Traditionally it has been understood that values are formed through cognitive processes of people involved that reflect successful common experiences over time (Schein, 1985). This can no longer be seen to be the case in organizations that never have a common history long enough before a new change takes place (Säntti, 2001). In this setting the senior management has taken the initiative to select and promote 'new' organizational values when there is reason for this. This often takes place after a major change (e.g. merger, strategy change, new CEO). The interest towards active value selection and promotion lies in the belief that values are an effective tool for building coherence and common direction within organizations. My analysis will focus upon value selection and promotion activities within a major European cross-border organization with 10 million customers, 35.000 employees, and activities in all Northern European countries. This organization is a result of a chain of national and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The time frame selected for analysis is 1995-2003 covering the development from a major national organization into a genuine multi-national. The analysis time span covers four separate organizational value selection and promotion phases. The similarities, differences and the often non-verbalized assumptions behind these activities will be the focus of this paper. The issue of value selection and promotion is controversial. There exist no coherent theory explaining how organizational values are formed and implemented. This is especially the case in organizations that only have a short life span before following organizational reformations. The relation of individual and organizational values is many cases simply bypassed. In-depth studies of sequential real-life organizational value selection processes are rare. Organizational value changes that take place sequentially within a short time period are a new phenomenon. Such processes can be expected to be even more common in the future and therefore of special interest in the European context.

Organizational value selection and promotion has been in the interest of organizational theories for long. Within these theories there is little or not at all concern in the learning aspect of value selection and promotion (Säntti, 2001). My chosen viewpoint is that individual and organizational learning is the key issue in value change. The regularities of adult learning processes can be expected to give relevant input to the selection of values, e.g. in the form how often values can realistically be 'changed', how much can 'new' values differ from 'old' ones.

I shall analyze the learning approach integrated within value promotion approach from the angle of behaviorist, cognitive and social constructivist learning paradigms. My approach can be seen to represent criticism towards managerialism (e.g. Morgan & Sturdy, 2000; Säntti, 2003; Thrupp & Willmott, 2003). Managerialism objectifies values and considers them to be a commodity for management. The key challenge in managerialism is the assumption that values will be changed through spreading information concerning them with very little active involvement of employees concerned and with no learning focused activities.

The outcomes of the paper will be:

• An analysis of similarities and differences in case organization value selection and promotion process phases. Approaches towards the interests of different stakeholder groups will be a special angle, as well as the links made in between individual and organizational values.
• The value selection and promotion decisions made will be linked to changes in organizational realities.
• An analysis of the learning processes within each value selection and promotion phase.
• An interpretation of the learning approach behind each value selection and promotion phase.

REFERENCES:

• Morgan, G, & Sturdy, A. (2000). Beyond Organizational Change. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.
• Schein, E. (1985). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Säntti, R. (2001). How Cultures Interact in an International merger. Acta Universitatis Tamperensis.
• Säntti, R. (2003). Possibilities and Pitfalls in the Development of Organizational Culture. In B. Beairsto et.al., Professional Learning and Leadership. Tampere University: Research Centre for Vocational Education and Training.
• Thrupp, M. & Willmott, R. (2003). Education Management in Managerialist Times. Maidenhead: Open University Press.