WELCOME
If you are someone who has often wondered WHY people do what they do, then you will probably have come to one of three conclusions (or, at least, some close approximation):
- It's just random! I have a better chance on the roulette wheel than I do trying to figure out what is really going on.
- Almost everyone but ME is mistaken, deluded or stupid!
- It must be something to do with different people seeing things differently.
Over a quarter of a century of quantitative research shows, categorically, that it
is the third of these that is the (objective) truth ... and that the determining factor
is a person's Values
Our Values are the nest of beliefs and motivators - largely subconscious - that underpin our attitudes to almost everything we encounter. They are tied directly into our emotions, not our rational faculties. They are what so frequently make us choose something or perform an action before we have really thought about the consequences.
If we could, in some way, understand a person's Values, then we would be able to understand better why they do what they do. Perhaps more importantly, we would be better placed to influence them - not in any "controlling" sense but perhaps by making "natural" to them a choice or behaviour that we consider desirable.
Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing advises organizations of all kinds on the implications of changes in cultural and individual Values on policies, processes and procedures.
Our methods are based on quantitative research that has been conducted since 1973, measuring the Values, Beliefs and Motivations of (primarily) the UK population. Similar research has been conducted in over 40 countries by similar organizations.
We have proven expertise in Brand positioning, Brand proposition development, Policy development, Fund raising (charities, etc.), Sales improvement ... in fact, most areas of business that pivot around a clear, workable understanding of what makes people tick.
We combine our business experience as managers and consultants with this deep, rich body of research and apply it to create robust business solutions.
ARTICLES, REPORTS & STUFF
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BRITISH POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
Pragmatic Nihilism to Ethical Universalism.So, at last, there's real news on the British political front - not just more back-biting and scorpionic tail-wagging.
Here, our inimitable Pat Dade looks at the Values behind the Labour "landslide" in the 2024 General Election.
Read on. Published 15 July 2024
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BEING BRITISH - AND WHAT IT MEANS.
It's the dawn of the UK's third Carolingian Age. The governing party seems to have stabilized (momentarily) around pretty much the 'old guard', despite the absence of Bo-Jo and the Mogg.
So, here we expand further on 'BRITISHNESS', and what it means, looking through the eyes of those who self-identify as British (SIBs).
We began with a look at the "Generic" SIBs, and now we round this out with a look at our third Maslow Group - the Settlers.
The "Genereic" view Published 29 September 2022
The "Pioneer" view Published 13 October 2022
The "Prospector" view Published 21 October 2022
The "Settler" view Published 29 October 2022
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REASON Rejecters.
Following on from our work on rejecters of the HONEST Attribute, we've been looking at rejecters of the REASON Attribute - i.e. those who reject the statement
"I believe strongly in thinking things through when making a decision. I always try to identify the reasons for my actions".
We'll uncover an uncomfortable nest of attitudes that can result in anything from general disgruntlement through to anti-social violence, driven by a range of motivations from fantasy through pessimistic fatalism and onto an innate sense that violence is a valid tool for 'discussion'.This tropic will be examined in four parts. The first one immediately and the other three over the next weeks.
Generic REASON Rejecters Published 2 Sep 2022
Pioneer REASON Rejecters Published 9 Sep 2022
Prospector REASON Rejecters Published 13 Sep 2022
Settler REASON Rejecters Published 21 Sep 2022
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HONESTY Rejecters.
With the recent resignation of the UK's Prime Minister, and UK politics effectively in limbo - unless, of course, you are one of the tiny minority electorate that will get a say on selecting the new PM - it seems an appropriate time to examine the idea of "honesty".
In a departure from normal practice, here we take a look at those who REJECT the ideas laid out in our HONEST Attribute:
I believe that honesty is the basis for trust. I would not lie; even to get myself out of trouble.
This tropic is examined in four parts.Generic HONEST Rejecters Published 10 Aug 2022
Pioneer HONEST Rejecters Published 10 Aug 2022
Prospector HONEST Rejecters Published 15 Aug 2022
Settler HONEST Rejecters Published 19 Aug 2022
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BRITAIN IN TRANSITION - The Interregnum.
2020 and 2021 have been two of the most disruptive of years for decades. These have been the years when "stuff" has landed squarely on Britain's own shores. First Brexit and then COVID have driven wedges into what was previously considered a stable, settled and united kingdom.
Britain has become a nation in transition. Certainties that have held for decades are either falling apart or being stressed and questioned.
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... AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
Examining Moral Foundations Theory (Haidt) within the context of Values (CDSM).Pat Dade reports on findings from original research by CDSM, carried out in early 2020. (Note: Open publication of this report was deliberately delayed for commercial reasons)
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HAVE ATTITUDES TO CLIMATE CHANGE ALTERED BETWEEN 2015 AND 2021?
CDSM is able to answer this question by comparing results from a 2015 and a 2021 British Values Survey. Even better, they discuss the Values profiles that underpin three different types of "belief" amongst those who recognise Climate Change as a reality.
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CONSEQUENCES OF COVID-19 FOR THE "NEW NORMAL".
Lots of people are writing about COVID-19 and the "new normal". Few are thinking about it from the perspective of Values - a.k.a. deep psychologically driven emotions.
Here, Pat Dade offers some perspectives on all that.
COVID-19: Are Values changing during the lockdown?
Back to the Future: Principles and Perspectives for a New Normal
VALUES, PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS and
"THE LADDER OF CHANGE"TM.There is a growing understanding amongst organizational change, recruitment and talent professionals that personal values are a major factor determining a successful outcome, failure or something in between. We have long had a unique handle on this - not least because we measure personal values.
