The Values of Business and Federal Government Executives: More Different Than Alike

Abstract

A nationwide sample of executives from business (N = 505) and the federal government (N = 619) provided the database for comparing managerial values across these two sectors. Business and government executives differed in the importance they attached to a variety of organizational goals, stakeholders, and personal traits. They also differed in their outlook on future trends and how they handled tradeoffs between work and personal demands. While there were broad areas of disagreement, also noted were some areas of specific agreement on executives' values across the public and private sector. Implications for organizations and future research are suggested.