and to share their ex-
periences.~ That we can meet and talk more about
values in another place and time.~ Thanks for your excellent presentation.
5. General comments: Nil.
The challenges ahead are now twofold:
1. To continue the VAP for the remaining staffand to further introduce the one-day VIPeducation, incorporating suggestions andmaking improvements.
2. The economic realities facing the MAS, achange in management in early 2001 andthe downturn in the global airline industryespecially after September 2001 may putpressures on the continuity of the valuesprocess.
Conclusions and Insights
Some conclusions and insights that have emergedthat one needs to be aware of during such an inter-vention are:
1. Commitment of top management and stake-holders towards building a sustainableorganization.
2. Focus on developing personal humanvalues and then aligning them to corporatevalues rather than the other way around.
3. Gain ownership of the process throughinvolvement and support of members toresist challenges and obstacles in theprocess.
4. Not to treat values education as just anothermanagement development approach.Values education is not education as incommon parlance of the word education.Rather, the key component of values educa-tion, in this context, is a process of clari-
fication.5. Have clear, consistent and open communi-
cation at all levels.
6. Involve people with a passion for thesubject.
7. Focus on the demonstration of values in all
parts of the organization’s behaviour, forexample, respect of time.
8. Recognition of role models for continuousreinforcement through capturing momentsof truth.
9. Review of existing business policies andHR practices to align them with the values.
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
10. Embarking on a values process is a matterof choice, no one can be forced to partici-pate. All that an organization can do is
provide an educational opportunity.11. The focus should be an inside-out approach.
Change starts from oneself.12. The more we practise living the values,
the more challenges we may have to gothrough. The personal journey gets toughernot easier.
13. Change in behaviour is not necessarilybased on a change in character.
14. Organizations and people do have certainvalues along a continuum. It would be pre-sumptuous to say that values are in anysense introduced to people or organizations.What is possible is a facilitation of aware-ness about the values one already holds.What an intervention can do is to bringabout a focus on the issue of values.
Some Thoughts on theEnhancement of the initiative
This case study is based in the period prior to achange in management and ownership in early2001. The current management recognizes theneed for values and is conceiving ideas that willalign values with corporate governance to en-hance the quality of corporate actions. -The following factors and clearer understand-
ing of the points raised can enhance the valuesprocess, and provide a wider understanding andacceptance of the values intervention.
1. Any values initiative should reflect its
sincerity; if it is perceived as a public rela-tions exercise then there is danger that suchan intervention can become dysfunctional.
2. The process of communication shouldreflect the sincerity of purpose and avoidrelying on publicity or rhetoric to get themessage across.
3. The CEO and senior management must beseen as the custodians of the values and be
active role models. This is one of the most
powerful sources for change in the cultureand, thus, communicates the commitment.
4. In the absence of the aspects raised in points1 to 3, it is better not to embark on a valuesinitiative as to do so brings down the cultureand morale of the organization rather thanenhance it.
5. Vision and values give the direction ofwhere we want to go and how we travel
there. Only when we know why we aredoing what we are doing can the quality ofwhat we do enhance. Senior managementneeds to understand that values is not mere-
ly a strategy or business tool such as TQM,reengineering or six sigma that are designedfor business results. Values are a guide forthese business tools. It is important to notethat confusing the two is possible andcaution is needed here.
6. All stakeholders, especially the leadership,need a conviction and confidence in their
own beliefs that business deliverables willfollow as a natural consequence of practis-ing values. The focus on building a strongfoundation through values will bring its justreturns.
7. Values enhance the soul of the organization,while the other business processes help thephysiology of the organization. When anorganization has a healthy body and a finesoul, excellence becomes a way of life, notby an extra effort that the organizationneeds to make.
Concluding Remarks
While the debate continues in many minds aboutthe need for values clarification in organizations,the global expectations of business are going
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
through remarkable pressures. The Asian WallStreet Journal of 3 March 1999 quotes a land-mark decision by the House of Lords in the UK,which overturned an 88-year-old legal precedentto allow a case to go to trial, saying a businesscould be forced to pay damages for breaking itsimplicit contract with employees to operatehonestly.’ IThe Fortune magazine of 18 March 2002
documents a history of white-collar crimes in itscover story.2 The article outlines cases from 1920to 2000. The business world has had a lot of over-achievers willing to give it a shot. The interestingpattern observed was that these white-dollarcrimes have increased in both frequency and theamounts involved as the years have gone by.
Alistair Cooke in his letter to a BBC WorldService radio programme from America titled’Batten down the Hatches’ dated Monday, 28January 2002, makes an analogy to the recentcollapse of the energy giant Enron with the sink-ing of the Titanic.3 He comments:
The American public is as stunned [regardingEnron] as the British people would have beenin 1912 to learn that the captain of the Titanic,having been told by the ship’s architect-ashe was-that the ship would go down in twohours, summoned his exec. officer, told himto round up the officers and prepare to abandon
ship as silently as possible, ordering two orthree lifeboats to be slipped down on the star-board side.
Meanwhile the purser was instructed to openthe ship’s strongbox, take all the currency andthe jewels of the passengers and join the fleeingofficers. The chief steward was told to havehis men patrol the ship and assure the passen-gers that everything was fine, no danger andgo back to sleep. The stewards might then jointhe rest of the crew in the departing lifeboatsand pull away.