This section is dedicated to articles and papers relevant to these subjects.
THE 21st CENTURY HUMAN CONDITION.
Once we think beyond our immediate familial or social circles, it's very much a common experience to feel that "mainstream society" is on a different planet and a different course than ourselves. Les Higgins and Pat Dade briefly explore the causes of that experience and try to answer the Xfiles-esque question, "Why are there so many aliens amongst us?"
More.
Changing Values
We've invited a long-time friend, John Powderly FRSA, to ramble freely over various topics, such as "Happiness", with the only requirement that he use his professionally tempered "empathy" to explore things from differing values perspectives. These are bite-sized pieces that are nevertheless thought provoking.
More.
CYBER SECURITY - THE "INSIDER" THREAT.
Pat Dade shares some thoughts about an often neglected area of cyber security - whether "employees" feel enough sense of "belonging" to "care" about the organization's security.
More.
THE LABOUR PARTY AND ITS ACCIDENTAL LEADER.
Pat Dade continues the series about the fallout from the 2017 General Election with a look at the Labour "minor miracle".
More.
THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY. A LAST HURRAH?
Pat Dade continues the series about the fallout from the 2017 General Election with a look at the Conservative voter's journey to the ballot box.
More.
EYE OF THE STORM? OR THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF TRIBAL POLITICS?
Pat Dade starts off a series of articles about the fallout from the 2017 General Election.
More.
HUNG AND DUP'ED
Les Higgins takes a slightly wry look at the taste left in the mouths of the electorate following the 2017 General Election
More.
A PRE-ELECTION VALUES SNAPSHOT
Pat Dade discusses some implications drawn from a Values survey taken before the 2017 General Election starting gun was fired.
More.
MASLOW GROUPS, VALUES MODES and OCEAN
A sequence of articles in which Pat Dade discusses the connections between Personality and Values.
1. Developing Psychological Insights through Data.
2. Bridging Personality and Values?
3. Maslow, Schwartz and a HEXACO Axis.
4. A journey to the dark side - from SDO to BOTU.
5. The Heart of Darkness - From BOTU to POD.
6. Emerging from the Dark Side into the Light.
WHY SIMPLY COUNTERING 'FAKE NEWS' WITH 'FACT CHECKING' MAY NOT WORK.
Chris Rose of Campaign Strategy blogs on the rise of 'fake news' and what may or may not be required to counter it. More
IN REFERENCE TO THE EU REFERENDUM
A series of articles that relate to the British EU referendum - published before the vote.
Brexit - who cares? Part 1
Brexit - who cares? Part 2
Brexit - the latest battle in the values war. Part 1
Brexit - the latest battle in the values war. Part 2
Hotel California, Brexit and the European experiment.
Articles publish after the vote.
It's NOT the economy, stupid!
Can the UK expect to have less Prospectors in the near future as a result of the Brexit vote?
BREXIT, Values and Age.
IN REFERENCE TO THE LABOUR PARTY
A series of articles that relate to the state of the Labour Party since its defeat at the General Election of 2015.
Labour's Future (John Cruddas report)
Is the Labour Party the victim of a left wing take-over?
NEW, BLUE or TRUE LABOUR.
RE-EVOLUTION 1.0.
POWER. TO THE PEOPLE?
Jeremy Corbyn: What the media classes don't get.
Labour are becoming a toxic brand.SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?
A values perspective on returnee migrants. Disillusioned with their treatment and prospects within the EU, many migrants are making the choice to return home. More
GREECE 2016.
Apathy, Anger, Historic Outrage and the Molotov cocktail hour. More
THE GIVING EXPERIENCE
Overcoming the barriers
to giving among the wealthy in the UK.
Cultural Dynamics Strategy & Marketing Ltd. is proud to present the results of a survey of High Nett Worth Individuals and
their attitudes and motivations towards giving.
Working in association with philanthropy specialist consultancy Beacon
Collective (authors of the report), Barclays Private Bank, the Arts Council of Great Britain, and the Institute of
Fundraisers, CDSM's Maslow GroupsTM and Values ModesTM segmentation analysis has been conducted and
made freely available.
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A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE CAMPAIGN(S) TO BE THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
Les Higgins feels compelled to vent his frustration on the shallowness of this event. Were it not such a fundamentally important question (on which 60-odd million people will NOT be consulted!), he'd be inclined to keep his trap shut. But ...
BREXIT VALUES STORY PART 2.1
Chris Rose of Campaign Strategy pulls together fascinating data from CDSM's surveys conducted before and after the UK's general election on 8th June, 2017. More
CAN USING VALUES MAKE A BETTER SOCIETY?
David Evans, Director of The Campaign Company and former Assistant General Secretary of the Labour Party, discusses this question on the Huffingtonpost. More
ARE PEOPLE'S VALUES DIFFERENT AT WORK THAN THEY ARE AT HOME?
Recent surveys across Europe, examined using CDSM's 'Values and Organisational Cultures Styles' (VOCS), suggest not. More
MEANINGFUL LIVES.
Client question: Do you think that what someone perceives as a 'meaningful' life may be related to their unmet needs - their values? More
FOSTER CARING VALUES.
The practical application of Values in the oft misunderstood world of Foster Caring. (Size 190K: PDF) More
'RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM' AND THE USE OF FORCE.
Strong religious belief and everyday acceptance of physical force to 'get what you want'. More
Chris Rose's epic journey through Cultural Dynamics' Values Space. More-