Abstract

Just as values are like beacons for an individual, so they are for a profession, especially for HRD—a value–based management profession. Given the sweeping changes taking place in the business environment, it is plausible that the value orientation of HRD professionals have also changed. In an attempt to understand this, the study being presented here identified 11 value orientations, with ethico–moral, customer and quality orientations the three top ranking value orientations of HRD professionals. The study also discusses respondents’ rating of their organization on the encouragement provided to employees in their job to practice the values they consider as the ones guiding their professional life. It concludes that though: (a) professionals still value strong humanistically–oriented values, business–oriented values seem to have taken priority over the same; (b) organizations encourage practice of all the 11 value orientations, they have come a long way from the traditional welfare approach or paternalistic attitude.