Increased productivity and quality through management by values: a case study of Manpower Scandinavia

Values, meanings, and attitudes are deep motivators and controllers of human feelings, thinking, speech and action. In management by values, the primary focus is on developing, maintaining, and ensuring that the organization members have healthy and productive values. In other words the pivotal strategy is to ensure that the culture is strong. The idea is that once this criterion has been satisfied, the empowered employees will be self-managing and intrinsically motivated to make sure they serve the customers well, productivity and quality are high, and the economic results are sound. Presents a case study of the service company Manpower Scandinavia, where this concept has been implemented practically since 1984. Shows this has led to sustainable practical benefits in terms of a considerable long-term growth in gross turnover, high customer satisfaction, low employee turnover, virtually nil control in the traditional sense, and high market share. Several of these factors have a direct positive bearing on productivity.