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RAF Core Values

Decent Essays

How important are RAF core values in the context of contemporary British society?

“Core values are those values by which we lead our lives and which we aspire to develop in others. The Royal Air Force core values are: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence, nurtured by effective and consistent leadership. These values, rooted in the moral and social development of our society over many generations, have a unifying function within the Royal Air Force and constitute the founding principles of our ethos as a warfighting Service.” Air Publication 1

The bold introductory quote above contains 2 assumptions: first, that an organisation’s core values can be ‘rooted in the moral and social development of our society over many generations’; and second, organisational values can influence the motivations of individuals. If these assumptions are true, it would follow that organisational core values have a fundamental role to play in any successful organisation. However, outside of initial training establishments and glossy strategy documents, RAF core values have not enjoyed a profile commensurate with the significance and potential alluded to above. What are core values; are they enduring? What effect do societal values have on organisations, given that organisations draw their members from society? A quick ‘google’ search on the subject of core values reveals a plethora of different subjects ranging from personal development, sociology, anthropology, psychology,

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