You are on page 1of 36

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT

Management in all business and human organization activity is the


act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives.
Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing,
and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or
effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the
deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources,
technological resources, and natural resources.

Management focuses on the entire organization from both a short and


a long-term perspective. Management is the managerial process of forming a
strategic vision, setting objectives, crafting a strategy and then implementing
and executing the strategy.

Management goes beyond the organization‘s


internal operations to include the industry and the
general environment. The key emphasis is on issues
related to environmental scanning and industry
analysis, appraisal of current and future
competitors, assessment of core competencies,
strategic control and the effective allocation of
organizational resources.

Management is an organizational function, like sales, marketing or


finance. It doesn't necessarily mean managing people. We can manage
ourselves or the material assigned to us at work. If you managed a project
very well on your own, it would mean that you did the job in a well-
organized, efficient manner, making good use of all resources at your
disposal.

1|Page
INDIAN MANAGEMENT

Indian management concept based on Bhagwad Gita, Veda,


Ramayana, which deals with universal truth of life. Management
consultants and visionary managers are getting interested and focusing
towards the ageless, wisdom oriented, values and ideologies content in the
Bhagwad Gita, the Upanishads or the Ramayana.

For example, teamwork is an important principle in management, and


Rama applied the same in search of
Sita and was successful in the
mission. Another one is in an
organization one must be treated
affectionately which Rama did when
he met Vibhishan.

Management principles such


as encouraging lower category of
employees, rewards for good work,
self-motivation, decision-making,
recognition, market survey, market
exploitation, time management and
the art of communication are
aligned with instances in the epic.

In this modern world the art


of Management has become a part
and parcel of everyday life, be it at home, in the office or factory and in
Government.

In all organizations, where a group of human beings assemble for a


common purpose irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, management
principles come into play through the management of resources, finance
and planning, priorities, policies and practice. Management is a systematic
way of carrying out activities in any field of human effort.

2|Page
One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita
which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God.

The management lessons in this holy book were brought in to light of


the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Swami
Bodhanandji, and the spiritual philosophy by the great Adi Sankaracharya
the greatest philosopher of India

Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to


practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of
man to the highest possible level." Maharishi reveals the deep, universal
truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone.

One of the most obvious incidences, in which use management


principles is very clearly visible is that of Hanuman going to Lanka. His
mission was to locate Sita there and give her Lord Ram‘s message. When it
became clear that Sita was in Lanka, Jamvant asked Hanuman to go there.

He helped him in realizing his true potential and motivated him to go


in the enemy‘s camp. Once mentally prepared for the job and reached there,
first thing which Hanuman did was to completely analyze the situation in
Lanka.

He did a complete study about the Lankans, assessing their strengths


and weaknesses, the various threats and opportunities which he had in the
enemy‘s camp.

This is what management is all about

· Ascertaining the goals, or job to be done.

· Getting mentally prepared for it.

· Having a right plan.

· Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the competitor and what


threats and opportunities are there in the business.

3|Page
This SWOT [strength, weakness, opportunities and threats] analysis is
one of the most important aspects of modern day management. Moreover
Jamvant motivating Hanuman is a classic example of a good Manager
helping his personnel to realize their potential and acting accordingly.

The other example is about of good and bad managers. A good


manager is the one, who can get his work done even from the rivals. In
Ramayana Sughriv has shown some of the best managerial characteristics.

As a successful manager he had Ram to work accordingly and got his


kingdom back from a brother who was far mightier than him.

A good example of getting into strategic alliance with others to achieve


your desired goal. Using his managerial skills he even had Angad to work for
him. Angad was the son of his brother whom he got killed by Ram. Had
Sughriv been a bad manager then the same Angad would have proved to be
his arch nemesis.

In the same Ramayana, again and again Ravana has shown the signs
of a bad manager, and hence led to the demise of his kingdom. From the
starting itself he ignored the suggestions of his managers and got his
kingdom in the state of war with Ram.

Moreover during a crisis, a company needs its best of the managers to


bail it out of the same. A good manager listens to what his subordinates has
to say and tries to keep them together especially when the organization
needs them the most.

But Ravana‘s mismanagement was responsible for Vibhishan [one of


the wisest manager he should have listened to leaving him amidst a crisis].

It is said that businesses are run on relations. A manager who can


nurture good relations with the employees, clients and anyone in whose
contact the organization and the manager comes in, can do wonders for his
company. Lord Ram was very good at it.

4|Page
AMERICAN MANAGEMENT

American management style can be described as individualistic in


approach, in so far as managers are accountable for the decisions made
within their areas of responsibility.

Although important decisions might be discussed in open forum, the


ultimate responsibility for the consequences of the decision lies with the
boss — support or seeming consensus will evaporate when things go wrong.

The up side of this accountability is, of course, the American dream


that outstanding success will inevitably bring outstanding rewards.

