Archives of Business Research – Vol.6, No.6 Publication Date: June. 25, 2018 DOI: 10.14738/abr.66.4411. Göl, B., & Demirel, G. (2018). A Relational Study on Individual Values: An Example from Turkey. Archives of Business Research, 6(6), 270-302. A Relational Study on Individual Values: An Example from Turkey Buket Göl MBA graduate, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey Gönül Demirel Assoc.Prof.Dr., Department of Business Administration, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey, ABSTRACT A major concern for institutions especially over the past few decades has been the recognition of individual values as among the sources and determinants of intention to quit among employees. In this respect, Schwartz has come up with a general value system based on differences across cultures producing variations in personalities which in turn affect peoples’ behaviors through their actions. Thus, according to Schwartz, universal and culture-specific aspects of values show variation in personalities that in turn dictate the expected employee behavior permitting in this way to form a compatible work environment. In this study, the Schwartz value system is empirically tested to determine its effects on intention to quit for employees working in a software company in Istanbul, Turkey. Sources and determinants of intention to quit due other than to Schwartz individual values have been quite extensively studied in the literature. In the literature, affective commitment, perceived organizational support, and differences in wage expectations have been shown empirically significant as among the determinants of intention to quit. This study aims to determine and test empirically the effects of individual values and affective commitment only on intention to quit. In doing so, the study also aims to test empirically the effects, if any, of Schwartz individual values on affective commitment and affective commitment on intention to quit. Key words: Schwartz individual values, affective commitment, intention to quit INTRODUCTION Cultures are shaped by ecologies and have effect on the development of personalities. Universal and culture-specific aspects of values show variation in personalities. Values and beliefs shape the culture of an organization which dictates the expected employee behavior that permits to form a compatible work environment. According to Shalom Schwartz, an important amount of empirical attention has been directed to the typology and measurement of value priorities, and the relationship between values, norms, goals and behaviors. Values are beliefs transcend specific situations, and relate to desirable end-states or behaviors, guide selection or evaluation of behavior or events, and vary in terms of relative importance (Schwartz, 1992). Values are ‘the criteria people use to select and justify actions and to evaluate people (including the self) and events’ (Schwartz, 1992, p.1) Personal values tend to be relatively permanent (Meglino and Ravlin, 1998), while there may be some variations stemming from changes in social conditions (Schwartz, 1992). Individual values guide decisions and have direct effects on behavior in the workplace (Adkins, Raveling and Melino, 1996; Cable and Edwards, 2004).