Human values and selection into supervisory positions: evidence from nine European countries

Purpose The article addresses whether employees with supervisory responsibilities differ from other workers in terms of human values. This paper examines the selection of employees into supervisory positions in four Nordic countries, three Baltic countries, Poland, and Germany, focusing on ten basic values and four higher-order values identified by Schwartz (1992). Design/methodology/approach This study applies individual-level data on nine Baltic Sea region countries from the 2014–2023 rounds of the European Social Survey to investigate, with regression analysis, the associations between the employees’ human values and the probability of holding a supervisory position, as well as the number of supervised workers. Findings Three higher-order values feature statistically significant associations with supervisory responsibilities. This link is positive for Openness to Change and Self-Enhancement but negative for Conservation. In several countries, we find evidence for adverse selection into supervisory jobs based on the Power value, which poses a risk of autocratic behaviour. We also find that values that make it easier (or harder) to become a supervisor tend to increase (or reduce) the number of supervised workers. Originality/value To our best knowledge, this is the first study to undertake a cross-country study of the relationship between individuals’ values and the propensity to hold a supervisory position.