Becoming more aware about what one valueswill allow one to be self-regulated. External rulesor regulators, as the recent corporate disaster ofEnron in the USA demonstrates, are not the key.The fallout from this Enron corporate disaster hasnot become clear, but The New York Times of 11 IMarch 2002 reports that Arthur Anderson hasseen defection of employees and clients and isfacing criminal indictment. Now Anderson isnegotiating to sell itself to another accountinggiant.
Yet just two years earlier, we forget that TheStraits Times of Singapore reported on 3 February2000 revelations of widespread rule violation atone of the Big Five US auditors. More rules werebeing introduced that would require the top fiveUS accounting firms to set up more rigorousinternal controls. An independent review foundthat nearly half the partners at one of the Big Fivehad violated rules prohibiting them from owningstock in companies they audited. These revela-tions were an embarrassment for public account-ants, whose mission is to serve as independentarbiters of the way publicly traded companieskeep their books. The review has recommendedthe most intensive set of compliance rules forindependence that has ever been issued.The dilemma here is:
1. Why is it that even the most reputed globaladvisors on internal controls and com-
pliance to CG are having trouble with rules?2. Will more rules really help?
Indeed, it is time we acknowledged that it is
our values that play a significant part in self-governance, which in itself is the prerequisite forcorporate governance. Yet values are certainlyabout more than just governance issues. Ourexperience with this values journey at the MASwill support earlier studies by Kouzes and Posner,S.K. Chakraborty, and Collins and Porras.1
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
Questions have been raised as to whether thismodel evolved at the MAS is applicable to otherorganizations. We feel that this process can beadjusted to suit any particular organization,retaining the basic fundamentals. They cut acrossrace and as such will be acceptable as a commonlanguage that is being developed. In this valuesprocess developed for the MAS, we are not teach-ing people. We are just reviving and clarifyingwhat we have known since childhood. Thesevalues perhaps had become less important in ourrush to be modernized and meeting result, andwe may have undervalued the ancient funda-mentals. Yet these are the concepts that areneeded the most today if the corporate world isto take its new leadership in dealing with thisglobalized world.
This approach though needs to be thoroughlyunderstood. While we all aspire to move towardsexcellence, there remain three fundamental gapsto bridge:
l. between the person that one is and the
person one wants to be;2. between the quality of relationships one has
and the quality of relationships one wouldlike to have; and
3. between what I expect of myself and whatthe organization expects of one.
These gaps need to be bridged in the order men-tioned above, and it starts with the self. Organ-izations need to take the courage to help theirpeople bridge the first fundamental gap. With thenew confidence gained from bridging the firstand most fundamental gap, the individual canthen also work on aligning the other two. Organ-izations need to help people understand what istrue self-interest.
A farmer, whose com always took the firstprize at the State Fair, had the habit of sharing
his best corn seeds with all the farmers in the
neighbourhood. When asked why, he said, ’Itis really a matter of self interest. The windpicks up the pollen and carries it from field tofield, so if my neighbours grow inferior corn,the cross pollination brings down the qualityof my own com. So I am concerned they plantonly the very best’.4 4
This attitude requires self-leadership. It needs tobe understood that this journey is not only aboutimproving the bottom line for the organization.It benefits not just the organization. The 22,000employees of the MAS from diverse culturalbackgrounds have in themselves a role to play,which extends beyond their corporate interactionsand social interactions through their unions andcooperatives. They also play a role in buildingsocial cohesion. This self-leadership will haveits impact on their families and society, and ex-tend to the government. It will help make a moresustainable world, building truly visionary indi-viduals and organizations that add to the creationof ’wealth’ for their nations and humanity as awhole.
The Way Ahead
Today in the global business arena there is muchdiscussion on corporate governance and business
ethics, with emphasis on legal and ethical obliga-tions. Here, again, we caution against the dangerof looking solely to legal frameworks to governour corporate behaviour. Just as the external auditfunction at the corporate level serves corporategovernance as an independent function, the firstlevel of audit should be an ’inner self-audit’. Our
values will be the key mechanism for enhancingthe quality of this ’inner self-audit’.
Values are the foundation upon which goodcorporate governance and business ethics needto be built. Otherwise we are in danger of relying
at DUQUESNE UNIV on June 5, 2014jhv.sagepub.comDownloaded from
on a system and forgetting to lay a solid founda-tion of values. Without this solid foundation of
values there is a danger that lessons on corporatefailure may not be leamt and that we may find
history repeating itself. We urge the communityto re-examine its paradigms and reflect on theneed to understand that corporate governance is
optimized where there is self-govemance. For thiswe need to take a serious look at the need for a
process in education in human values, whichhelps individuals to align their personal valueswith organizational values and the values of thelarger system. The current approach to corpor-ate governance seems to focus on establishingsystems and processes for building an ethical
organization. While this is essential at the organ-izational level, what is most fundamental is self-
governance by each individual belonging to theorganization. In the absence of that, corporategovernance again becomes a futile exercise, foruntil individuals do not own up to their values,organizations cannot live by values. The valuesclarification process forms the first step for con-
ducting a personal audit. This enhances the com-mitment of individuals to bridge the gap betweenone’s own and the organization’s values, whichfurther builds the foundation for creating a high-vision and high-values organization that functionsethically and meets high standards of governance.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. Asian Wall Street Journal, 3 March 1999.2. Ellen Florian, ’Schemers and Scams: A Brief History
of Bad Business’, Fortune, 18 March 2002.3. James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, Leader-
ship Challenge (USA: Jossey-Bass, 2002); S.K.
Chakraborty, Human Values for Managers (New Delhi:Wheeler, 1995); James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras,Built to Last (New York: Harper Business, 1997).
