What psychological state can a Values Mismatch often manifest as in the workplace?
Feeling like you are compromising your integrity daily
A values mismatch represents a profound, often insidious, cause of burnout stemming from a significant disconnect between an employee's fundamental ethical standards and the actual demands or policies of their job. This disconnect manifests internally as the distressing sensation of having to compromise one's integrity regularly just to maintain employment. This is considered particularly potent because it attacks the individual's core sense of self and professional purpose. While physical exhaustion from high workload can often be pushed through temporarily, forcing oneself to act against deeply held personal beliefs creates a long-term, psychological toll that is far more draining and leads directly to feelings of moral injury.
