Harmonizing Frames: Aligning Individual and Organizational Values in Mission-Driven Organizations

Abstract

The recent growth of mission-driven organizations has incited much curiosity on how perceived tensions and paradoxes are managed within these organizations seeking to integrate various dimensions of sustainability. This paper explores how this can be achieved through the alignment of individual and organizational values, thus linking individual employees and organizational identity. Using qualitative examination of two sustainable organizations, we focus on the alignment between individual and organizational values as an essential underpinning that joins workers to the organization’s mission and identity. We find a “family” metaphor grounded in shared values of trust, authenticity, and commu..