Therefore, American managers are more likely to disregard the


opinions of subordinates than
managers in other, more consensus
or compromise- oriented cultures.
This can obviously lead to
frustrations, which can sometimes
seem to boil over in meeting
situations.

Titles can be very confusing


within American organizations with a bewildering array of enormously
important-sounding job descriptors on offer (Second Vice-President etc.).
Titles, in any case, tend to be a poor reflection of the relative importance of
an individual within a company.

Importance is linked to power, which could be determined by a


number of factors such as head-count responsibility, profitability of sector
or strategic importance to the organization at that point in time.

It is widely recognized that Indian, Japanese and American styles of


business management practice differ broadly across the range of supervisory
style, decision-making, communications, management controls, and
interdepartmental relations.

5|Page
These specific distinctions are rooted in the contrast between
Japanese paternalism, which has sometimes been characterized as giving
rise to "industrial feudalism," and American individualism, which might
more accurately be characterized as personalism.

It is proposed that the underlying factor in all of these distinctions is


the Japanese group orientation, in which an individual's self-esteem is
based upon group perceptions, or what has sometimes been called "saving
face." The Japanese manager sees himself as a samurai, having duties and
loyalties running up and down.

In contrast, American managers' self-perceptions are far more


internalized, and less shaped by the reactions of colleagues. The lone
cowboy, reliant only on himself, is the underlying American business ideal,
and his obligations to others are ultimately secondary to his duty to himself.

Japanese managers tend to stay with one company for their entire
work career. So when they are transferred overseas, they go to a company
affiliate and continue working there until they are transferred to another
affiliate or brought home.

Their experience are limited in that they only know how their firm
works, but the managers also gain a solid understanding of the inner
workings of the firm‘s international operations.

American managers, on the other hand, often use their overseas


experience as basis for moving to another company that is looking to
strengthen its international position.

Another interesting contrast is loyalty to the firm. Many Japanese


managers stay with the firm because they believe it is wrong to accept a
position with anyone else. They feel a strong bond of commitment to the
company. American managers tend to have stronger loyalty to themselves
than to the firm, and if a better job comes along they will take it.

6|Page
JAPANESE MANAGEMENT

In the post-World War II era a set of Japanese cultural patterns and


managerial practices came to be known collectively as the Japanese
management style or Japanese management techniques.

Many of these techniques were credited with helping vault the


Japanese economy to its status as the world‘s second largest, behind only
the United States, and with making Japanese businesses, particularly in the
manufacturing sector, more competitive than their international
counterparts.

Many observers—both inside and outside Japan—have called into


question the effectiveness of some traditional Japanese management
practices. As a result, at the dawn of the 21st century Japanese
management techniques are more than ever in a state of flux, as scholars
and business leaders alike reconsider which practices work and which don't.

This ambition to preserve the character of the Japanese culture and


the autonomy of the economy can be seen in 20th-century practices at both
the macro- and microeconomic levels.

In the national economy it is evidenced by long-standing restrictions


(direct and indirect) on imports into Japan and the concomitant trade
surplus Japan has maintained for years. At the company level, the same
7|Page
motive helps explain the prevalence of the Japanese keiretsu, the large and
complex families of interdependent companies centered around their own
banks (e.g., Sumitomo, Hitachi, Mitsubishi).

In theory, at least, these firms can avoid "importing" their raw


materials, components, or even capital from "foreign" (i.e., unaffiliated)
companies by sourcing these goods from within their extensive
organizations.

Rooted in these and other historical traditions, some of the other key
practices commonly associated with Japanese management techniques
include:

 In-house training of managers


 Consensual and decentralized decision-making
 Extensive use of quality control methods
 Carefully codified work standards
 Emphasis on creating harmonious relations among workers
 Lifetime employment and seniority-based compensation

 The Ringi System

The traditional decision-making process in Japanese firms is referred


to as the ringi system. The system involves circulating proposals to all
managers in the firm who are affected by an impending decision.

Proposals are generally initiated by middle managers, though they


may also come from top executives. In the latter case, an executive will
generally give his idea to his subordinates and let them introduce it.

Managers from different departments hold meetings and try to reach


an informal consensus on the matter. Only after this consensus is reached
will the formal document, or ringi-sho, be circulated for approval by the
responsible managers.

8|Page
The ringi system requires long lead times, and thus is problematic in a
crisis. In recent years the focus on speeding up decision making has made
this approach unpopular at many firms.

Nonetheless, one of its underlying principles remains prevalent. That


is, when a decision proves beneficial, the middle-level managers who initially
advocated it receive credit; when a decision proves unsuccessful,
responsibility is taken by top-level executives.

Japanese managers, in the main, are looked after by the firm. Their
job are ensured, their salaries and benefits are guaranteed. American
managers, on the other hand, are more likely to be let go if the firm starts
running into trouble.

