Welfare Manager Smiltė Juraitė notes that values shape the culture of the organisation, help to make decisions and are the main guide drawing guidelines for how community members should behave and what general principles to follow.
‘Values are like the common denominator of the organisation, which unites us and outlines the direction of how we should work, cooperate and achieve goals. Cultivating values is an integral part of a successful organisation,’ says S. Juraitė.
Defined values can increase employee satisfaction
According to a Deloitte study, companies that actively promote their values have higher employee engagement and job satisfaction. Meanwhile, Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends study found that in companies where values are clearly defined and integrated into daily operations, employee satisfaction is higher by 30 percent compared to companies that don’t have values or they are unclear. In companies with defined values, employees feel more engaged, see greater meaning in their work and are more loyal to the organisation.
S. Juraitė reminds that it is important that the organisation’s values find their place not only in documents but also be integrated into daily activities and shares ways to do this:
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- Responsibility. Make fair and transparent decisions, and implement a process where the needs of students, academic staff, parents, stakeholders, employers, and other members of the society are duly respected. Fulfil the commitments given to oneself and others, ensure the quality of work and studies, academic integrity, and sustainable use of available resources. Base our activities on the philosophy of sustainable development.
- Professionalism. We see professionalism as cognition starting with self-awareness, the belief in our abilities and the abilities of others, the necessity to implement our ideas in a high-quality manner, continuous improvement, growth, and competence development. Professionalism is supported by a constant pursuit of knowledge, mutual harmony between individuals and the environment, striving for goals and the ambition to become the leader in our field of expertise.
- Openness. Recognise, accept, apply, and develop innovative solutions, and move forward with the dynamic world. Share experience, and promote academic freedom and creativity. Stay open to other cultures, foster a policy of equal opportunities and diversity, and support multilingualism.
- Respect. Tolerate everyone regardless of age, gender, race, attitudes, and beliefs. Respect everyone’s work and contribution to the joint activity, respect the past, the culture of the country and the organisation.
- Sense of Community. Create close and lasting relationships among community members, share experience, knowledge, and ideas, and achieve success through joint efforts.
‘Values can and must change along with the company’s growth and changes in the external environment. The Global Culture Survey 2021 conducted by PwC shows that updating values is necessary to adapt to the changing market situation. It is important to regularly review our values and assess whether they are still in line with the mission, vision and strategic goals of our organisation,’ says Welfare Manager S. Juraitė.
The importance of organisational culture
S. Juraitė points out that when the time of changes or trials comes, when community focus, mutual support and unity are extremely necessary, and the difference between those who have that culture and those who don’t becomes apparent.
‘Every organisation’s culture is as unique as a fingerprint. It answers the question of how we should behave and shapes our overall work environment and relationships with our internal community and external partners. The company’s culture is the basis that unites us and helps us remain strong and consistent in achieving our common goals,’ shares S. Juraitė.
She emphasises that fostering the values of the organisation creates a strong and united team that is ready to overcome any challenges and achieve the set goals.
‘Our values and culture are the main compass that shows direction and helps us stay strong and united. Let them be the basis of our daily work and a source of inspiration!’ encourages S. Juraitė.
