CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Related Literature

Values are the fundamental beliefs, behaviors and attitudes that have been approved and

accepted as what is good by society for a long time. In the most general sense, they are

considered as the virtues that a person holds in his or her life. However, philosophers,

researchers, practitioners and many others have defined and addressed values from different

perspectives concerning the respective discipline or contexts. Generally, values are viewed as

inner realities of an individual that are reflected through habits, behaviors, beliefs, expectations

and relationships. Values lay the foundation for an individual’s pattern of thinking and way of

acting. They play a vital role in how one makes decisions, choices and builds perceptions and

attitudes. Additionally, various studies on personal values have shown that they often guide

decision making in all aspects of life such as career, religion, social circles and self-identity.

Another aspect of personal values is that they can be viewed as desirable motivational goals and

interests of an individual or the guiding principles in life. In addition, they have been seen as the

non-existent mental entities and as the outcomes of mental development. Consequently, values

can be seen as the perceptions of psychological expressions or frame of mind. Moreover, they

are consequential issues that manifest the personality of an individual. Hence, the realization of

personal values by the self is crucial and determines the growth and the existence of the self in

any situation. Conversely, understanding another person’s respected values is also important.

As a consequence of the constant transformation of society in terms of culture, economics

and politics, value and value systems have been unusually changed and distorted. In favour of

the same idea, Daniela et al. justify this by arguing, “with modernity it is normal that personal
value systems support changes to harmonize itself to current requirements”. Initially, some of the

personal values may be determined by birth and later greatly influenced and molded by

education, experiences, society, culture and many other factors. According to Matthews et al., an

alteration in lifestyle, cultural environment and economic circumstances, individually or a

combination of these factors, can cause values to change. Personal value systems can be viewed

as a relatively permanent framework that exists within an individual which decides what is good

or bad for himself or herself and his or her companions. In addition, it shapes and influences the

general nature of an individual’s behaviour. Researchers have found that personal values

developed early in life may be resistant to change and may be derived from those of particular

groups or systems, such as culture, religion and political party. However, personal values are not

universal. Genetically inherited features and external factors including education may determine

one’s personal values. Essentially, the antecedents of values are culturally embedded in society

and its institutions and are socially determined . Although a personal value is an internal

phenomenon, the motivating force to adopt the value is seen as emanating from a diverse range

of external sources. As values directly influence one’s entire lifestyle, a discussion of values and

value systems, their place within changing socioeconomic contexts and how they affect

individuals and society has universal relevance.

The value systems of a society always determine human activity in social life, education

and professional life. Values are seen as a key component of organisational culture and are

repeatedly defined as the principles accountable for the successful management of the

organization. Arambewela and Hall support the same issue, stating: personal values have long

been considered an important variable in understanding consumer behaviour and decision

making. As a result, the interest in knowing the drivers behind consumer attitudes and behaviour
has encouraged marketing researchers to investigate human values (Anana and Nique, 2014).

Hence, many researchers have emphasized the need and advantage of studying the impact of

personal values on the sustainable existence of an organisation.

Investigating the influence of values on assessments made by people on their career

choices is another trending research area. In general, professions such as teaching, medicine and

nursing are strongly attached and influenced by values. The results of a research study by Anana

and Nique has concluded that students choosing some careers are more typical, based on their

values than others, and that some values are more typical of some careers than others. Thus,

personal values have been taken as the main focus in the research in a variety of fields and

academic disciplines. In this regard, the need for identifying different scopes of human values is

a timely requirement. Since professional values are also shaped and influenced by personal

values, indeed a discussion on personal values can be regarded as an issue that unchanged over

time. There has been a growing concern over the erosion of values among youth during the past

few years, and it is continually progressing. At the same time, the need for facilitating value

development has become the greatest challenge ahead in the field of education. The effects of the

value given to material comforts, money, fame and success are prominently reflected through the

present younger generation. Hence, there is a considerable emphasis in this new century on the

development of values: tolerance, social justice, open-mindedness, empathy and deep respect for

others. Since realizing values and adopting and displaying them as one’s personality is closely

associated with education, values education is given a greater emphasis today to ensure the

continuity of societies. The functions of education in molding student’s moral, spiritual and

sociocultural life are some of the areas that have received renewed attention in the recent past. In

addition, they have long been considered important variables in understanding student
behaviours, attitudes and achievements. Consequently, the outcomes of Branson provide an

insight into the benefits of value-based studies in educational management and administration.