INDIAN MANAGEMENT IN EPICS

Bhagwad Gita / Mahabharata/ Ramayana

9|Page
One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita
which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God. Bhagavad
Gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. The Holy Gita has become a
secret driving force behind the enfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt
this divine book will support all spiritual searches.

This divine book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and
deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real
education—dynamic, full and joyful—no matter what the circumstance.

May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our


journey? What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation
is that it offers us the tools to
connect with our deepest
intangible essence and we
must learn to participate in
the battle of life with right
knowledge?

The Holy Gita is the


essence of the Vedas,
Upanishads. It is a universal
scripture applicable to people
of all temperaments and for all times. It is a book with sublime thoughts
and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action.

It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings


peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal
existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's own body (disease etc), those
caused by beings around one (e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those
caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).

Management has become a part and parcel of everyday life, be it at


home, in the office or factory and in Government. In all organizations, where
a group of human beings assemble for a common purpose, management

10 | P a g e
principles come into play through the management of resources, finance
and planning, priorities, policies and practice. Management is a systematic
way of carrying out activities in any field of human effort.

The general principles of effective management can be applied in every


field, the differences being more in application than in principle. The
Manager's functions can be summed up as:

 Forming a vision
 Planning the strategy to realize the vision.
 Cultivating the art of leadership.
 Establishing institutional excellence.
 Building an innovative organization.
 Developing human resources.
 Building teams and teamwork.
 Delegation, motivation, and communication.
 Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps when called
for.

Thus, management is a process of aligning people and getting them


committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in
search of excellence.

The critical question in all managers' minds is how to be effective in


their job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad
Gita, which repeatedly proclaims that ―you must try to manage yourself.‖
The reason is that unless a manager reaches a level of excellence and
effectiveness, he or she will be merely a face in the crowd.

The Bhagavad Gita, written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on all


managerial techniques leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state
of affairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity, and absence of
motivation and so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today – and
probably in enterprises in many other countries.

11 | P a g e
The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership,
motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, giving work meaning,
decision making and planning, are all discussed in the Bhagavad Gita.
There is one major difference.

While Western management thought too often deals with problems at


material, external and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad Gita tackles the
issues from the grass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking
of man is improved, it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions
and their results.

The management philosophy emanating from the West is based on the


lure of materialism and on a perennial thirst for profit, irrespective of the
quality of the means adopted to achieve that goal.

This phenomenon has its source in the abundant wealth of the West and
so 'management by materialism' has caught the fancy of all the countries
the world over, India being no exception to this trend.

My country, India, has been in the forefront in importing these ideas


mainly because of its centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers, which
has inculcated in us a feeling that anything Western is good and anything
Indian, is inferior.

The result is that, while huge funds have been invested in building
temples of modem management education, no perceptible changes are
visible in the improvement of the general quality of life - although the
standards of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles in almost
all sectors of the economy, criminalization of institutions, social violence,
exploitation and other vices are seen deep in the body politic.

 Management guidelines from the Bhagavad Gita

12 | P a g e
 There is an important distinction between effectiveness and
efficiency in managing.
 Effectiveness is doing the right things.
 Efficiency is doing things right.
 Forming a vision
 Planning the strategy to realize the vision.
 Cultivating the art of leadership.
 Establishing institutional excellence.
 Building an innovative organization.
 Developing human resources.
 Building teams and teamwork.
 Delegation, motivation, and communication.
 Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps when called
for.

Thus, management is a process of aligning people and getting them


committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit ‐ in
search of excellence.

In the mythical Ramayana, the battle leading to the climax was being
played out. Would the exiled Rama edge out the evil Ravana, rescue his wife
Sita whom the latter had abducted, and return home to reclaim kingship, or
would he face defeat at the hands of Ravana‘s massive army?

Rama‘s motley group of men and monkeys were no match for the evil
Ravana‘s forces and weaponry. Or so thought Vibhishan, Ravana‘s brother
who had defected to Rama‘s side. Unable to contain his concerns, he
questioned Rama: How will you defeat this huge army with your limited
resources? The reply that Rama gave stands out as a great lesson in
leadership, more on the role and importance of EI as one can ever come
across.

As a charioteer, he told Vibhishan who listened with rapt attention;


you have to make sure you have a clear vision, and a cause worth fighting

13 | P a g e
for. In the case of Ramayana, the cause was to rescue his beloved Sita and
the vision was to defeat the evil forces.

Many prominent industry leaders today opine that you need not
necessarily have a vision; rather, taking one step at a time could be a much
more practical way of going about, but I think that unless you have a vision,
you will never be able to follow a trajectory.

In the words of the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, ―The world


steps aside to a person who knows where he or she is going.‖ In that
parlance, unless you know where you are going, how will the world step
aside and aid you in your pursuit?

