Milieu Insight's latest Values at Work study checks out whether more employees are really quitting based on how well corporate values align with their own. The research uncovers where employees stand on their values at the workplace, their sentiments and whether they have had their values compromised.
Nearly nine in 10 (88%) of Singaporean respondents said they get along with most or all of their colleagues. Looking farther afield, over nine in 10 respondents across Southeast Asian countries have reflected that there is a culture among colleagues to lend a helping hand to one another when in need.
However, despite the good relations between colleagues, 18% of Singaporeans do not feel a sense of belonging to their company, ranking lowest among the four countries surveyed in the region.
.png "Source: Milieu Insight. Asked whether they would work at a company whose nature would require them to go against their values, at least 11% of Southeast Asians surveyed said 'yes'.") |
| Source: Milieu Insights. Asked whether they would work at a company whose nature would require them to go against their values, at least 11% of Southeast Asians surveyed said 'yes'. |
A high proportion (95%) of respondents in Southeast Asia indicated that the values of the company they work for are important to them. While close to half (49%) say that they will not work in a job where the nature of it requires them to go against their values, 41% indicated that they are willing to do so as long as it’s not illegal.
Although 93% of Singaporeans feel that the values of the company they work for is important to them, almost half of Singaporeans (46%) are willing to work in a company even if its nature requires them to go against their values. Four in 10 indicated that it does not matter as long as they did not have to do anything illegal in nature.
The most valued quality at work among Singaporeans is to have a sense of responsibility towards work. This is prominent for Singaporeans aged 25 years and above, and especially for ages 55 and above (85%). Those aged 16 – 24, who are just stepping into the workforce, place a strong emphasis on mutual respect between colleagues. This highlights the shift in priorities among the different life stages.
Senior level employees in Singapore (director and above) overwhelmingly indicated that the most important value for them is the quality of work (82%).
In Southeast Asia, while more than two-thirds strongly agree (35%) and somewhat agree (38%) that integrity is valued in their company, 13% agree that it’s okay for a company to lie or manipulate the truth, if it’s legal. The study also showed that more than one in 10 have lied to a colleague (15%), gone against personal values to meet work key performance indicators or KPIs (14%) and have helped your company cover up a wrongdoing/mistake (13%).
When asked about certain actions that go against common values in their workplace, over six in 10 of Singaporeans indicated that they have not done any of the actions we listed - these include lying about a company's product or service, lying to a colleague, convincing a customer to spend more than they need to, and covering up mistakes. For the rest, lying to a colleague was the top selection across all age groups (12%), closely followed by ‘helped your company to cover up a mistake/wrongdoing’ (10%) and ‘gone against my personal values to meet work expectations or my KPIs’ (10%). This resonates with how Singaporeans place emphasis on responsibility and performance at work.
In fact, ‘Helped your company to cover up a mistake/wrongdoing’ was shown to be the top selection in Singapore for those aged 55+ (11%) and in senior roles (director and above) (24%).
According to Milieu Insight, psychologists have consistently found that the extent to which a worker’s values are compatible with their employer’s plays a crucial role in determining employee job satisfaction and company profitability. However, the study showed that only 44% of respondents in Southeast Asia say that their companies are doing a good job at upholding positive values, skewing towards those in the Philippines (57%) and Thailand (47%).
The research firm advises companies, especially smaller ones which may not have the draw of established brands, to work at standing out through emphasising the positive social impact of their work, or through philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Such a strategy sets out ethical positions more explicitly, and is increasingly important in attracting younger talent, Milieu Insight said.
Six in 10 in Southeast Asia (61%) agreed that companies have the obligation to do go for society, especially among Filipinos and Thais (73% and 68% respectively). CSR plays a crucial role in a company's brand perception, raising brand attractiveness for customers, employees, and investors.
Milieu Insight also noted that there is increasing pressure to dress up CSR as a business discipline and demand that every initiative deliver business results. In Southeast Asia, more than half (59%) believe that CSR policies are ‘necessary for a company to create positive impact’, and on the other hand, over a quarter (29%) expressed doubts about CSR, agreeing that it is ‘mostly just about branding/public relations’.
"We’re creating a workplace culture of employee empowerment and engagement, and I believe companies must first re-examine their cultures to ensure they are attracting and retaining the type of talent that will drive business success. Leaders should reflect on the extent to which they’re listening to employees, driving cultural values themselves, and recognising employee performance — all of which are critical to empowering a diverse workforce," said Derek Tan, HR Manager at Milieu Insight.
The study was conducted in May 2022, with n = 1,000 employed respondents each in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines for a total of 4,000.