The values of engineers and managing engineers

Personal value orientations of engineers employed in high technology industries are investigated. The importance placed on specific values by engineers and managing engineers are compared using the Rokeach Value Survey. Although there were significant differences between these two groups on both values involving desirable end states of existence (terminal values) and those referring to preferable end states of existence (terminal values) and those referring to preferable modes of conduct (instrumental values), in general the value orientations were similar. Value orientations were found, however, to be related to levels of employee success. Engineers whose performance was above average reported significantly different value orientations from below-average success engineers. Despite overall similarity, personal values also demonstrated significant discriminative and predictive validity in distinguishing managing engineers from nonmanagement engineers. The results of the study are encouraging, and suggest that information about personal values might play some role in organizational decisions regarding job placement, promotion, formation of special groups, and in the design of employee motivation and incentive programs.