waardegericht

Waardegericht is a term used in Dutch to describe an approach or mindset in which actions, policies and strategies are directed at creating value that is meaningful to stakeholders and sustainable over time. It is not tied to a single theory, but is used across business, government and civil society to emphasize value creation beyond short-term gains.

Key characteristics include a long-term horizon, balancing financial, social, environmental and governance aspects; explicit value definitions agreed with stakeholders; use of value-based metrics; alignment of decisions with stated values; and an emphasis on accountability and transparency.

In business, waardegericht management or ondernemen refers to value-driven strategy, sustainable value creation, and measurements such as economic value added and non-financial indicators. In public policy and procurement, it appears as value-based budgeting or value-based procurement; in health care it is oriented toward patient- and society-focused outcomes.

Advantages of a waardegericht approach include a clearer sense of purpose, greater resilience, and better alignment among strategy, operations and stakeholder expectations. Critics point to the vagueness of what counts as “value,” potential conflicts between different value sets, measurement challenges, and the risk that powerful actors instrumentalize the concept to promote their own interests.

See also: value-based management, ESG, maatschappelijk verantwoord ondernemen, value creation frameworks.