Coming back to the battlefield of Ramayana, Rama narrated to


Vibhishan, that the four wheels of the chariot are character, courage, ethics,
and valor. Character is the most fundamental thing for a leader. As a leader,
you must know who you are and what you stand for and communicate the
same to your people through actions rather than words. It is essential for a
leader to walk the talk; leadership doesn‘t come from a business card, nor
does respect.

It is the ethics, the value system you embody that does the needful.
Courage in this scenario would be the ability to take unpopular decisions,
while valor is the courage to defend those very decisions.

In the event of an unpopular decision, and such decisions are a part


and parcel of a leader‘s life since leadership begins where logic ends, it
surely gets lonely out there, but you show the valor, walk the talk, and your
teammates are sure to follow you.

Rama continued to enumerate what the horses drawing the chariot


stood for. They are, he said with gusto, strength, energy, and passion. In a
battle, you must have the strength to discriminate between the right and
wrong, and the zeal and perseverance to keep working towards your goal.

The four reins of a horse, he went on to say, are forgiveness,


compassion, consistency, and equanimity. It is essential to touch the hearts
14 | P a g e
before you ask for the hand. Touching heart needs compassion and
forgiveness. Consistency and equanimity are hallmark of character which
creates trust with the followers.

The chariot‘s wheels, the horses, and their reins are among the most
important of a warrior‘s (and therefore a leader‘s) repertoire: The weaponry:
knowledge, strategy, intelligence, skills, commitment, and a restraint of
ego—these are the weapons that will help us win this mammoth battle,
proclaimed Rama to his army and Vibhishan before leading them into the
epic struggle.

“Arm yourself with these and no war will be lost,” he told them.
After a spirited battle, his army—the motley group of men and monkeys
defeated the heavily equipped Ravana and his forces.

The way the Ramayana portrays the essential attributes of a leader is


a revelation. Many of today‘s thinkers analyze too much and thus lose the
charm of simplicity. You need not analyze and complicate things; what the
HBR and the statement of Rama in the Ramayana say are one and the
same; that EI, an embodiment of all these things mentioned above, is what
makes victory possible against any opposition.

INDIAN MANAGEMENT LESSONS

FROM

15 | P a g e
BOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY

Bollywood, the nickname for Hindi film industry, is not just creating
films for entertainment with all that masala stuff but depicting the lessons
for life. Some of them are great inspiration for the society as well as acts as
an unflattering mirror to our ever-changing society.

Some of bollywood movies place really good example of Indian


management like Chak De, Swades, Lagaan, and many others.

The movie "Chak De India" starring Shahrukh Khan and a bunch of


endearing young women made an entry in the books of management and
attracted the world of management professionals.

3 IDIOTS

Management Lessons from „3 Idiots‟ Movie

 Never Try to Be Successful

Success is the bye-product. Excellence always creates success. So,


never run after the success, let it happen automatically in the life.

 Freedom To Life

Don‘t die before actual death. Live


every moment to the fullest as you are going
to die today night. Life is gifted to
humankind to live, live & live @ happiness.

 Passion Leads To Excellence

When your hobby becomes your


profession and passion becomes your

16 | P a g e
profession. You will be able to lead up to excellence in the life.

Satisfaction, pleasure, joy and love will be the outcome of following


passion. Following your passion for years, you will surely become something
one day.

 Learning Is Very Simple

Teachers do fail. Learners never fail. Learning is never complicated or


difficult. Learning is always possible whatever rule you apply.

 Pressure At Head

Current education system is developing pressures on students‘ head.


University intelligence is useful and making some impact in the life but it
cannot be at the cost of the life.

 Life Is Emotion Management Not Intelligence Optimization

Memory and regular study have definite value and it always helps you
in leading a life. You are able to survive even if you can make some mark in
the path of the life. With artificial intelligence, you can survive and win but
you cannot prove yourself genius. Therefore, in this process genius dies in
you.

 Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Necessity creates pressure and forces you to invent something or to


make it happen or to use your potentiality.

Aamir Khan in this film, 3 idiots, is able to prove in the film by using
vacuum pump at the last moment.

17 | P a g e
 Simplicity is Life

Life is need base never want base. Desires have no ends. Simplicity is
way of life and Indian culture highly stresses on simple living and high
thinking, and this is the way of life: ‗Legs down to earth and eyes looking
beyond the sky‘

 Industrial Leadership

Dean of the institute in 3 idiots is showing very typical leadership. He


has his own principles, values and ideology, and he leads the whole institute
accordingly. This is an example of current institutional leadership. In the
present scenario, most of the institutes are fixed in a block or Squarish
thinking.

 Love Is Time & Space Free

Love is not time bound and space bound. It is very well demonstrated
in this movie same love was demonstrated by Krishna and Meera. Love is
border free, time free and space free.

