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The concept of learning organization has been inspiring both public and private sectors since the early 90s. This paper discusses the implementation of learning organization ideas along with the organization’s core values at one of the public universities in Malaysia. The purpose of this paper is to identify the components of core values that support the development and maintenance of learning organization ideas. It also aims to examine the potential integration of the learning organization idea with organizational core values.

The study analyses the application of learning organization principles based on Örtenblad’s (2002) four understandings of learning organization, which are organizational learning, learning at work, learning climate and learning structure, along with the five core values initiatives at the university.

This study suggests that the university core values and the learning organization idea work harmoniously with each other. This paper provides examples of the application of the learning organization idea and the core values attribute and how both fit into each other in one of the Malaysian public universities. A learning organization–core values matrix is proposed at the end of the paper.

This research uses the specific case of organizational core values that are established based on Islamic principles. Opportunities for further research can be a study of learning organizations in other core values environment and also from a different belief system.

Learning organization is relevant and in harmony with Islamic environment.

The paper provides real examples of learning organization practices within the core values agenda in a Malaysian university.

The aim of this article is to introduce a conceptual framework for a corporate brand building process based on core values. The nature, role, and function of core values are considered a central part of the value foundation of a corporate brand. In line with this reasoning, a distinction is also made between three groups of values: organisational values, core values, and added values. This article is based on research into the brand building efforts of more than 50 major companies over a period of ten years. The Volvo case is used as an illustration and places special emphasis on internal processes. The role of the core values in the ten steps of the framework is explored and illustrated. The work is based on first‐hand experiences, interviews, and unique internal strategy documents from Volvo. The discussion defines core values as overarching concepts that summarise the identity of the corporate brand and as guiding lights for the brand building process. Another conclusion drawn from the article is that core values are vital for continuity, consistency and credibility in a value‐creating process. The theoretical and practical implications of using core values as a unifying common thread are discussed in relation to the paradigm of brand orientation.

Total quality management (TQM) has been recognised and used during the last decades by organisations all over the world to develop a quality focus and improve organisational performance. In spite of this, TQM implementation is still problematic for many organisations. In this perspective important factors to succeed with the organisational change that TQM implementation implies will be discussed in this paper. Also presented is a multiple‐case study of TQM implementation processes in small organisations with a focus on core value aspects. An overarching implementation model is presented based on the multiple‐case study analysis and the theoretical frame. This model implies that TQM implementation will start with core values committed leadership, everybody’s commitment and customer orientation.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of organization leaders, particularly top managers, in building support for and developing behaviors that are consistent with values‐based management, by providing an empirical assessment of the effect of an organization's senior leadership on the values‐based management process.

As part of a program of organization development, a values‐based management approach was implemented in a large manufacturing organization. As part of the process, a system of measuring and evaluating values‐based behaviors was developed. The senior leaders of two groups of the organization were assessed in terms of their values behaviors, and their direct reports were likewise evaluated by the organization using a 360° process.

The results indicated that the leader's values behaviors were significantly related to the values behaviors of subordinates. Subordinates of leaders who strongly demonstrated values‐based management behaviors were more likely to exhibit the same behaviors.

The value of these findings lies in the suggestion that the role of organization leaders, and specifically the behaviors demonstrated by leaders, are important in determining the outcomes of values‐based management techniques. Subordinates may take cues from their leaders and model their values‐based behaviors after those of the organization's leadership.

One way for organisations to support total quality management, and hence try to increase customer satisfaction is to participate in a quality award process. The purpose of this study is to explore the organisational value of participating in a quality award process. The study is based on interviews at 29 organisations that have participated in the process of the Swedish Quality Award. The main conclusion is that most of the organisations consider the process orientation, customer orientation and improvement work to have been improved as a result of the participation in the quality award process. However, there are also obstacles to surmount in order to benefit fully from the process: difficulties in finding resources within the organisation to perform mandatory work and implement identified improvements, and difficulties in applying the circumstantial model used in the quality award process.

This paper aims to highlight dysfunctional multi-stakeholder relations and negative business outcomes, evidenced in lose/lose results, exacerbated by failure to acknowledge strategic business focus as a means to redress problematic business thinking and practice amongst key leadership teams associated with achieving balance between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility.

