Distinct approaches to value system in collaborative networks environments

Abstract

For several years. Value Systems have been studied by two distinct scientific disciplines: economy and psycho-sociology. Each discipline developed a different concept of Value System, based on distinct assumptions about value. On one hand, economists assume that value means how much (usually money) a product or service is worth to someone, relative to other things; on the other hand socio-psychologists define value as shared beliefs on moral/ethical principles of the organizational unit. This paper presents a contribution in the study of Value Systems in the context of collaborative network organizations (CNO). The work based on M. Porler's approach applied to CNO is analyzed and related modeling techniques to represent an economic Value System are presented. A similar analysis is presented regarding the axiological perspective from socio-psychology. including the description of possible modeling techniques, in a CNO context. The aim of this paper is to compare these two approaches to Value Systems in the CNO context and to conclude about their relevance in the setup and management of this kind of organization.