What are “Value Vectors”?

Value Vectors are attitudes and behaviours – values in action – that describe aspects of an individual’s character or, collectively, aspects of a team or organisation’s culture.

From analysing, refining and adding to schemas of personal and cultural values (particularly Shalom H Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values, but numerous other academic and consultancy sources), we have identified a total of 35 such Value Vectors – a number that is manageable for evaluation and understanding, but which still allows for rich analysis and differentiation.

Organised in a wheel that contains 4 quadrants, opposite and adjacent Value Vectors – and groups of Value Vectors – can be visualised and understood, including the dynamics between them.