What is your opinion about " Values makes an organization: Levi Strauss case"

As per the statement of Levi Haas, ‘What we’ve learned is that the soft stuff and the hard stuff
are becoming increasingly intertwined. A company’s values—what it stands for, what its people
believe in—are crucial to its competitive success. Indeed, values drive the business.’ In my
opinion as well, I totally believe that values make an organization. Values are the core beliefs of
an organization. It is not necessary that the values or the core beliefs of the organization and
employees working in the organization should be same. However, it is very important for the
employees to understand the organizational values, and align their own values with it. It is
known that the employees who know the core values of their company are more engaged in its
day to day activities.

Traditionally, the management would tell the employees what to do and how to do. Employees
were treated as factors of production and hence, were not allowed to take any decisions without
the permission of their immediate supervisors. In Levi’s case, we have seen that the situation is
completely different. It is stated in the case itself that, being a company with 30,000 workers, it
is impossible to look after each and every employee. So, react quickly to changes in the
marketplace, they have to put more and more accountability, authority, and information into the
hands of the people who are closest to the products and the customers i.e. the employees. Talking
about the values here, what actually guide the employees, when they have to take certain
decisions for the company, are their own values. ‘The Aspiration Statement’ states that ‘having a
more volatile and dynamic business environment, the controls have to be conceptual. It’s the
ideas of a business that are controlling, not some manager with authority. Values provide a
common language for aligning a company’s leadership and its people.’ If we talk about the roles
of managers, bring out the best in each and every individual by identifying employee’s core
competencies, voice concern over weaknesses, establish suitable parameters of responsibilities,
communicate and delegate authority accordingly, acknowledge their out-of-work duties, and
appreciate their effort altogether. When the frontline workers can take initiative, decisions guided
by the values, without having to check with anyone, it motivates the employees to put up their
best work. Adding to it, Levi’s also takes care of their employees and goes to many extents to
support them, for instance, the AIDS Crisis. When the organizations possess these values, it
makes the employees to want to work for them, again, bringing out the best in them. For
instance, Levi’s financial results show that from 1985 to 1989, sales increased 31% to $3.6
billion and the profits have risen fivefold to $272 million. Hence, I believe that values make an
organization, and Levi’s Strauss case is a great example for it.