Applications of Indian Ethos in Management

Applications of Indian Ethos in Management
CONTENTS
1) Executive Summary___________________________________________ 5 2) Study Abroad An Overview___________________________________ 7 3) Indian Ethos and Thought Processes____________________________ 12 3.1 Introduction ______________________________________________ 12 3.2 The Ancient Texts _________________________________________ 13 3.3 The Concept of Man________________________________________ 18 3.4 The Concept of Yoga _______________________________________ 20 3.5 Spirituality _______________________________________________ 24 3.6 The Concept of Dharma_____________________________________ 26 3.7 The Gunas _______________________________________________ 28 3.8 The Concept of Karma______________________________________ 31 3.9 The Concept of Duty_______________________________________ 34 3.10 Holistic Approach________________________________________ 36 3.11 Human Values Indian Insights_____________________________ 37 3.12 Stress & Indian Ethos_____________________________________ 40 3.13 Distinctive Characteristics of Indian Ethos_____________________ 42 4) Indian Ethics, Thoughts and Practices in Management ____________46 4.1 What is Management ______________________________________ 46 4.2 Indian Ethos in Management ________________________________ 47 4.3 The Margas ______________________________________________ 51 4.4 Corporate Karma__________________________________________ 56 4.5 Leadership_______________________________________________ 57 4.6 Bliss or Moksha __________________________________________ 63 4.7 Personal Effectiveness _____________________________________ 65 4.8 Criteria for Ethical Evaluation _______________________________ 71 4.9 Value Oriented Holistic Management________________________ 80 4.10 Benefits of Indian Ethos in Management______________________ 85 5) Conclusion _________________________________________________ 88 6) Recommendation ____________________________________________ 91 7) Annexe_____________________________________________________ 95 8) Bibliography_______________________________________________ 100
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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Higher education for the elite mind, the professional and intellectual is a must. We need higher education so that our prosperity could grapple with the problems that we could face tomorrow. In the 1980s the World Bank had done a cost benefit analysis and had indicated a low social rate of return for higher education in developing countries. A suggestion had been made in the document that the responsibility for higher education should be left to the developed countries which were in a better position to support it financially. Such presumption in developed countries had damaging effect on higher education in India and other developing countries, as a result of which the trend nowadays is for a stint of 2-4 years of education abroad in the western developed countries. There are quite a number of International Student Recruitment Organizations (ISRO) in India that assist students in pursuing overseas education in universities in USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, etc. Such organizations guide students to the best possible Institutions thus enabling them to build their future. By using their expertise and vast experience they identify the most suitable university for each student. They provide cutting edge counseling on variety of aspects of studying abroad such as Selection of Universities & Programs, Pre Application Process & Admission Formalities, Preparation of Documents, Coaching for highly competitive Tests such as GRE / GMAT / SAT / TOEFL / IELTS, Availing Scholarships, Acquiring Financial Aid, Visa Counseling, Pre-Departure Counseling and Travel Arrangements. The pragmatic and scientific approach of the educational institutions in the West gives the students an edge over those who get education in India. Further research students also find that their efforts are very much productive and respected in the foreign countries and not in India. This unique feature of education in the alien lands has made our students queue up for admissions into the foreign universities. Having personally worked with some of the global education corporations for the passed three years as a trainer for IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) and a counselor, I have tried to understand their working styles, gain insight about the various practices and procedures prevailing as well as the attitude of the management of such organizations towards their customers, clients and employees. During my stint I realized that such educational organizations are minting money in the name of importing and promoting abroad studies and degrees. Today, education is not imparted to the students for the sake of knowledge but for the
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sake of giving them brand names, which are so essential for their growth in their careers and lives. Management in these organizations have become the hand-maid of profit-making at cost, be it marketing a course or an institution just to gain from it in some way, or degrading Indian education and Indian way of living, or resorting to unethical practices and soulless administration. As a result of this the number of student enrollments has been falling since the last few years. The only way to reverse this decline is to introduce management by consciousness, management by soul. Management must be value driven. It must adopt holistic approach i.e. Ethics and Indian values. Indian management thought which is gradually emerging is to promote the spiritual enrichment based on values and ethos both in individual and collective life along with material excellence. This project gives a comprehensive lay out of Indian Ethos in Management and how the companies mentioned above must apply it to produce extra-ordinary results and thus lead a much better and more qualitatively superior life. Value-oriented and holistic management will bring greater happiness when it is really translated into societal benefit. Indian tradition is not to be found in the religious practices or beliefs, but in thoughts that deal with ways towards better personal effectiveness and harmonious community living.
2. STUDY ABROAD AN OVERVIEW

Study abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a foreign country. It could be as simple as students choosing to study abroad due to a feeling of wanderlust. For many, college it is the ideal time to travel, because they do not have full adult responsibilities yet, and they can take advantage of the option of studying in a different country. In this sense, many see one's early twenties as formative years in one's life, and being immersed in the unfamiliar society and culture of another country can prove rewarding to young adults. Some students choose to study abroad in order to learn a language from native speakers. Another popular reason to study abroad is the desire of many to gain an understanding of the world around them. Also, employers in our global economy seek the skills polished by overseas engagement. Teamwork, innovation and flexibility are honed abroad. It stimulates academic discipline, as students learn to function in a different system. This is an adventure that helps students develop their self-confidence and adaptability. Learning how to maneuver in a new city, with different customs and language, requires patience and creativity. More than six decades after India won its Independence on Gandhi's principle of 'Swadeshi' or self-reliance, an ever-increasing number of Indian students are going abroad for their education. India is one of the leading nations in sending its students overseas for international educational exchange. We are second only to China. Every year India's students are flocking abroad for higher education. The rising population levels of the students and researchers in India have triggered this phenomenon. America remains the big attraction and more Indian students go there than to all other countries combined. As many overseas universities depend on revenue from foreign students and as they see India as a great catchment area, teams of university administrators and professors from many countries come to India to conduct awareness and recruitment sessions in different cities. There is a theory which states that students who travel and study overseas return greatly transformed in outlook and perspective. Many students study abroad in an effort to expand their opportunities beyond those their home university offers. Strategically, study abroad offers many
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exciting benefits from high school students hoping to get into a prestigious university, to college learners pursuing reputable post graduate schools or professions. It may lead to scholarships, grants, and job opportunities to leading institutions or employment. In todays global economy many employers are seeking job applicants who are aware of other cultures and have experience living in foreign countries. Studying abroad is a wonderful way to make contacts in other countries and to understand how foreign economies and politics are different from your own. Even people who do not wish to go into business directly dealing with the country they studied in benefit from the experience of living in a foreign country and dealing with all of the challenges of doing so. Unlike in the past when Indian students went to overseas universities only if they were assured of a scholarship, now middle-class parents are willing to support their children's education in universities abroad and banks provide educational loans at attractive interest rates. For some students the thought of going abroad can be daunting and the lack of proper information and high costs involved makes this task even more complicated. The internet, increased travel and a fast globalizing world has created huge higher education opportunities for students in countries across the globe. However, the information overload often leads to confusion rather than clarity. Consequently, students who do not think and investigate in depth often land up in courses, institutions or countries that may not best suit the students aspirations. Hence there are many organizations that assist students to make the right choice with regard to pursuing education in overseas educational institutions. GEEBEE Education, Edwise International, The Chopras, Study Overseas, Planet, Achiever Point, etc are few of the reputed companies that set up resources to give a step-by-step guidance for the entire process. They are sending our young students to the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and others. They have network with Universities which help students who apply through them. They specialize in tailoring career pathways to suit individual profiles within the constraints that may prevail in each case such as educational, financial or personal. For many students, the idea of studying in a foreign country is appealing. Experiencing different cultures, meeting interesting people, or simply a change from the ordinary are all aspects of studying abroad which are advertised.