 Importance Of One Word In Communication

If communication dies, everything dies. Each word has impact and


value in communication. One word if used wrongly or emphasized wrongly
or paused at a wrong place in communication what effect it creates and how
is it affected is demonstrated very well in this movie.

 Mediocrity Is Penalized

Middle class family or average talent or average institute is going to


suffer and has to pay maximum price in the life if they do not upgrade their
living standards.

Lagaan

18 | P a g e
Lagaan is the story of a leader (Bhuvan) who develops the cricket
team,did not known about western management, do not have any idea
about TQM, or but he developed the team spirit, united all the villagers,
motivated them and ultimately attained the objective i.e. won the match
against the British because to win the match, to create an affective team
was his sadhana and he attained his goal.

 A Lesson in Entrepreneurship:

The protagonist in the movie i.e. Bhuvan's character is risk taking,


responsible, confident, encouraging; supportive with a 'never say die'
attitude which is an intrinsic character for any manager.

It was the village ingenuity of Bhuvan that gave him the idea to
challenge the British in a cricket match and getting exempted from the tax
―Lagaan‖ levied on them. Otherwise the villagers couldn‘t have payed the tax
in aftermath of a drought. Such risk taking and ―thinking out of the box‖ is
required for every new venture or a commercial startup.

 A Lesson In Teamwork

The relentless pursuit of Bhuvan coupled with some team spirit and
co-operation made the villagers form a cricket team. A cricket team that
went on to beat an established, professional and well equipped British team.
Bhuvan upholded this saying throughout ―fear not; only believe‖.

Giving his vision to his team that they can win and get through the
tax debt by winning a cricket match was key element that how to handle a
team. Convincing people is very tough; the way Bhuvan did it was really very
good.
The learnings from Bhuvan‘s team can be.

“spirit and power of team work”

“will power and determination”


19 | P a g e
“unity and focus on common goal”

 A lesson of relentless spirit to fight

There was terrible start to Bhuvans cricket match idea. The problem
was villagers didn‘t know how to play it …some couldn‘t wield the bat. But
Bhuvan with the help of Elizabeth led them secretly to a real cricket match
of the British team and later on emulated that in their own fields.

The team later on learnt by imitating Bhuvan and managed to get hold
of the game. This gives an important lesson ―Accept the challenge, be open-
minded‖. It tells us even if you don't know something you can learn and
achieve it what is needed is perhaps the zeal and willingness to learn.

Other lessons that we can learn & teach from the movie.

 The importance of learning to survive & win.

 The importance of accepting & working with diversity.

 The need for a “can do” spirit, a positive attitude and the importance of
fighting the typical Indian despondency.

 The need to stay focused single-mindedly on Results


the importance of being objective & unbiased.

 The importance of trust despite betrayal.

 The importance of learning to manage and work with limitations and


minimum resources.

 The importance of taking chances & risks to make dreams come true.

MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM INDIAN CITIZENS

20 | P a g e
Reliance, Infosys, Aditya Birla Group, Tatas, and many others like
them are the organizations that have attained level of excellence and we
know the owners are Indians. This denotes that excellence can be attained if
one is dedicated, honest and work with a sense of purpose.

Dhirubhai Ambani

Dhirubhai Ambani was the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur.


His life journey is reminiscent of the rags to riches story. He is remembered
as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global
corporate group.

Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with shaping India's equity culture,


attracting millions of retail investors in a market till then dominated by
financial institutions. Dhirubhai revolutionized
capital markets.

From nothing, he generated billions of


rupees in wealth for those who put their trust in
his companies. His efforts helped create an
'equity cult' in the Indian capital market. With
innovative instruments like the convertible
debenture,

Great management lessons from Dhirubhai Ambani

• Roll up your sleeves and help - sense of „do it yourself‟

• Be a safety net for your team.

• The silent benefactor.

• Dream big, but dream with your eyes open

• Leave the professional alone!

• Change your orbit, constantly!

• The arm-around-the-shoulder leader.

21 | P a g e
• Supply creating Demand.

• Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase


it.

INDIAN ETHOS

Oxford defines ethos as ―The characteristic Spirit and Beliefs of


community/people‖ which distinguishes one culture from the other. Indian

22 | P a g e
ethos is drawn from the Vedas, the Ramayana, Mahabharata, the
Bhagwadgita, and Upanishads. Right from the Vedic age it has been
discovered two basic universal truths of life.

1. The essential infinitude and divinity of all souls.

2. The essential oneness and solidarity of universe and all life.

The salient ideas and thoughts of Indian Ethos in Management revealed by


our ancient scriptures are:

1. Atmano Mokshartham, Jagat Hitaya Cha: All work is an


opportunity for doing good to the world and thus gaining materially
and spiritually in our lives.

2. Archet Dana Manabhyam: Worship people not only with material


things but also by showing respect to their enterprising divinity
within.

