John E. Jones

❚❘ SOME IMPLICATIONS OF VALUE CLARIFICATION
FOR ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
Maury Smith
The goal of this article is to indicate how the methodology of value clarification
(abbreviated: VC) can be used in an organization development (OD) intervention. To do
this, the article will have two sections: the first will give a very brief summary of the
more important concepts of a VC theory; the second section will give a few examples
and indications of how VC methodology may be used in OD.
Before discussing VC theory, it would be well to delineate where it fits in
relationship to organization development and human relations training group
approaches.
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The diagram above depicts in a simplified way how value clarification relates to
OD and human relations training groups. Organization development theory attempts to
deal with people, their interpersonal and task relationships, their organizations and the
systems created; yet for the most part the emphasis in OD is on the behavior of people.
Various strategies are employed in OD to facilitate behavior that is beneficial and
effective for the organization; to improve people’s ideas and insights into themselves as
leaders, participants, and team members and their insights into the dynamics of
Originally published in The 1973 Annual Handbook for Group Facilitators by John E. Jones & J. William Pfeiffer (Eds.), San Diego,
CA: Pfeiffer & Company.
The Pfeiffer Library Volume 3, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer
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