The international students recruitment organizations provide complete in-depth counseling on one to one basis for students to chart out their career path for education abroad, right from institution selection to taking the flight. They guide students through the maze of questions to find solutions best suited to their profile ensuring they choose the best career path. They assist to zero in on those universities that would best suit a students Personal, Academic and Financial parameters. Special attention is given to application forms, references and the 'all-important' Statement of Purpose, highlighting the areas essential for a well-presented, error free application. They have exhaustive information library with CD's, brochures, video tapes, application forms etc. They also provide personalized coaching for GRE/GMAT/SAT/TOEFL/IELTS through preparatory material and CD's by experienced faculty and well-equipped library. These tests are prerequisites for admission and financial aid to the specific universities and colleges. They also have a list of nationalized banks offering Bank Loans at reasonable rates. They help students with the entire procedure, starting from application, to required documentation, eligibility criteria and selection of bank. Furthermore they help students in entire Visa process like, filling up applications, preparing financial statements, and also guidance and training for mock interviews and much more. And finally assistance is also given regarding pre-departure services like accommodation and travel arrangements. As per forbes.com more than two lakh students from India go abroad for higher education, every year. The U.S. receives more international students from India than from any other country, a trend that continues to shape and impact the cultural, economic and diplomatic dialogue between the two countries. In 2006-07, India led the place of origin for international students in the US with 83,303 (an increase of 10% from the previous year's more than 76,000), says the Open Doors 2007 report of the Institute of International Education. During the same period there were just under 24,000 Indian students in the UK. Other destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Canada and, to a lesser extent, Germany, Switzerland and Russia. Overseas education is perceived to be superior to that provided by most Indian institutions and is valued highly in the job market. But the tide is now turning. As per a recent survey in The Times of India, the number of Indian students going abroad for higher education is gradually declining. The great Indian dream of pursuing a degree in the US seems to be on the wane. Six years ago, India surpassed China as the
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international community's leading exporter of students to America, and it seemed likely to remain so for years to come. India has been ahead of China when it comes to flooding US Bschools with GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) scores: from 2005 to 2009, US Bschools received the maximum number of GMAT scores from India. But this year, the dragon has beaten the tiger. Earlier, 71 per cent of Indian students went to the US, 8 per cent to the UK and 7.6 per cent to Australia. Now, the US share of Indian students going abroad is down to 56 per cent. This drop is also seen amongst students going to Australia, Germany, New Zealand and the UK. The reason for this change in trend is commercialization of education. Education has got a new definition in the new millennium- get ready to earn. This rule has changed all the facets of education. The new policy promotes privatization of education. Hence commercialism has crept in. Education has become a commodity, a product for sale. Organizations are attracting students by promising students internationally recognized degrees, world class universities, state of the art technology, multi-cultural environment, lucrative job opportunities and other availabilities. There is no doubt about the difference in the educational norms in the West and those in India; the Western societies are much ahead of us in terms of quality education. However it is sad to note that all the regions and pockets of the world do not impart high quality education to students and professionals. Students may find the type of teaching unproductive, may find it difficult to adapt to a different social environment and the amount which they learn may be less if learning in a foreign language. Some organizations avoid matching the profiles of the students with the right institution and destination, because greater the number of students they are able to send abroad, more revenue and profit they earn. They are more concerned about quantity, while ignoring quality. Studying in a foreign country is not as simple as it seems. There are hidden issues such as academic credits and financial problems to consider. Travel and living costs may be considerably higher than a comparable period at the home institution. Also such organizations sending students abroad, while enrolling students, provide free counseling and services, but charge more fees for the courses than that estimated by universities in order to pocket extra commission. Some affluent parents are able to send their children abroad, but others who cannot afford feel cheated and deprived of quality education. There are many difficulties a student might face
learning to study in a completely different environment, especially if the classes are in another language. If one is not a strong student to begin with, study abroad may not be a good idea. Education is not for the sake of degrees and glossy academic awards. It is both for the whole society and for individuals who want to ensure that they have a good profession. We need higher education so that our prosperity could grapple with the problems in future. Global education providers should realize this since India has considerable experience with the largest number of students being trained in democracy and modern political and economic conditions. ISRO should constantly provide quality and professional guidance to students who approach them to fulfill their educational goals, which will enable them to win over the confidence of those students. A more sustainable approach would be to alter how they are running things- the management practices and the processes. I have never known anyone who has lost business because of consistent ethical practicesMichael Spence. An organizations first duty should be to exercise-wisdom, not trade, and character, not technicalities. It must adopt means and ends or objectives based on ethical and moral values. But there is almost the reverse picture in our country and abroad. People are losing faith in management. Consumers are by-passed. Wealth is gained, but soul is lost. As long as soul is defectively organized, there will be outward and inward unrest, disorder and breakdown even though one gets rid of material poverty. Management with proper combination of values and skills can assure the harmony and progress of their own organization as well as enable the society and the country to enjoy healthy development and growth. This is the unique contribution of Indian Ethos. Arnold Toynbee, the historian, referring to the western civilization has said that At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way; emperor Ashokas and Mahatma Gandhis principle of non-violence and Shri Ramkrishnas testimony to the harmony of religions. Here we have an attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family. In the atomic age, this is the only alternative to destroying ourselves.
