- “Acting according to values”, also sometimes referred to as “conscientiousness” (Chernyshenki, Kankaras & Drasgow, 2018) or “work ethic” (NRC, 2012) is a competence that refers to an individual being able to relate their tasks and responsibilities with their own personal social and organizational values (ESCO, 2021). This helps an individual ensure that they are acting in a consistent and ethically accountable way. Important to note that when referring to this particular competence, it is strictly referring to values that can be learned and developed and not fixed moral values.
- Being able to adhere to certain legislations or policies ( for example following an ethical code of conduct), respect confidentiality, and honouring commitments are indicators that a person is able to act according to their values. More specifically, what this could look like in a workplace environment includes persistence to accomplish a time-consuming assignment, personally supporting co-workers and representing the organization in a professional manner ( OECD, 2018).