Wertorientiertes

Wertorientiertes is a German term used to describe actions, policies or strategies that are guided by explicit values or normative principles. It denotes an orientation toward values such as ethics, responsibility, sustainability, human rights or social justice, and implies that decisions are evaluated and chosen with these values in mind rather than solely according to efficiency, profit or technical criteria. The related noun forms include Wertorientierung or werteorientiertes Handeln.

In practice, wertorientiertes Handeln appears in various domains. In business and corporate governance it is often referred to as werteorientierte Unternehmensführung or values-based management, where mission statements, codes of ethics and stakeholder considerations shape strategy, risk management and performance assessment. In public administration and politics it underpins policy design and service delivery, aiming to align public action with constitutional principles, human rights and social welfare. In education, social work and healthcare, wertorientiertes Vorgehen emphasizes respect for dignity, equity and inclusion in processes and interactions.

From a theoretical perspective, wertorientiertes Management links strategic goals with normative criteria, complementing financial metrics with ethical and social indicators. In psychology and sociology, Wertorientierung describes an individual's or group's tendency to prioritize certain values, influencing attitudes and behavior.

Critically, value orientation can clash with competing priorities or interpretations of value, and its effectiveness depends on concrete implementation, accountability mechanisms, and transparent measurement. See also: werteorientierte Führung, Wertebasierte Politik, Werteorientierung.