3. INDIAN ETHOS AND THOUGHT PROCESSES

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines Ethos as The set of beliefs, ideas, etc, about social behaviour and relationship of a person or group while Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines it as The moral ideas and attitudes that belong to a particular group or society. Ethos is the characteristics spirit of a community. Such spirit, which may differentiate itself in some ways from other communities, expresses itself in myriad ways, in the ways the members of the community live, take life, do things at work and in leisure, and think. Culture, tradition, customs - all shape the spirit or ethos of the community and renew themselves through continued expression in thoughts, actions and behaviours in characteristics ways - in the ways that members experience the most natural, free and apt expressions of living - living not for survival alone, but for fulfillment, contentment and happiness as well. Indian Ethos is all about what can be termed as national ethos. Indian ethos is drawn from the ancient texts like Vedas and the Upanishads. Based on the teachings in Vedas and Upanishads certain strong values and behavior traits are also described in Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Vedas and the Upanishads are mistakenly, identified with the Hindu religion. They do not, in fact, contain anything that is religious. They contain the essence of the findings of the sages of old, who delved into the mysteries of the universe and of life. They deal with management of self and issues of living in harmony with the rest of nature, the environment. It is basic to Indian thought, and to all spiritual teachings, that he, who cannot mange himself, can manage nothing else. The contents correspond to the fundamental teachings of all religious leaders through the ages, which recognize that all living beings are united be the same unseen power or force or source of energy, which may be called Divinity, Almighty, Allah, Brahman, God or Ahura Mazda. It is because these teachings are absorbed in the psyche of the Indian, that the ethos is one of tolerance, of synthesis and the ability to survive onslaughts.
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The Vedas talk of two basic truths of life the essential infinitude and divinity of all souls, and the essential oneness and solidarity of universe and all life. The belief systems in India are developed from these fundamentals. The epics the stories and the tales elaborate on the teachings of the original scriptures, but are less abstruse or abstract. They illustrate and explain, in relation to the events of day-to-day living. The Panchatantra stories are lessons given to a prince, in preparation for accepting the responsibilities of being a king. They deal with matters of governance. They have all the lessons of human relations, of propriety and of justice, which are concerns of a king, as much as of a manager. Every story in this collection has a lesson for managers.
3.2 THE ANCIENT TEXTS

The ancient texts are not religious texts like the Bible or Koran or the Guru Granth Sahib or Zend Avestha. They contain principles to guide ones life regardless of ones religious persuasion. Collectively they provide a philosophy or attitude to life and living. These principles are relevant to business because the process of business management and the purpose of business are related to people. The Darsanas: Concepts which are basic in Indian tradition are contained in the ancient texts like Vedas and the Upanishads. Collectively, these are referred to as the Darsanas. The word darsana derived from darsan (to see), is used because these are said to contain the quintessence of what the sages of yore had seen or experienced, through observation and analysis. The darsanas are believed to be the creations of not one mind, although each one of the six systems of philosophy contained therein is associated with the name of a principal interpreter. They are not contradictory to each other. They all lead to the same end, knowledge of the Supreme Consciousness. They are not abstract theories, but have the validity of verified truth. Physical phenomena are verified in a laboratory and can be seen and confirmed by others. Verification of non-physical phenomena has to depend on observation, comparisons and intellectual analysis and can only be conveyed to others, who will have to believe or accept the validity of the analysis. When they saw that the growth of the plants was dependent on sunlight, they conceptualized the sun as the source of all energy. The Gayatri Mantra was the result. When they noticed that one
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was primary and the other members were deriving there from, they said that the Ultimate Reality was One, without which there cannot be another. This One they named Brahman. The Darsanas provide a philosophy or attitude to life and living. The contents are truths, which are eternal not transient. Truth has application throughout time or space. In fact the principles enunciated in the Darsanas can be found expressed in almost all the other scriptures, as can be seen from the basics of religions reproduced later. In the Darsanas, there is no reference to any God, like Maheshwara or Vishnu. There are only references to Brahman which is beyond description, beyond comprehension, without form, without attributes and so forth and Man is referred to being THAT. (The Brahman is different from the Brahma of the Hindu Trinity and also different from the Brahmin caste). The concept of Brahman is similar to the concept of Allah in Islam, the Tao of China and the Ahura Mazda of Zoroastrianism. None of them are conceptualized as controllers or managers of the Universe. They are beyond description, incomprehensible. The Epics: The Darsanas do not include the epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. These are stories told to communicate the lessons of the Darsanas. Such communication takes place in a number of ways, including the stories collected in the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales. The events in stories are normally fictional and use characters from the real world. The events in the epics are believed to have actually happened and the characters acquire dimensions of perfection of virtue or of viciousness. They are models, to follow or to avoid. Good stories sustain the interest of readers and make the transmission of lessons easy from generation to generation, like fairy tales and nursery rhymes. But all of them contain and convey the lessons of the Darshanas. The Vedas: The word veda originates from the Sanskrit root ved, which means to know. Vedas are in four parts, the Rg, the Sama, the Yajur and the Atharva. They are also referred to as the Sruthis (what is heard). They are believed to have been composed in 1500 BC, by Veda Vyasa. The Vedic texts are divided into two parts, the Karma Kanda devoted to work and the Jnana Kanda, devoted to knowledge. The Karma Kanda may be roughly divide into, three parts; (a) the Samhitas, comprising of mantras or hymns, (b) the Brahmanas, written in prose and describing rites, rituals and duties and (c) the Aranyakas, or forest treatises which supplant the external rituals with symbolic meditations.
