The missing links of value congruence: evidence from the Thai healthcare workforce.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate possible factors, such as trust in management and shared vision, that influence value congruence and its mediating effect on work engagement. It also explores how resilience, functioning as a moderator, could change the nature of the links between value congruence and its determinants.

Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through an online survey from 301 healthcare employees in Thailand. Hypotheses were tested and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures.

Findings: The results reveal that value congruence mediates the positive impacts of trust in management and shared vision on work engagement. Trust in management and shared vision translate into higher levels of value congruence, more so when employees are highly resilient.

Practical implications: The findings suggest that healthcare administrators should design interventions to cultivate trustworthy leadership behaviors in daily operations while improving communication of the organization's overarching vision and objectives to help employees internalize and seamlessly integrate its core values into their own professional identities.

Originality/value: Despite the extensive research on value congruence and its outcomes, little is known about its development. This study makes a valuable contribution by addressing these missing links, particularly in hospital settings. It also highlights how resource management explains the ways in which resilience in practice influences employees' value congruence at work.