3. Atmana Vindyate Viryam: Strength and inspiration for excelling in


work comes from the Divine, God within, through prayer, spiritual
readings and unselfish work.

4. Yogah Karmashu Kaushalam, Samatvam Yoga Uchyate: He who


works with calm and even mind achieves the most.

5. Yadishi Bhavana Yasya Siddhi Bhavati Tadrishi: As we think, so


we succeed, so we become. Attention to means ensures the end.

6. Parasparam Bhavayantah Shreyah Param Bhavapsyathah: By


mutual cooperation, respect and fellow feeling, all of us enjoy the
highest good both material and spiritual.

7. Tesham Sukhm Tesham Shanti Shaswati: Infinite happiness and


infinite peace come to them who see the Divine in all beings.

23 | P a g e
8. Paraspar Devo Bhav: Regard the other person as a divine being. All
of us have the same consciousness though our packages and
containers are different.

The first truth was expressed UPNISHADA as Aham Brahmasi (I am


Brahman) Or Ayam Atma Brahman i.e. The Individual soul is Brahman Or
Tattwamasi (Thou art that). This is the first truth thought to every child.
Even a poor uneducated man living in a hut knows that God is in everybody
and therefore there is sameness in all. The second truth is about a holistic
universe.

Where at a level of pervading consciousness everything is


interconnected at VYASTHI LEVEL (Individual level) my limbs, hands, legs,
ears, eyes, heart, lungs…. Everything are me. I live in all of them. Their
sorrows and joys are my sorrows and joys.

Similarly at SAMASTHI level (the whole universe) I am not a single


individual but I am a part of the whole universe just as my limbs are part of
me.

Modern science has accepted that in this holistic universe all minds
and matters are interconnected at a deeper level. The basic unity of life
cannot be broken.

Love, sacrifice therefore emerge as the only for a meaningful living. On


the basis of this holistic vision, Indians have developed work ethos of life.
They found that all work, physical or mental, managerial or administrative
have to be directed towards single purpose.

The manifestation of the divinity in man by working for the good of


others, for the happiness of others. These Indian ethos are required all over
the world in present scenario in managing business and industry effectively
and efficiently.

Some of these ethos‘s are as follows:

24 | P a g e
 The Vedantic View Of Karma

All work/Karma to manifest divinity, hence these must be pure, good,


honest and sincere. Indian philosophy also teaches to perform every work
without having any attachment to result, because results do not fall under
the jurisdiction of a doer.

Such thinking and understanding will change the whole attitude.


Now the results will become a PRASAD-gratitude – coming from the God
himself. You can now accept the result with open mind without
apprehensions-just as you accept members into Karma Yoga.

 The Self (Atman) As The Soure Of All Power:

Considering motivations as internal every human being has the same


divine atman with immense potentialities within Vedanta brings infinite
expansion of mind, breaks down all the barriers and brings out the God in
man. Motivation is to be internal and not external.

Such motivation involves the inner beauty and does not promote any
greed in an individual to have more and more in return of his work.

 Welfare Of All (Yagna Spirit):

Vedanta teaches to perform all activities. “ATMANO MOKHARTH


JAGAT HITAY CHA” Serve your personal interest but do not forget others
Sankaracharya has given the concept to gain perfection in individual life as
well as the welfare of the whole world.

 Unique Work Culture:

Work is considered as duty or SADHANA and there is no difference


between KARMA (work) and DHARMA (religion)

25 | P a g e
The term DHARMA does not indicate any particular religion. Dharma
is a duty to be performed in a given situation. Thus Dharma is possible
through Karma only.

 Skill In Action And Evenness Of Mind Means Are Equally


Important As The Ends.

(YADRISI BHAVNAH YASYA SIDDHI BHAVANTI TADRUSI)

Thus society acceptable values are to be followed in determining the


objectives as well as in the process of achieving these objectives. Integrated
human personality of self-developed manager can assure best and
competent management of any enterprise, involving collective works and
efforts.

The refined or higher consciousness will adopt holistic attitude. It will


bring out the divine in man. It will achieve perfection or excellence in
whatsoever sector you work.

We shall achieve peace, harmony and prosperity within and without


i.e., in or internal world and in our external world simultaneously.

This is the ideal of Indian ethos:

“ATMANO MOKSHARTHAM JAGAT HITAYA CHA”

(For gaining perfection in individual life, as well as for the welfare of the
world)

Human and ethical values or qualities such as courage, vision, social


awareness, fearlessness, integrity, pure and clear mind, truth, etc, are
subjective and intangible concepts. These represent divine wealth.

PRINCIPLES OF INDIAN ETHOS

1) Know Yourself:

26 | P a g e
Who are you? All of us are part of supreme power (GOD) &
hence all of us have all the divine qualities like integrity, patience,
courage, loyalty, forgiveness, service attitude i.e. mind so if you try to
develop our self by improving our qualities we will not only make our
self happy but also the society be live in.