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The Samhitas are collections of hymns sung in praise of the Devas or Godheads, endowed with the characteristics of infinity, omnipresence and omnipotence. The Vedas do not postulate a monotheistic God. It is Tad Ekam, That One, neither masculine, nor feminine. It is not seen as the creator or the master of the universe. The universe is without beginning or end. The Brahmanas lay emphasis on the performance of ceremonials and rituals. No merit is acquired by observing them, but neglect causes degeneration. These are methods of purifying the heart. The Aryanakas lay stress on looking into ones own self rather than emphasizing upon the external acts and rituals. The Upanishads: The Upanishads, the latter part of the Vedas, (also called Vedanta, meaning the end of the Vedas), comprise of sections dealing with knowledge. Of the 1180 upanishads, 21 are from the Rgveda, 109 from the Yajur veda, 1000 from the Samaveda and 50 from the Atharva veda. Of these, 10 are considered the principal ones as they have been commented upon by Sankara. These are the Isaa, the Katha, the Brahadaaranyaka and the Taittiriya, (all related to the Yajurveda), the Kena and the Chandogya (related to the Sama veda), the Prasna, the Maandookya and the Mundaka (related to the Atharva veda) and the Aithaveya Upanishad (related to the Rg veda). Some claim that there are eight other important ones. The Upanishads detail ways of attaining the four goals viz, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. These contain the essence of Vedantic Ethics. Artha (Wealth) and Kama (Desires) are integrated into the other two, Dharma and Moksha. Both wealth and desires are recognized as legitimate goals, provided they are within the limits of Dharma and Moksha. The Upanishads do not demand that one should live a life of poverty and total renunciation of all comforts. The Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is the most precious part of the Mahabharata and is acknowledged as one of the supreme treasures of human literature. It contains the quintessence of Indian thought on the ideals of human existence and of the vedic lessons. The Gita is the exhortation of the Lord Krishna, to Arjuna, who, having come to the battlefield at Kurukshetra, declares that he is confused about the propriety of fighting his elders, teachers, brothers and dear ones. The battle of Kurukshetra is seen as symbolic of the inner conflict in Man, between the 100 forces of evil and the limited forces for good. The disturbance in the mind of Arjuna is symbolic of the fact that the turbulent senses snatch away the mind of even a wise man, striving for perfection.
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The exhortation of the Lord focuses on the following. One as to do his duty. We have no right on the fruits of the work. While doing ones duty, do not think of the rewards to self. The spiritual man need not be a recluse. One can pursue ones worldly vocations and yet realize the truth of God. The obstacles to realization are not outside, but within. The wise man seeks balance, not affected by pleasure or pain, desire to anger. Anger breeds delusion and the mind gets confused. Understanding is lost. Give up attachments. Realization is the highest state of human consciousness. In the words of C. Rajagopalachari, The Gitas gospel of devotion to duty, without attachment or desire for the reward, has shown the way of life for all men, rich or poor, learned or ignorant, who have sought for light in the dark problems of life. The Smruthis: Sruthis, the Vedas and Upanishads, relate to spiritual truths. The Smrithis deal with socially relevant matters. These include the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharatha, the Puranas, Manusmruti and the Yaajunavalkya Smruti. Management of Self: The Darsanas contain the findings of the sages of old, who had delved into the mysteries of life and the Universe. The findings provide direction to man to conduct in ways that can lead him to his goals of happiness and bliss. The goals are missed when ignorance clouds the vision. The knowledge imparted by these findings, destroys the bonds of ignorance. When the bonds of ignorance are broken, one attains the supreme goal of moksha. Moksha is only the freedom from the pains and problems of life in this world. Freedom from these would give one, happiness which lasts and is not dependent on material possessions. Happiness that comes from possessions or sensual satisfactions is transient. Moksha is eternal bliss. The basic lesson of the Vedas is that moksha and bliss are beyond ones reach because of ones ignorance that attributes importance to the transient pleasures. A realized person is one who has overcome ignorance and has realized the truth. Truth is not transient. Moksha is not to be
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obtained after death. It is a state of mind, the attainment of which is entirely within ones control. It is not a gift from someone else. It can be had at ones choice. Sanatana Dharma: The ancient texts provide lessons for the conduct of man in this world, to attain happiness. This set of principles is the basis of what is known as Sanathana Dharma. The essence of all religions, as propounded by their teachers, has practically identical messages. What goes by the name of Hindu religion is based on Sanathana Dharma. The Hindu recognizes and prays to a number of Gods and Goddesses. None of them are mentioned in the Darsanas. This strengthens the contention that while, the Darsanas are scriptures to the hindu, the religion as practiced, is not to be equated with the Darsanas. Concept of Divinity: These texts do not refer to any God, but refer to a certain divinity which pervades all beings, human and animals, including inanimate matter; in fact the entire Cosmos. Divinity is conceptualized as Energy which may be in both, the dynamic or the static form. Energy is not visible but can be experienced. It is energy that moves or does. The Energy in an individual, called Atman, is the same as the energy in other individuals and in the insects, all of which are part of the total Energy, called Paramatma, in the same way as the energy in an electric bulb is the same as the energy in the fan, all of which are part of the energy from the generator. The Mahavakyas in the Upanishads Tat Twam Asi (Thou Art That), Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman) and Soham Asmi (I am He) capture the essence of this concept. The message is that man being ignorant of that fact that he is truly divine, suffers pain and unhappiness, while he can attain the state of bliss that realization brings with it. That state is Moksha and comes when ignorance is replaced by knowledge, delusion by realization. In this realization, Brahman is timeless and spaceless. It permeates the entire universe. Brahman is unchanging, but assumes various forms and attributes when appearing as Atman in individuals. Scientific principles of Conservation of energy and Transmission of energy apply. Energy does not die. It only transmutes, changing form and expressions. The various images of God in the Hindu pantheon are nothing but particular manifestations of this Energy in the context of specific tasks. In the real world, we would approach the doctor for health problems, the lawyer for legal problems, the banker or financial problems, and so on. All of them have the energy and the power to help. So also, various manifestations have been created of the Ultimate to be
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concerned with various aspects of life. It is as if, in the Divine system of Governance, there are clearly demarcated portfolios.
