Values theorists in educational administration agree that understanding organizational values is integral to organizational effectiveness. However, research in this area tends to be superficial, and a review of pertinent literature reveals no clear definition of organizational values or consequent implications for practical application. One of the substantive issues in current organizational values discourse is the lack of agreement around descriptors pertaining to the phenomenon; additionally, participants in the discussion frequently assume common understanding. What, then, does "organizational values" consist of conceptually, and how can it be defined? In this article the author summarizes a study conducted to clarify understanding of the organizational values phenomenon, and offers a general model of organizational values based on the results.