Catholic institutions: mirror or model for society?

Certain values and priorities help establish and shape an organization's identity. Catholic organizations--through the values by which they operate--can determine whether they function as a centrifugal force that shapes the values of the larger society or whether they are driven by the centripetal force of American values, thus accommodating their actions to succeed in self-serving, narrow ways. Catholic organizations can evaluate their practices against three "environments," each composed of value strata, that characterize workplaces: Subpersonal environment. Workers are alienated; the employee is seldom acknowledged as a person. Stratum one--base values. The operative values focus on mechanical working qualities such as punctuality and productivity, rather than human interaction. Stratum two--civil values. Some interaction takes place, but it is geared only to customer satisfaction. Relational environment. Relationships are important to organizational functioning. Stratum three--corporate values. Workers must have more interpersonal skills but are seen as a means to an end: benefit for the corporation. Stratum four--ethical culture values. The worker is recognized as a person to be respected. Operative values are fair play and improving the human condition. Religious environment. Workers affirm the existence of a Godhead, which creates a "community" workplace. Stratum five--Judeo-Christian values. A commitment to charity and mercy and serving others is evident. Stratum six--Catholic values. Persons are seen as the body of Christ; the organization challenges society's tenets when these ignore the human person.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)