3.3 THE CONCEPT OF MAN

The Koshas: Ancient sages explain that Man is constituted of five different sheaths or koshas. The grossest of these, which is visible, is the physical body, called annamaya kosha. It is constituted of matter created by food. The second sheath is the pranamaya kosha, which is related to breathing or vital energy. The third sheath is the manomaya kosha which roughly translates as the mind, but in fact has larger connotations than mind in modern psychology. The fourth sheath is the vijnanamaya kosha or the intellect, or the power of discrimination. The final sheath is the anandamaya kosha or eternal bliss. Each sheath is subtler than the earlier one and allows more freedom of movements through time and space. Manual work is done with the physical body. This includes the sense organs, the muscles, the tendons, the bones, etc. Hunger, thirst, sleep etc, are experienced because of the body. The energy to do is not entirely physical. Sometimes, one experiences inertia, which is different from physical fatigue. At times, one is very alert, or full of enthusiasm. This is the energy level. This is also coming from within oneself, but is not related to the physical body. The Pranamaya kosha is the source. Weightlifters can be seen taking deep breaths, before they lift weights. They are harnessing the energy for maximum availability of the physical skills. The prana principle is not exactly energy, because it is capable of moving by itself. Energy needs to be switched on and off by another person, for it to move. Our feelings, emotions and non-rational thoughts are caused by the Mind. The mind pays attention, selects stimuli from the environment, noticing some and ignoring some other. What is called Ego in common parlance, (not the Ego of Ego, Id, Superego classification of clinical psychology) is also part of the Mind. It is called Ahamkara in many Indian languages. This ego is the cause of a lot of tension and discomfort. It compares with others and seeks superiority over others, causing, dejection, frustration, jealously, anger or arrogance. None of them are helpful. A line by itself is neither long nor short. It is so only by comparison with another line. If the
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comparison is removed, there will be no more of the negative emotions. The mind that is able to ignore the comparison is a mind in steady focus, concentrating on the tasks at hand. The Mind is extremely subtle and therefore capable of immense expansion, can transcend the body and travel at infinite speeds, is not bound by any of the physical laws, is active even when the body sleeps and can create anything. Man uses his Mind to contact universal consciousness. Through the senses, it develops attraction for variety of objects and persons. When these objects fill the Mind, the expansiveness is reduced. If the Mind is emptied of these attachments, it becomes subtler and peaceful. Our logic and reasoning and all rational thoughts are caused by the Intellect. Wisdom is an attribute of a developed Intellect. The Anandamaya kosha is where we experience all happiness and satisfactions. All these five koshas are part of the totality. Together they constitute the self. They interact with and influence one another. No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who is master of his life and whose soul is one with the soul of all. (Bhagvad Gita). Divinity in Man: Divinity is conceptualized as Ultimate Energy or Power. The Indian tradition asserts that Energy exists within Man itself. It exists also in all other beings. But Man is the one being that has the capacity to realize this truth and attain Moksha, because Man alone has the faculty of Intellect and Reasoning. This concept is similar to the assertion of Jesus Christ that Man is made in the Image of God. Following this concept is the statement that Destiny is only a false notion that is rooted in the minds of the ignorant. Man is capable of achieving anything by making the right endeavors. He cannot achieve by making others do for him. But the fruits of his endeavors are limitless. The evil traits that prevent man from attaining his goals are lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, envy, rajas and tamas. These are excesses of desirable emotions and prevent clear thinking. Love is a very noble and desirable emotion. One has to be in love with oneself. Bhakti is based on love. A leader showing concern for his people is like a mother, full of love. Anger is repeatedly referred to as a major evil. He who controls anger like a horseman who breaks an unruly horse, is indeed a charioteer and not he who merely holds the rein and lets the horse run wild. He who sheds the anger just as the snake sheds its slough, is the real hero. He who never gets angry is superior to one who faithfully performs for a hundred years the
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sacrifices ordained by the scriptures. Servants, friends, brother, wife and children, truth and virtue abandon the man who gives way to anger. These are sentences uttered by characters in the various stories in the puranas and epics. One may also be deluded by his lineage, scholarship, wealth, strength, youth, beauty, position and penance (intense dedicated efforts). It is good to be proud of all these. Delusion happens when the pride becomes excessive and turns into conceit. It then occupies ones mind and interferes with the other perspectives. None of them guarantee success in ones endeavors. All of them reinforce ones attachments to mundane matters. One gets deeper into ignorance. It is necessary to get rid of all of them. Renunciation: Indian tradition recommends renunciation as a method of attaining happiness and bliss. This is often understood to mean that one must retire from the world to the forests to engage in meditation. The mandate is very clear that one cannot abandon his duties. A king just cannot retire to the forest abandoning his duties to the subjects. A husband cannot abandon his wife and children. A son cannot abandon his parents. Renunciation is not a license to run away from ones responsibilities. Renunciation can only be of ones possessions. Kith and kin and kingdom are not possessions. One can renounce wealth and property by giving them away. Ones self-interest can be surrendered. The ability to renounce strengthens ones ability to get detached from the mundane, the transient. Renunciation is the opposite of attachment. When one is attached, one becomes tied to worldly matters. One continues to be in ignorance. Renunciation makes one free. Yoga is the process which helps one to renounce, to be rid of attachment, and to integrate all the five koshas into one performance of excellence in every task that one undertakes. The person whose mind is always free from attachment, who has subdued the mind and senses, and who is free from desires, attains the supreme perfection of freedom from Karma through renunciation.
