Understanding Human Systems Through the Lens of Value Theory with Cliff Hurst, PhD, and Malcolm North, PhD

Value theory offers a powerful framework for understanding personal development, organizational behavior, and broader social dynamics. Cliff Hurst and Malcolm North examine how values influence identity, motivation, and action across individual and collective contexts.

Their discussion highlights how “good values” and “better valuing” function as foundational elements in the human process of meaning-making, with wide-ranging implications for leadership, decision-making, and systemic change.

As they explain, “value-cognitions predict leadership styles, ethical leadership, moral choices, and judgment—and valuing is deeply associated with cognitive biases and heuristics.”

The presenters share insights from their extensive research and consulting experience, highlighting value theory applications that include:

• The effectiveness of coaching and consulting in fostering individual and organizational growth
• How value systems shape human development, ethical decision-making processes, and organizational culture
• The relationship between valuing processes and cognitive biases

About the Speakers:

Cliff Hurst, Ph.D.

Clifford (Cliff) Hurst, PhD is an assistant professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at Ohio Wesleyan University and occasional adjunct faculty member at Fielding Graduate University’s Masters in Organization Development and Leadership program. A devoted student of philosopher Robert S. Hartman’s work, Dr. Hurst served as Editor of the Journal of Formal Axiology for five years and has edited three volumes of Hartman’s previously unpublished work, striving to make Hartman’s thinking more accessible to broader academic and professional audiences.

Malcolm North, Ph.D.

Malcolm North, PhD leverages his doctoral training in Organizational Psychology from Fielding Graduate University alongside diverse international experience across four continents in media, leadership development consulting, and human rights advocacy. His work focuses on how values shape identity, explain behavior, and can be harnessed to generate greater value for individuals and organizations. Dr. North specializes in understanding people within systems and how they adapt to create meaningful change.