2) Individual development:

3) Self Management & Self Development:


Self management is voluntary i.e. has to be done on your own
Mahatma Gandhi says several things destroy us –

1. “ Wealth Without Work ”

2. “ Pleasure Without Convenience ”

3. “ Knowledge without Character ” i.e. Knowledge without


politeness

4. “ Commerce Without Morality ”

5. “Science without Humanity” Science but employment is


getting slower i.e. less vacancy due to modern technology i.e.
less number of workers.

6. “Religion without Sacrifice” i.e. provides charity or do


nation“Politics without Principles” for example fight for
voting‘s etc.

If we get rid of all this qualities we can manage our self

4) Holistic Approach To Life:

27 | P a g e
We should behave in same way of manner which we expect from
others. Efficiency & effectiveness in an organization will increase only
when there is co-operation team spirit & positive energy in employees.

5) Sewa Or Service Attitude:

The person should have altitude of service providing & at the


same time have happy face i.e. smile on face.eg: organization should
be service oriented & not profit oriented, provide best possible service
to your entire customer.

“Where the mind is without fear” – Ravindranath Tagore.

6) Self Sacrifice:

Self sacrifice refers to sacrifice of self ego. We should be ready to


sacrifice for others.

7) Team Spirit:

Treat work as YAJNA – together i.e. T- Together E- Everyone, A-


Achieves, M- More.

TEAMSPIRIT

28 | P a g e
HEALTHY WORK ATMOSPHERE

CORDIAL RELATIONS

IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY

HIGHER PRODUCTION & PRODUCTIVITY

HIGHER GROWTH & PROFITABLITY

8) Present Moment:

Think only about

a) What is there in front of you at present?


b) We cannot change the past or predict future.
c) So have total focus & dedication present in situation.
d) Do not take unnecessary stress of work, take it as a play.

9) Perfection In Work:

29 | P a g e
Bhagwad Gita emphasizes on while doing your present duty we
should use our judgment & perform with utmost concentration. Do
work without expecting what will be the result.

“Do the works for the sake of your organization result will
follow automatically”

10) Self Motivation:

No one can encourage us for long. Nobody can encourage us


more than our self. “Work should be worship”. If we love the work
we do it will bring happiness & effectiveness. “Do what you love to
do a& love what you are doing”

11) Ends Do Not Justify Means:

Process to achieve ends what you earn does not tell how you
earn. While earning a profit a business man should be careful that he
follows the ethics & does not harm to the rights to stakeholders.

12) Creator & Creation:

Creator is Subjective
Creation is Objective

Ethics & values are subjective quality i.e. They cannot be seen
but felt. Inputs & resources required for production are Objective i.e.
they can be seen or felt. If management pays attention to both this
quality & mixes them properly it would be best form of management.

13) Day To Day A Balance Life:

30 | P a g e
Indian believes in spiritual power. Spirituality helps us to treat
everyone equally, respect, love them and understand the. India hence
there is a fine blend of spirituality with materialism. Bhagwad Gita
says “Attachment is the root cause of all the problems”

14) Bliss (Ananda): Happiness of Soul.

One should be equanimous i.e. accept pleasure and pain joys


and sorrows is a part of life.

Dharma – Right
Artha – Money
Kama – Work
Moksha – Freedom

These are 4 Purusharthas of life. But while searching for Artha


& kama one should be careful. Follow dharma (rightness) so that he
can attain moksha (freedom from any salvation) which will make him
blissful

15) Dignity of Work:

Dignity of work is much important as far as Indian ethos is


concerned. No work is great or small. Each work whether it is a peon‘s
job or General Manager‘s job, is of equal importance, worthy &
honorable. It lays stress on “Sarvabhutastha Atmanam
Sarvabhutani Chatmani” which means to treat all as equals.

INDIAN CULTURE

31 | P a g e
Culture literal meaning is what how you cultivate or build one. Cult or
build in multi-directionally i.e. in ethically socially even in all aspects of that
lead human development. Every culture is enriched with some good and bad
features.

Indian culture is rich and diverse and as a result unique in its very
own way. Our manners, way of communicating with one another, etc are
one of the important components of our culture. Even though we have
accepted modern means of living, improved our lifestyle, our values and
beliefs still remain unchanged.

A person can change his way of clothing, way of eating and living but
the rich values in a person always remains unchanged because they are
deeply rooted within our hearts, mind, body and soul which we receive from
our culture.

The culture of India has been shaped by its long history, unique
geography, diverse demographics and the absorption of customs, traditions
and ideas from some of its neighbors as well as by preserving its ancient
heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civilization and
evolved further during the Vedic age, the south Indian Iron Age, rise and
decline of Buddhism, Golden age, Muslim conquests and European
colonization.