3.4 THE CONCEPT OF YOGA

The practice of Yoga is detailed in the ancient literature of more than 2000 years ago. Yoga, in the Indian tradition, refers to the unification of man with the Supreme. The Supreme is not conceptualized as an external person who watches the universe and the beings therein, to punish
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and to reward. The Supreme is conceptualized as an ultimate power and the source of all energy. It is also assumed that the characteristics of that ultimate. Divinity exists in every human being, which he somehow neglects when he gets lost in the trivialities of the material world. These trivialities are in fact transient. They do not last. Man, in his ignorance, does not realize this and gets caught up in the unreal, impermanent things that he sees and interacts with. When he overcomes this ignorance, he realizes the truth about himself and everything around him. That realization by an individual of his reality, his ultimate potential, is the unification. With the disappearance of the ignorance, knowledge appears and the truth becomes evident. One is then able to recognize his true nature, which is divine. The state attained is described as absolute bliss, the non-existence of negative emotions. Yoga helps one to attain this state. Attainment of this state needs practice of certain disciplines (called sadhanas) to regulate the physical body as well as the mind. The various postures are called asanas and they are designed to make realization possible. It is, therefore, not a drill or program of physical exercises for better health. Its true nature is far beyond physical dimensions. It is a process that enables realization of ones true nature, ones potential. The process is one restraining the mind stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vritti). Chitta and Vritti refer to phenomena relevant to explain how we relate ourselves to the world. Stimuli from outside ourselves contact our physical body (sense organs or Indriyas), which are interpreted by the mind (Manas) to make meaning. The mind sends the impression further to the Buddhi (intellect), which reacts, generating also the sense of Egoism (Ahamkara). The organs (mind, intellect and ahamkara) are various component and processes in the mind stuff. The waves of thought in the Chitta are called Vritti, literally whirlpools. What we see as forms outside are actually results of reactions within, like the waves and ripples generated when a stone is thrown into the water. They depend on the nature of the water. Vrittis are the waves that are generated by the mind (Chitta) when external events impinge on it. Vritti versus Perception: The corresponding concepts in management literature are in the areas of Perception. These concepts state that what we perceive or see outside of us, is not the reality which is there outside, but is our interpretation of the reality, arising out of the stimuli from
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outside interacting with our memories and past experiences. These memories and experiences constitute our state of mind. The clarity with which we see depends on the state and conditioning of the mind. Managing perceptions is therefore, important to ones effectiveness. If not managed well, we would be in touch with not the reality, but what we think is the reality. That reality would be our own creation. The same reality as perceived by a blind person through sensations of touch would be different to a person who perceives with all his senses. Many of us are blind in the sense that we see only some facts, not all. There is certain selectivity even in observation. The undifferentiated reality is differentiated by individual minds. When the minds conditioning changes; the reality also changes. Yoga deals with the set of issues of managing minds which effectively are ourselves, in order to attain clarity and to see the truth. The coordination between the various parts of the body is best when there is concentration on the job. When concentration sags, the coordination tends to be less. The performance is less than optimum. Mistakes happen. Concentration is necessary to use ones skill. Concentration is the action of holdings ones attention steadfast on something, an object or a goal. It does not come naturally. One needs to learn to concentrate. Meditation is a process that helps. It is related to the practice of Yoga. Both meditation and Yoga are believed to be religious practices; as efforts to contemplate on God and the Almighty, to obtain enlightenment. Such a belief would make meditation relevant only for sadhus and yogis. In fact, it is of benefit to any person wanting to excel in his chosen field of activity. "When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place." (Bhagwad Gita). Objectives: Effectiveness is related to goals and objectives. One is effective when the goals are achieved. Otherwise, there is failure. In a managerial role, the objectives to be attained have to be organizationally relevant and are usually quantifiable and measurable. At a personal level, the objectives end with satisfactions and happiness. This is similar to, not exactly the same as, the bliss, which Yoga promises on attainment of true realization. Satisfactions, happiness and bliss, though intangible and not measurable, are outcomes from other tangible, mundane events and attainments. Most of these attainments are experienced at work. There is thus a correspondence between what Yoga could do at the personal level and what is relevant in the managerial role. This yoga should be practiced with firm determination and perseverance, without any mental reservation or doubts (Bhagavad Gita).
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Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga is a good pathway for self purification and self-development, individual as well as collective growth and welfare, minimum play of passion, jealousy, hatred, greed, anger and arrogance, team spirit, team work, autonomous management, minimum control and supervision, etc. The result is all round happiness and prosperity. Karma Yoga is an end-state or an alias of Nishkam Karma (NK). Yoga means union between individual consciousness and supreme consciousnesses. Work is one of the several methods of achieving this union. Juxtaposed against the NK is the other attitude to work called Sakam Karma (SK). Let us have a look at the main points of difference between NK &SK: NK (Detached Involvement) Psychological Energy Conservation Reactionless Action Perfection is the Aim to handle both success & failure Inner Autonomy / Sufficiency Being in the world, but not of it Socio-economically relevant Work-commitment Mind enrichment Excellence through work is worship SK (Attached Involvement) Psychological Energy Dissipation / Burn Out Reactionful Action Success is the Aim success excludes failure Dependence on Externals, Thriving on Comparison Being in the world and also of it Socio-economically questionable Reward-commitment Job enrichment Excellence through competitive rivalry
It is evident that NK offers the most wholesome work psychology and should therefore be the Right Attitude to Work because it is based purely on the tremendous logic in its theory and the infinite power in its practice. Lord Krishna in the Gita says: Karmanyeva Adhtkaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadhachana Ma Karma-phala-heturbuhu Ma The Sangab Asthu Akarmani . This means You have the right only to action, and never to the fruits of your actions, nor be attached to inaction. A practioner of NK should possess three important skills: (i) An ability to deal with situations in a mature way. (ii) An ability to deal with relationships in a humane manner. (iii) Understanding and tapping the power of the mind, which is infinitely flexible. Attachment: Ambition or desire for betterment becomes non-productive, when the desire is to attain what others have, to become like others, etc., which lead to regret ones existing position
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and therefore, neglect ones existing duties. The focus is then not on action or doing, but on the fruits that may follow. This is attachment. Because of attachment and the strong desire for the fruits of action, there is also anxiety (what if I dont get it?) and that leads to lesser concentration on the job at hand. Thus, attachment leads to neglect. Attachment looks at personal benefits, which are in the future and on which one does not have any control, while detachment looks at what needs to be done, which is in the present and which is totally under ones control. There is an oft-quoted verse from the Bhagwad Gita, which says Do your duty and do not worry about the fruits there from. Some commentators have interpreted this to mean that the objectives of the work need not bother the doer. The real interpretation of the word fruits is, benefits to self. It is a verse which helps to focus on the effort, not because the result is unimportant, but because the result is in the future. The doing is in the present and needs all attention. The effort has to be made because the result from that effort would be important. The effort is not being made because there are immediate benefits to self. It is a formula for effectiveness, freed of anxiety about What will happen? in the future. It helps to focus sharply on the objectives of action. It is a philosophy for action, not for inaction.
3.5 SPIRITUALITY
The word spirituality is generally associated with the concept of God. It creates images of sages or sanyasis or priests, who are learned in matters of soul and salvation, spend their time contemplating on the scriptures and have transcended the pleasures of the senses. Consequently, spirituality is considered to be something beyond the domain of those who are steeped in worldly matters, concerned with the struggle of day-to-day living. In reality however, spirituality is an earthly matter. It is nothing but an awareness of the oneness in the universe. This is a very simple and self-evident concept. Humility is the natural outcome of spiritual awareness. One does no assume superiority over others, but understands that all other beings have unique gifts and talents and significant roles to play. Humility comes from a sense of being indebted to others. An arrogant person believes that he is responsible for everything that he has. Many persons boast of being Self-made. A humble person believes that he could not have become whatever he has become, without help from many others. One is indebted to nature for light, air and water, not merely for sustenance, but for heat,
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communication and transport. The sages and scholars of the past have created the knowledge that we pride in. our parents have contributed greatly in our upbringing. Many have helped us directly with support in times of need, identifying opportunities, which we may have benefited from. Spirituality also makes one selfless. One tends to grab everything for oneself, only when there is no concern for the others. An attitude that recognizes others as important elements of ones environment, generates an approach that is unselfish. Selfishness comes from a sense of Mine (mamata), which is different from the sense of Equality (samata). The latter is spiritual. Spirituality makes one to: Love and be concerned about everything in nature including animals and plants. Recognize that all other beings have life, feelings, thoughts, hunger, etc., like humans. Remain less arrogant about self (one is not as great or totally independent as one often imagines). Become more humble (others in different strata of life are in many ways, equal to us or even better). Be inclined to do more good to others than harm to others - be selfless, compassionate, kind, charitable, etc. Avoid exploiting or cheating others. Be concerned about the environment. Be concerned about matters other than the comforts and pleasures of the senses. Recognize that ones success is to be seen in terms other than material. Become humane (meaning rising above self for common good). Pay attention to the effect of processes and products, with regard to their safety and harmfulness. Respect warranties and other promises made while doing business.
