How Past Research Underpins Today’s Values-Driven Insights. (And why you should care.)
Prologue: Why You Should Read This
Ever wonder why some messages click while others fade into the noise? The secret isn’t magic; it’s values. They’re the compass people use to navigate decisions, big and small. Values shape the brands we buy, the jobs we take, and the causes we champion. When you know what drives people, you’re not just guessing anymore—you’re connecting on a whole new level.
If you’ve ever struggled to understand why people make the choices they do, you’re not alone. Values drive decision-making. They shape what we buy, where we work, and what causes we support. When we understand values, we can predict behavior, create impactful messages, and build lasting connections.
The Evolution of Values Research: From Schwartz’s Theory to Valuegraphics
Valuegraphics didn’t just pop into existence. It stands on the shoulders of giants, like Schwartz’s Value Theory. His work gave us a brilliant blueprint for understanding universal human values. But while Schwartz mapped the terrain, Valuegraphics is the GPS, turning insights into action and transforming how we engage with people around the globe.
In the sprawling landscape of human behavior research, Schwartz’s Value Theory is like that cozy, beloved cabin in the woods. It’s sturdy, well-designed, and has been a comforting place for many scholars and practitioners to visit over the years. If you’ve spent time there, you’ve likely enjoyed its warmth and admired its view. But, as lovely as the cabin is, sometimes you need something more. For those moments when you need to navigate more complex or modern challenges, Valuegraphics was built to meet the needs of today’s fast, connected, and ever-changing world. It’s designed for the world we live in now—fast, connected, and always changing.
Let’s take a walk through this metaphorical skyline and talk about why both structures matter, but why Valuegraphics is where the action is if you’re looking to understand, engage, and influence people at scale.
Schwartz: A Solid Foundation
Shalom Schwartz’s Value Theory has been a landmark in the field since the 1990s. It gave us a way to talk about universal human values—those core motivators that drive us all, no matter where we come from. The elegant circular model of ten broad value types—from self-direction to security—was a breakthrough. It showed us that values could be universal yet organized in predictable patterns, a map of the human psyche we could all navigate.
And for its time, it was revolutionary. Schwartz’s work laid the groundwork for countless studies and discussions about what makes us tick. It’s the kind of intellectual contribution that deserves respect. But it’s also a product of its era—a blueprint designed before big data, AI, and the dynamic global networks we live in today.
So, while Schwartz’s cabin is cozy, Valuegraphics is the skyscraper built on top of it, rising higher and wider to meet the complex demands of a rapidly evolving world.
Valuegraphics: Values Insights With Actionable Outcomes
Here’s the thing: Schwartz’s model is great for understanding human values at a broad, universal level. But when it comes to applying those insights to real-world challenges—to engage customers, motivate employees, or inspire donors, for example—it’s not enough. That’s where Valuegraphics takes the baton and runs.
1. Methodology That Matches the Moment
Schwartz’s studies were groundbreaking in their time but relied on small, homogeneous samples—often students from a few cultures. Valuegraphics, by contrast, is built on nearly one million surveys in 152 languages, spanning 180 countries. That’s statistical accuracy of +/- 3.5% with a 95% confidence level. For example, organizations have used Valuegraphics to craft campaigns that doubled engagement by aligning messages with the values of their target audience, whether they were donors, employees, or customers. It’s not just a model; it’s a global data powerhouse. It’s like comparing a paper map to a GPS that not only guides you but predicts where you need to go next.
2. Actionable Insights
Schwartz’s work tells us what values exist and how they might interact. That’s fascinating, but it’s also academic. Valuegraphics takes things a step further by not only identifying 56 distinct, research-backed values but also showing you how to use them. It’s like having a recipe book instead of just a list of ingredients—one that provides specific instructions for creating strategies, campaigns, and policies that resonate deeply with people’s core values. Whether you’re crafting marketing campaigns, designing employee engagement programs, or writing public policy, Valuegraphics gives you the tools to align with what truly matters to your audience.
3. A Living, Breathing Model
One of the challenges with Schwartz’s model is its static nature. It assumes the relationships between values are fixed, which doesn’t reflect the dynamic, ever-changing world we live in. Valuegraphics, on the other hand, is continuously updated and refined, capturing shifts in global and local value systems. It’s a real-time reflection of humanity, ready to adapt as society evolves.
4. Inclusive and Nuanced
Schwartz’s theory tends to overemphasize Western perspectives, given its origins and sample base. Valuegraphics, with its global methodology, respects and incorporates diverse viewpoints. It’s designed to reflect everyone, everywhere, equally—no matter their culture, language, or socioeconomic status.
Why This Matters
The stakes are high. Whether you’re a marketer, a leader, or a change-maker, you know that understanding people is only half the battle. The real magic happens when you can engage them—move them to act, to care, to connect. One organization used Valuegraphics to pinpoint the values most important to donors, resulting in a campaign that boosted contributions by 40%. That kind of precision and practicality is where Valuegraphics truly shines.
Schwartz’s Value Theory laid the foundation for understanding human behavior. Valuegraphics builds on it, creating tools that are practical, scalable, and ready for the challenges of today’s world.
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