The reframed strategic business focus has been developed using Eastern philosophy and Western organization theory and refers to four case examples of dysfunctional business thinking and practice.

Strategic business focus results from an interdependent and complementary positive mediating relationship between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility, which is moderated by organization culture (organization core values, including shared value) and strategic human resource management (talent and mindset).

Strategic business focus as proposed has not been empirically tested but seeks to address a conceptualization that competing business and stakeholder agendas are interdependent and complementary.

Strategic business focus seeks to redress traditional win/lose and lose/lose business outcomes, by supporting win/win results, represented by shared value amongst multi-stakeholders.

Strategic business focus seeks to provide a means whereby corporate social responsibility, particularly the social contract, plays a key role in the decisions and practices of key leadership teams and the behaviour of corporate staff in host environments when seeking competitive advantage.

Eastern thinking and behaviour are usually undervalued in the western business literature, particularly in western business practice. Joint attention, however, may improve competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility agendas in support of diverse management practices, including shared value.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of practicing core values on the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement in a Korean corporate environment.

Self-report data on authentic leadership, practicing core values, and work engagement were obtained from 281 employees of three major corporations in South Korea. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the data.

The results revealed a direct and significant influence of authentic leadership on both practicing core values and work engagement. In addition, practicing core values was found to have a partial mediating effect on the relationship between authentic leadership and work engagement.

This study revealed a three-factor model of authentic leadership compared to the four-factor model found in western cultural contexts. Similar findings are indicated for other Asian countries. A rigorous future study is warranted to validate the psychometric structure across different cultural settings. Harman’s single factor test was performed to address the common method variance issue.

Practicing core values functioned as a catalyst for developing authentic leaders. Therefore, it is necessary that organizational development practitioners perform developmental activities to purposefully facilitate practicing core values.

The study falls under the isolated or disregarded researched topic of the practicing core values in relation to authentic leadership and work engagement.

In this paper, research leading to quality management success is examined, elaborated, and highlighted in a new profound way by focusing on the most fundamental aspect of the human dimension, the brain. The purpose is to examine the relationship between brain functioning and quality management success. In this examination, the role of core values, profound organizational learning and values of quality management are explained.

The paper builds on a conceptual review of research in the areas of quality management success, values of quality management, core values and neurophysiology with focus on brain integration.

The relation of core values with brain functioning is described based on previous research. A framework with logical steps from brain integration, via core values, quality management values and quality management practices to quality management success is developed.

The paper adds to the understanding of the role brain integration has for success in quality management efforts. A limitation is that it only builds on previous research.

The findings provide a deeper understanding of quality management success and should thus be valuable for quality managers and leaders striving for excellence for their organisations.

The importance and crucial role of brain integration for quality management success has not been elaborated in the literature of quality management before.

One of the leadership responsibilities of the board of directors is to establish a statement of values and to ensure that these guiding principles become a basis for action throughout the organization. Where companies do not have a statement of values, or where the values are not accepted, there is a real danger that company staff will act in their own interests, not in the interests of the stakeholders they are meant to serve. At this point they may put at risk the reputation of the whole organization. But how can the board of a large diversified international company hope to establish a culture with common values which will guide the behavior of employees around the world? In this article Jan Thornbury presents the theory and practice which she helped to develop when a number of professional partnerships came together to form KPMG, and which she now uses in working with other organizations. She explains how values are connected with basic beliefs, how they can affect behavior and how they need to be supported by management systems. Then she outlines a process for changing a company culture by analyzing the present values and behaviors, defining the desired culture, implementing an action plan, and measuring the results. Finally she examines the crucial role of the executive team in leading the change program.

Culture is often seen as the key inhibitor of effective knowledge sharing. A study of companies where sharing knowledge is built into the culture found that they did not change their culture to match their knowledge management initiatives. They adapted their approach to knowledge management to fit their culture. They did this by: linking sharing knowledge to solving practical business problems; tying sharing knowledge to a pre‐existing core value; introducing knowledge management in a way that matches the organization’s style; building on existing networks people use in their daily work; and encouraging peers and supervisors to exert pressure to share.