Spirituality provides a strong base or ethical behavior. Justice and fairness automatically manifest, when one deals with another on the basis of love and concern for the other. Given the basis of love and concern, there can be no exploitations, discrimination or cheating. Substandard
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products will not be sold. Mistakes will be avoided, or if still occurring, apologized and made amends for. Profits will be made as legitimate reward for entrepreneurship. There will be no profiteering, which is exploitation of the others compulsions. Costs will not be cut at the expense of safety considerations. On this path effort never goes to waste, and there is no failure. Even a little effort toward spiritual awareness will protect you from the greatest fear (Gita).
3.6 THE CONCEPT OF DHARMA

The concept of Dharma is central to the Indian tradition. Dharma is often translated as duty or the path of righteousness. These words do not capture the true import of Dharma. Dharma, in fact, comprises of Satya (truth), Yagna (dedication) and Tapas (sublimation). Satya implies complete accord between thought, word and deed. One cannot be truthful, if there is discrepancy between thoughts, words and deeds. Yagna is the dedication of ones cherished things to higher powers or the larger entity. It implies that ones concerns relate to issues greater than the interests of self. Therefore, in the pursuit of dharma, one uses ones resources, including property, for the benefit of others. There is no selfishness. Tapas refers to the sublimation of passions and instincts through a discipline involving purity of body and mind to obtain mastery over self. He who wants to live in truth has to develop a spirit of dedication as well as selfmastery. The basis of Dharma is Truth. Ego and pursuit of sensual pleasures, lead to untruth, delusion and self-indulgence. Dharma is thus defined in terms of steadfastness, charity in its broadest sense of giving and sharing, non-stealing, purity of mind and body, control of the senses, true insight and awareness. Malice, anger, pride, lust, avarice, temptation, passion, faithlessness, hate, etc., lead one away from the path of Dharma. Dharma is said to be Bahujana Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya, which means for the good and comfort of many. In its secondary sense, Dharma means the pursuit of the highest good by trying to live in conformity with the Cosmic order. Dharma, literally, means in Sanskrit, that which sustains, that which holds together. Dharma is the foundation which holds the universe together. This means that without dharma, the diverse elements in the universe would find it difficult to coexist. Laws and conventions are drawn up to enable the people of the world to live and pursue their respective goals. Without such laws, there
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would be chaos in the society. These laws and conventions suggest right behavior. Dharma is the unwritten law that suggests right behavior. The concerns extend also to the animals and the birds and the trees and the entire Cosmos. Another aspect of dharma is the attitude to parents and guests, all of whom are treated as equivalent to, or manifestations of, the Supreme. Service to them is ordained as the duty of everyone. Some of the actions which are dharmic are: Charity, which is generosity, sharing, and eliminates possessiveness. Forgiveness, which comes out of concern for the other and eliminates anger and hatred. Non-violence, which is the effort to avoid injury physically or mentally.
These are ways of bringing about, and being in, harmony with Nature. There is no religious sentiment in these practices. There is while discussing dharma, persistent denunciation of greed. Greed is excessive desire. Greed brings about the ruin of people. Greed generates self-centeredness and possessiveness to the exclusion of others. In the pursuit of greed, one becomes blind to the concerns of others and therefore, is prepared to cause harm to the others. Greed arises out of the delusion that physical possessions last and add to the happiness of man. Thus, greed is inconsistent with the realization of the truth. The injunction is only against greed, not against want. Here is a warning that desires must be controlled, so that there is no greed. Wealth, if used only for the benefit of self and close relations to the exclusions of others, becomes an object of greed.
