Giving Voice To Values

An Innovative New Curriculum

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Giving Voice to Values (GVV) is an innovative research and curriculum development program, supported by The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program (Aspen BSP) and the Yale University School of Management. GVV identifies the many ways that individuals can - and do - voice their values in the workplace, and provides opportunities to build the "muscles" - cognitive arguments, communication skills, personal comfort and commitment - necessary to do so.

The Giving Voice to Values curriculum includes essays, short case studies, exercises, annotated bibliographies and teaching guides that can be adapted for use as a stand-alone seminar, single session leadership workshops, or modules to accompany existing business courses in the functional areas.

Additionally, a customized peer coaching program as well as a customized curriculum can be developed for business schools or companies by The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program.

The Rationale for Giving Voice to Values

Most people want to bring their whole selves to work. Yet, experience and research demonstrate that values conflicts will occur during the course of a person's career-those times when what we believe and want to accomplish seems in opposition to the demands of clients, peers, bosses and/or organizations.

Focused on emerging leaders in the corporate sector, the Giving Voice to Values curriculum helps people build and practice the understanding and skills they need to recognize, speak and act on their values when these conflicts arise.

Distinctive features of the GVV business curriculum include:

  • A focus on how a manager raises values-based issues in an effective manner-what he/she needs to do to be heard and how to correct an existing course of action when necessary;
  • Positive examples of times when people have found ways to voice and thereby implement their values in the workplace;
  • The importance of self-assessment and a focus on individual strengths when looking for a way to align one's individual sense of purpose and that of the organization;
  • Opportunities to construct and practice responses to frequently heard reasons and rationales for not acting on one's values;
  • Practice in providing peer feedback and coaching.

The GVV curriculum has been used successfully in MBA, executive education and undergraduate settings. Currently there are over a dozen institutions that have piloted, or plan to pilot, the materials.

For a List of Available Curricular Materials To Date, please email: Mcgentile@aol.com

To Download an Introduction to the Giving Voice to Values Curriculum and some of the ways that faculty can use this approach and these materials (e.g., individual class sessions; modules for insertion into core courses; stand-alone workshops; elective course syllabus; custom curriculum-development and peer coaching initiatives; etc.), please click here.

To Obtain Review Copies of Curriculum Materials, please contact: Mcgentile@aol.com

 

View "Giving Voice to Ethics," Financial Times, February 3, 2008 on the inroads of the Giving Voice to Values curriculum.


View "Missing the Point on Biz Ethics," Providence Journal's July 5, 2007 Op Ed on the Giving Voice to Values curriculum.

View "Get Aggressive about Passivity," Harvard Business Review's November 2005 feature on Giving Voice to Values.

 

View the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics 2007 report on "Shaping Tomorrow's Business Leaders: Principles and Practices for a Model Business Ethics Program" which features Giving Voice to Values.

For related resources click here.

 

For more information, please contact:
Mary C. Gentile, Ph.D
Research Director, Giving Voice to Values
Senior Advisor, Aspen BSP
Mcgentile@aol.com

 
The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is part of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program.
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