Principles not values

Corporate values are increasingly common in companies and now in the public sector, and it is rare not to be greeted by a number of value statements when entering an organisation. However, many of the implementations of corporate values are unsuccessful and may increase divisions within an organisation. In this article it is argued that employers can reap significant benefits by returning to the original concept of values as a set of guiding principles. By focusing on, and communicating the business needs of the company, rather than culturally‐specific and woolly values, embedding these principles in the organisation, and making sure that progress in each area of principle is monitored and controlled, individual employees understand better what they need to do and the organisation is able to move in one coherent direction.