LATVIAN SUPERVISORS’ VALUES
between personal values of the supervisors practicing in different professional
fields, and if so, then what are they; are there differences between the evaluation
of importance and attainability of the personal values of practicing supervisors,
and if so, then in regards to which values; within which fields the differences
between the importance and attainability of supervisor’s personal values are
the biggest?
Research on values began during the first half of the 20" century, in the
beginning examining values as a philosophical concept in regards to a virtuous
life and morals,’® as well as separating value typology. German philosopher
Eduard Spranger wrote about six types of human beings”, in regards to their
way of thinking, way of life, most important and overall beliefs (values). Each
of these types is oriented towards defined core values: theoretical — towards
discovering the truth and systematic thinking; economical — towards usefulness
and practicality, including accumulating wealth; esthetical — towards harmony
of beauty, form and art; social — towards relationships with people; political —
towards gaining power and affecting other people; religious — towards unity
and understanding the Universe."
The further development of this concept in the context of psychology is
known also as Allport — Vernon — Lindzey value theory," and in this study
the chosen value list is based on this concept, however the value conflict
interpretation mechanism — on the concept offered by Fantalova.?°
In the electronic website wwwwisidati.lv a special socially demographic data
form created by the authors was uploaded as well as 12 value lists, that needed
to be evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale based on their importance (from 1
point — completely unimportant to 5 points — very important) and attainability
(from 1 point — very difficultly attainable to 5 points — very easily attainable).
1° R.B. Perry, General Theory of Value: Its Meaning and Basic Principles Construed in Terms of
Interest, New York, Longmans Green, 1926.
E. Spranger, Types of men, New York, G. E. Stechert Company, 1928. (Original work published
1914.)
E. Sprangers, Jaunatnes psichologija, Riga, M. Liepinas izdevums, 1929. // E. Sprangers, Young
adult psychology, Riga, published by M. Liepina, 1929.
G. W. Allport — P. E. Vernon, Study of values: A scale for measuring the dominant interests in
personality, Boston, MA, Houghton Mifflin, 1931.; G. W. Allport — P. E. Vernon — G. Lindzey,
A study of values, Boston, MA, Houghton Mifflin, 1951.
Fantalova, Inner conflict diagnostics and psychotherapy.