This open access book presents new approaches for researching values as they are performed or
materialized. Values have been an important topic in academic literature for a long time they
are at the core of institutional theories and are often connected to ideals in organisations or
ways of valuing. The various values-constructs are typically highlighted to underpin
discussions of identity ethos and the purposive institutional work of leaders and employees.
However there is a need for more research on how values link and sustain actions and
institutions. Contributors in this volume map and discuss useful methodological ways in which
values and values work can be investigated and how research on values has been and can be
applied. The chapters present different methods for collecting data including interviews
observation and shadowing as well as various methods for analyzing data such as thematic
discourse and narrative analysis. Chapters also consider the role of the researcher and
participant validation as a procedure to enhance the trustworthiness of the study. Finally the
book presents various empirical projects and issues related to and exemplifying values
research. This book is a valuable guide for researchers and students who are looking for a
practical understanding of how to research values and values work in organisations. The volume
is a follow-up of the open access book Understanding Values Work: Institutional Perspectives
in Organisations and Leadership published by Palgrave Macmillan.