India's diversity is visible in its people, religions, climate, languages,


customs, and traditions which differ from place to place within the country,
but nevertheless posses a commonality. The culture of India is an
amalgamation of diverse sub-cultures spread all over the country and
traditions that are millennia‘s old. It is the home for well-known religious
gurus and yogic preceptors. Its colorful religious festivals, age old art forms
in music, dance, architecture, distinct geographic attributes and co-
existence of ancient and modern cultures attract tourists from all over the
world.

32 | P a g e
India is the birth place of Dharma religions such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Dharma religions, also known as Indian
religions, are a major form of world religions next to the Abrahamic ones.
Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest
religions respectively, with around 1.4 billion followers‘ altogether.

India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with
some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays
a central and definitive role in the life of most of its people.

Vasudaiva Kutumbakam – Indian philosophy emphasis on global


kutumb. It indicates the inter relations or bondage with all the people on
this earth. It insists on unity. It can be described in the following manner.

“Common be your prayers

Common be your noble desires

Common be your hearts

Common be your motives and intentions

Perfect be the union amongst u.”

Here we can mention about the way Sachin tendulkar looks at his
relationship with Mark Mascerenhas of Worldtel who was handling the
sponsorship contracts of Sachin. As he says “mark was never just my
agent he become a part of my life”

Niskama karma – Indian value system emphasizes on niskama


karma it means you should provide service but do not expect something in
return. One should be totally service oriented he should not be self centered.
He should work for the sake of work it also save the way one worships the
god, in the same manner he should do the work it means he should work
with full concentration & full dedication.

Co-operation – Indian philosophy instead of killer instinct and tough


competition focuses more towards co-operation. Think about Narayan

33 | P a g e
Murthy of Infosys he is having very good friendly relationship with Azem
Premji of Wipro.

Family Oriented – the value system of India is oriented towards


family even grownups while taking any decisions consults with seniors.

Fine Blending Between Spiritualism & Materialism – India


maintains a balance between both spiritualism & materialism it emphases
one can earn profit, make money but not at the cost of others. Business
should be managed ethically fulfilling the responsibilities to all the
stakeholders who are directly or indirectly associated with business & who
are part of the society.

Humility & Respect For Others – Indian ethos emphasis on humility


& respect for others therefore getting past sunil gavaskar sachin tendulkar
commented “heros are heros forever you cannot really get passed
them”

Respect To Others – others means not only the fellow human being
but also the animate and inanimate objects as well.

Self Management – before managing other effectively a person should


know how to manage himself, and then he can manage others effectively.

Shreyas – it also emphasizes to focus on shreyas or long term goals.


Instead of prayas or preferable better which will gives instant pleasure may
be temporally

34 | P a g e
Comparison Study

Indian Culture v/s Other Culture

1) Destiny –

According to the U.S culture they believe that a person has full control on
his destiny & thus believes that one can create one‘s destiny no matter how
charged they gate,

I AM CAPTAIN OF MY FATE,
I AM MASTER OF MY SOUL,

However Indian believes that they have no control on their destiny due
to the law of karma which highlights one is born to repay ones death and all
the pleasure and pain one gets is due to the accumulation of the right or
wrong of one‘s past life

On the other hand Japanese culture believes in co creating ones destiny, to


group efforts. They believe in synergy which comes from brain storming and
the belief, ―many hands make light work‖.

2) Decision Making –

U.S culture stresses on the “left” brainthinking or I.Q. and on a


rational. Logical approach to decision which is based on facts & figures.
Indian cultures has always nourished the “right” brainthiking which is
based on ones emotional intelligence it is based in the “inner voice of
conscience” commonly known as ―gut feeling‖ to intuition.

Japanese culture on the other hand is based on ―brainstorming‖


where in quality circles a common problem in a company is taken up and all
participate in finding a solution which can be implemented.

35 | P a g e
3) Conflict Resolution –

In the U.S. culture they believe in respecting each other yet openly
disagreeing. This way they put across their views to each other and resolve
any conflicts.

However in India, we believe in suppressing, not communicating our


disagreements by maintaining silence and status quo we resolve our
differences.

In Japan they believe in having a dialogue where everyone is free to


express their views and thus are able to resolve conflicts in a very mature
way.

4) Respect –

According to the U.S culture one is given respect to one‘s self and for
one‘s merit they also believe in dignity of labor and freedom of speech they
do not respect someone just because of seniority.

Indians and Japanese cultures show lot of reverence for elders and for
seniority. Even the promotions in the company are on merit.

5) Management –

Orientation of the U.S.is based on increasing the bottom line, profits,


reducing cost and all this targets are quantitative which does not considers
human dynamics.

On the other hand in India, it is more based on human development


on soft skills and a balance between man and machine.

Similarly according to the Japanese culture – there is a holistic


attitude which aims at using effectively all the resources.

36 | P a g e

You might also like