The realization of value can offer assistance in organizing the learning process by explaining and

understanding students’ reactions to various situations and tailoring and evaluating the learning

experience. Though students’ learning takes place within the self, it is not an isolated process.

Research has confirmed that learning is affected by a variety of internal and external factors.

Researchers have observed variations in students’ learning approaches, and furthermore, they

have found qualitative differences in learning outcomes that were related to the approaches taken

(Matthews et al. refer Marton and Saljo ). Accordingly, if the personal values deal with the

behavior of a person, learning may also have influenced by personal values. Based on that

assumption, a number of researchers study the composition and structure of students’ learning

approaches and personal values and their interconnections have been observed in various

contexts. Research in this area confirms that values are related to different approaches to learning

and they may change according to the circumstances. Considering the students’ behavior in

different academic situations, researchers have categorized the learning approaches into different

groups. Furthermore, researchers have attempted to build up the connections between learning

approaches and specific personal values. For example, as referred by Matthews et al. and

Tarabashkina, personal values such as achievement and power were related to the achieving

approach, security and tradition values to the surface approach, and self-direction and

universalism to the deep learning approach. In addition, this relationship was confirmed by a

number of studies with some variations.

As Amirova et al. (2020) noted, one of the main current goals of the countries is to

achieve a high level of quality of higher education, which meets the needs of the labour market,
the problems of industrial and innovative development of the country, identity and relevant

international best practices in education. The competency-based approach in education is

generally understood as an approach that focuses not on the content, but on the results of

education expressed in the form of competencies (Azizov & Azizov, 2018). Research is

considered one of the parameters of success of higher educational institutions worldwide (Marin

et al., 2017). Therefore, it is important to develop research competence in future specialists in

higher educational institutions. Research competence is interpreted by Aleksandrova and

Sluchayna (2018) as the ability to conduct independent research and provide its results. Research

competence is both the main task of the development of professional and methodological

competence and a means of developing other professional, cultural and general competencies

(Gorshkova, 2017). The development of student research skills at the university is associated

with the improvement of skills related to critical thinking (Kartika et al., 2019), problem solving

(Missingham et al., 2016) and employment skills (Bandaranaike & Willison, 2015), especially

those who become employed graduates (Willison, Sabir & Thomas, 2017). A recent large-scale

multidisciplinary study found that graduates felt that their “general” skills were well developed

through undergraduate programmes. However, employers’ data indicate dissatisfaction with the

general skills of graduates (Jackson, 2016). Active learning has significantly improved

participants’ overall research skills, as demonstrated by improved performance at the final

exams, as well as individual writing and research skills (Alghamdi & Deraney, 2018). The

success of students’ research activity is largely determined by personal qualities, which include

criticism and self-criticism, dissatisfaction with the results achieved, strong intelligence, strong

ability to control their actions, the ability to unconventional solutions to theoretical and

experimental problems, observation, honesty, openness and the courage to defend own views and
positions, own vision of the problem, independence, initiative and responsibility, etc. (Vaganova

et al., 2017). Research competence involves the following abilities: - see and formulate the

problem, determine the aim of the research (Supriyanto, Hartini, Syamsudin, & Sutoyo, 2019); -

understand and justify the topicality, novelty, theoretical and practical significance of the study

(Bobkova et al., 2021);

Hospitality Management Students

Competencies enabling students to engage with diverse clientele and work

collaboratively in teams. Additionally, a strong customer service orientation is emphasized as a

core value that drives excellence in hospitality. Ethical considerations and professionalism are

also critical, shaping how future leaders navigate complex situations in the workplace.

