The importance of company values: Supporting our people with Care
Company values shape how employees make decisions, take actions and behave. However, misalignments with company values and personal values can result in poor engagement and performance. This article explores ABB’s values-driven culture. The core value of Care is highlighted as a key driver of caring for ourselves, each other and our customers.
Web Story
5min
2026-05-04
Why company values matter?
What are corporate values?
<ul> <li>Company values shape decision-making, behaviors and actions within an organization. Company culture is often an expression of its values. Through core values, organizations can communicate their goals and help employees understand the motivators behind decisions.<sup>1</sup></li> </ul>How do values influence financial performance?
<ul> <li>Company culture and values influence employee behavior and, in turn, impacts the success of business endeavors, as shown in research published in the International Research Journals and the Future Business Journal.<sup>2,3</sup></li> <li>Furthermore, there is a link between financial performance and the alignment of the organization’s values with the employees’ personal values, according to a report by the Barrett Values Centre.<sup>4</sup></li> <li>In contrast, the report suggests that, where there is a lack of alignment between company culture, its core values and the personal values of employees, this can result in low performance of the business.<sup>4</sup></li> </ul>What do core values mean at ABB?
<ul> <li>At ABB, we know that our people and culture make the difference. It is our expertise that brings customers to us with their biggest challenges. With this in mind, we remain committed to our company values and how we bring them to life every day.</li> </ul>Values & Behaviors at ABB
We developed the four values of Courage, Care, Curiosity and Collaboration, by listening to our employees. Together with accompanying behaviors, they shape everything we do, guide how we act and interact with each other, customers, partners, and society. That’s why company values matter at ABB.
Care as a company value
<p>Under our value of Care, we have the three guiding behaviors.</p>
Care for ourselves
<p>We foster our mental, physical and emotional well-being, and prioritize safety, even under pressure.</p>Care for each other
<p>We regularly check in on each other, show empathy, compassion, and offer support.</p>Care for customers
<p>We seek to understand our customers’ needs, build strong relationships and create value together.</p>Research from Cambridge University Press suggests that care as a company value can be meaningful. Managers who care for employees improve employee satisfaction while at the same time improving organizational outcomes.5 In addition, leaders who show empathy can positively impact team members’ wellbeing and performance, as reported in a paper in the Management Review Quarterly of Springer Nature.8
Real values examples from ABB
Discover real values examples. Learn about how our colleagues care for each other through getting to know each other and staying connected.
Click “play” to learn more.
“Our core values shape our workplace behavior and building a strong integrity culture starts with the choices we make every day. In particular, care inspires us to prioritize the well-being of our colleagues, customers and the environment with respect and integrity.”
- Khalid Mandri, President of Installation Products, Electrification
How we embrace Care at ABB
Manager series training
<p>Managers learn about the Values & Behaviors, how to support their team’s growth, and how to apply them in everyday leadership.</p>Toolkits
<p>Toolkits support our employees to have conversations on how we bring our Values & Behaviors to life, and how we can all keep developing ourselves.</p>Internal microsite
<p>Our company intranet shares what our employees need to know about the Values & Behaviors.</p>Engagement
<p>Our engagement survey regularly measures how employees feel about our values and whether they feel genuinely cared for as individuals. These scores remain positive, reflecting support across the organization. We encourage our teams review scores to drive ongoing improvements.</p>How we Care for our employees
Policies and Guidelines
<p>Care is embedded into our policies and guidelines where appropriate, including our Code of Conduct, Supplier Code of Conduct, Health, Safety and Environment principles, and more.</p>Diversity and Inclusion strategy
<p>A culture of diversity and inclusion is critical to our business success and makes us stronger. We strive for a culture where individual differences are not only welcomed but celebrated.</p>Employee Assistance Program
<p>In partnership with Workplace Options,<sup>6</sup> we developed this global program to support our employees and their families through different stages of their private and professional lives. It offers resources for counselling, life coaching, family support, emotional support, coming out, transitioning, and more.</p>Flexible work
<p>Our flexible work practices and guidelines support colleagues to thrive in the workplace on terms that suit their individual needs.</p>Gender-neutral parental leave
<p>Our gender-neutral parental leave program supports parents, without differentiating the gender. Our flexible work practices and guidelines also support colleagues of all genders to thrive in the workplace on terms that suit their individual needs.</p>Accessibility and accommodations
<p>While we have accessibility and accommodations practices in place, we continue to review and make improvements both locally and globally. We continue to support physical site assessments, such as those previously carried out in Italy and at our HQ in Switzerland. Our global digital accessibility guidelines are aligned with WCAG 2 standards for web accessibility.<sup>7</sup></p>How ABB does business
Gender-neutral parental leave supporting inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion at ABB
Join the team that runs what runs the world
Sources:
- Culture vs. Values: What's the Difference? (With Examples) - Indeed.com
- The role of corporate culture in international business success: A comparative study – International Research Journals
- Do corporate values have value? The impact of corporate values on financial performance - Future Business Journal, Springer Nature Link
- The Importance of Values in Building a High-Performance Culture — BVC
- Care in Management: A Review and Justification of an Organizational Value - Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge Core
- Employee Wellbeing Solutions, EAP Service & Wellness Program - Workplace Options
- WCAG 2
- Empathy in leadership: a systematic literature review on the effects of empathetic leaders in organizations - Management Review Quarterly, Springer Nature Link