Academic programs increasingly focus on experiential learning, such as internships,

which foster essential competencies like problem-solving and adaptability. These experiences

allow students to internalize values such as respect, integrity, and teamwork in real-world

settings. Studies show that students who embody these values tend to perform better

professionally, reflecting the importance of character development alongside technical skills.

Furthermore, cultural awareness and sensitivity are gaining prominence as the industry becomes

more globalized.

Kwortnik and Thompson (2009) discusses the integration of service marketing and

operations through the concept of Service Experience Management (SEM). This approach aims

to enhance customer experiences by aligning both marketing strategies and operational

processes. Service Experience Management (SEM): SEM focuses on managing the entire

customer journey, from initial contact to post-service interactions. The idea is to create a

seamless and positive experience for customers, which is essential in service-oriented industries.
Integration of Marketing and Operations: Traditionally, marketing and operations have been

viewed as separate functions. Kwortnik and Thompson argue for a unified approach, where both

areas work collaboratively to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction. Customer-

Centric Approach: The authors emphasize the importance of understanding customer needs and

expectations. By leveraging insights from both marketing and operations, businesses can design

services that resonate with customers, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty. Framework for

SEM: The paper proposes a framework that includes various components of service delivery,

such as service design, service encounter, and service recovery. This framework helps

organizations to analyze and improve different aspects of the customer experience. Implications

for Practice: The integration of marketing and operations through SEM has practical implications

for organizations. It encourages them to adopt a holistic view of service delivery, leading to

better resource allocation, enhanced service quality, and improved overall performance.

Kwortnik and Thompson's work provides a valuable perspective on the importance of managing

customer experiences in service industries. By unifying marketing and operations through SEM,

organizations can create more effective strategies that enhance customer satisfaction and drive

business success. The insights from this research can guide practitioners in developing more

coherent and customer-focused service offerings.

The concept of value, which was first introduced to social sciences by Znaniecki, is

derived from the Latin word root of "valere" and means "to be valuable" or "to be strong" (Izgar,

2013: 14). Value is also defined as the entire belief system that distinguishes people from other

living things, covering characteristics that make human beings human and shape the behavior of

human beings (Ulusoy and Dilmaç, 2012: 16). According to Aydın (2003: 4), values are

phenomena that can be taught and learned. Value can also be defined as "the sum of material and
spiritual elements that cover the social, cultural, economic and scientific values of a nation"

(TDK - Turkish Language Association, 2014). Values guide the individuals who create the

society about what is important and what should be preferred (Okudan, 2010: 20). It would be

fair to say that values are the factors that keep society and individuals strong (Özdaş, 2013).

Values differ as moral, religious, social, economic, scientific, artistic and political values

(Hökelekli, 2011: 285).

Values determine the behaviors and conduct of individuals and people act in line with the

values they have (Cüceloğlu, 2010). Behaviors and conduct of individuals are directly or

indirectly guided by values (Özgüven, 1994). Values and beliefs guide people in understanding

and interpreting life and shaping their behaviors. In other words, people develop a perspective on

life and events with the help of values (Akıncı, 2005; Aksu, 2008). One of the main purposes of

researching values is to determine the value orientations of people and to reveal the interactions

of these orientations with their attitudes, conduct, social experiences and roles (Mehmedoğlu,

2006). Values are the source of the inner strength that allows us to acquire our human qualities,

helping us to resist the difficulties and obstacles we face in life. Therefore, our education system

aims to add value to each individual within the education system (MoNE, 2018). Values are

structures that can change and vary based on time and need. Values can also change based the

society and culture (Yazıcı, 2006). The importance attached to the same value by different

nations and the care given in that regard is different (Yiğit and Tarman, 2013). Values have an

important impact on young people's identity and personality formation, their understanding of

their existence, their perspective to the world, their approach to problems and solutions, and

young people also have an important role in the perception of values and reshaping them in

society (Aydın, 2003). Value education is becoming more important each passing day in parallel
with the increase in suicide rates, substance and alcohol addiction, and crime and murder rates

among young people (Tokdemir, 2007). This study, which was conducted to examine university

students' views on values, is very important in determining the perspective of young people on

values. In addition to the foregoing, the change of