3.7 THE GUNAS

Guna means quality or substance. According to Indian tradition, the mind is composed of three basic forces called gunas, sattva, rajas, tamas. These gunas describe the character of individuals and their thought processes. They are also the basic constituents of the entire universe, physical and mental. In the physical world, sattva predominates in sunlight, rajas in an erupting volcano
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and tamas in a block of granite. These metaphors capture the basic nature of the three gunas, light, agitation and inertia. Sattva is the principle of poise conducive to purity, calmness, knowledge and joy. Rajas is the principle of movement, leading to activity, desire, passion an restlessness. Tamas is the principle of inertia resulting in inaction, dullness, and delusion. Tamas causes the mind to move on a low level; rajas scatters the mind and makes it restless and sattva gives it a higher dimension. One of these three gunas remains active at any point of time. One of them may tend to be more active than the others in an individual, in which case that individuals character or nature is likely to correspond to what that guna represents. The very succinct description of the gunas, appears in the Mahabharata as follows: When a person observes in himself something which causes pleasure, when he experiences tranquility and purity, then he should know that it is sattva. When there is distress in body or mind, then he should know that rajas is active. When there is confusion or ignorance, when he cannot think or know, that condition is caused by tamas. Effects of Gunas: The sattva guna enables one to see in every living entity, a single undivided spiritual nature. The rajas causes every different body being seen as a different type of living entity while tamas mistakes a part to be the whole. It does not even see the single entity in its entirety. In relation to work, a sattvic sees work as rewarding by itself, to be done without desire, hatred or attachment; rajasaics seek to fulfill desires through work; while tamasaics relate themselves to work without concern or seriousness. A sattvic performs his duty with enthusiasm, determination and earnestness, and does not lose his sense of equanimity, even if the work does not succeed in its objective. A rajasaic is happy when the results of the work are beneficial to him and sad otherwise. He is attached to the actions. A tamasic is lazy, morose, procrastinating, willing to cheat. The following chart shows the differences between the three gunas on a number of parameters. PARAMETER
SATTVA
RAJAS
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TAMAS
Vision Nature Approach Awareness Emotions Attitude Ego Orientation Tendency Base Energy Discrimination Mind Drive State Pursuit Level Satisfaction
Unstained Luminous Unattached University Balanced Selfless Nil Result Duty bound Wisdom Enthusiasm Clear Calm Love Awake Persistent Spiritual Lasting
Blurred Partial Attached Multiple Moderate Selfish Conceit / Pride Rewards Calculating Self - Interest Passionate Biased Disturbed Desire Active Obsessed Pragmatic Temporary
Unrealistic Confused Inconstant Part is whole Extremes Harmful Delusion Unclear Haphazard Ignorance Lethargic Perverted Agitated Greed Asleep Unsteady Impulsive Little
Developing Gunas: A relevant question would be whether it is possible for a tamasaic person to acquire sattvic gunas. In Indian tradition, it is possible for any person to become anything that he wishes to become, provided he strives for it. This definitive statement will not apply to the acquisition of material possessions, but would certainly apply to mental attributes. Following on the karma theory that one is a creature of his past actions, it can be said that the qualities of ones thoughts at any point of time is the result of the actions and deeds of the past. If one is used to base deeds, ones thoughts processes are at that level and corresponding qualities become stronger. If one spends more time in the company of morally enlightened persons and listens to
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their discourses and experiences, which goes by the name of satsang, ones mind acquires the qualities at the level. The guna directs spontaneous thought and action. The intellect or buddhi, which provides the discriminating function, can distinguish between one and another and help to make choices. If periodically, preferably daily evening, one would sit down and review the events of the past hours, one may get different levels of satisfactions from different events. Discrimination begins. If then, more thought and emphasis is placed on the events or deeds that satisfied more, and a desire expressed that such events may occur more than the ones not preferred, there would take place a kind of gradual programming within, whereby the gunas appropriate to the satisfying actions would become enhanced. If, during these reviews, the mind remains in charge, and finds more satisfactions in tamasaic activities, like the earnings from gambling, or drinking, or through scandalizing some one else, tamasaic gunas will become strengthened. On the other hand, if the intellect declares a preference for actions of generosity and compassion, the sattvic gunas would come to the fore. Ones thinking is both the cause and the effect of what one is at any point of time. Ones gunas are the result of his past and his present will determine the future. One can bring about change within, by being conscious of what is now and being clear of what one wants to be and focusing always on bridging this gap. The three Gunas relate to the basic nature of man, and govern his behavior, including his thought processes. They are related to basic components of the universe, just as Energy is the basic component of the physical world, according to Science. Gunas affect ones clarity and focus. Sattvic persons are likely to make more appropriate decisions than rajasaics and tamasaics.
3.8 THE CONCEPT OF KARMA

Regardless of religious affiliations, all people believe that one should not do bad things. One should not commit sin, for example. The laws of good behavior are not all written in the penal codes of a country or in the moral text books. Violation of these largely unwritten laws constitutes sin. One should do good things. Deeds, which emanate from feelings of charity, compassion, kindness, etc, are virtuous acts. The motivation to avoid sin and to pursue virtue comes from the belief that one is accountable for ones deeds, in the court of the Almighty. This happens on Doomsday. One is rewarded by
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admission to Heaven or punished by being consigned to Hell. The Hindu belief is that ones actions determine the course of ones future, not only in the present life but also in further rebirths. All teachings affirm that the judgment by the Almighty is inexorable. No one can escape it. One cannot try to hoodwink the Ultimate Arbiter with false or fabricated evidence or untenable excuses. There is no leniency. There is clemency which is earned by penance or penitence, not in words, but genuinely in the mind. Values and Karma: There is however, a more practical significance to the concept of Karma. Spirituality or Universality is the basis of the injunction that one has to be considerate to all. Some actions are called virtuous and undesirable actions are called vices or sins. The distinction is based mainly on the effect of the action on others. All actions that arise out of concern for others are deemed to be virtuous. Sins or vices are actions, which violate the rights of others and cause them harm. There is no difference at all from the principles of ethics. People keep away from committing offences, not because they are afraid of the penalties, in this world or elsewhere. They do because of their values, which are also reflected in the gunas. Consequences of Karma: The impressions created (experience) remain as memories, beliefs, etc. they generate desires, predictions and tendencies. These are effects in the mind and are called vasanas. They also create values. They influence perceptions (the observation of reality) and ones response to experiences. Thoughts and desires emerge. The physical body pursues the thoughts and desires, through actions. The laws of action and reaction operate. One cannot avoid an equal and opposite reaction to what one does. If you do good, you get good. If you do bad, you get bad. If you shout at someone, you can expect to be shouted at. If you are kind at someone, you can expect that person will have a kindly disposition towards you, even if he does not express it at that time. If one is in the company of people attending a satsang, ones thoughts will naturally be along those lines. If ones company is of people who spend most of their time in race courses and gambling houses, trying to make quick money, ones aspiration and desires are likely to be similar. The mind is described as a piece of white cloth, which will take the colour of the dye it is dipped in. The sayings of Swami Chinmayananda explain how emotions affect the person having those emotions. It does not affect any one else.
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The quality and texture of our performance is ordered by, controlled by, the quality and texture of our thoughts. If the thoughts are noble and serene, intelligent and creative, your performance will also be creative, beautiful. There is no question about it. It is natures law that you will be a success. Success brings you happiness and prosperity. The great subjective scientists, our rishis of yore, discovered that the quality and texture of our thoughts are determined by the values of life that our intellect has understood and also accepted. Some people are in quest of wealth and for them money is value. Some people want power and for them power is value. Value is that for which we put forth our efforts. This value determines the texture and quality of thoughts. Thoughts projected become actions and behavior. If you have a Lord of devotion before you on the altar, you are bowing down to Him every morning and evening and remembering Him at all times as though He is just behind you, looking over your shoulders, watching over what you are doing from morning to evening. That is Upasana. The concept is that He is supervising whatever you do, He sees everything, He is guiding me, leading me. May I always do things in such a way that I get a nod of approval from Him. If you do Upasana in this manner, His qualities come automatically to the mind and in due course, you will find that your values have changed. Slowly these values get fixed in your mind, your values change, the pattern of thoughts in your mind changes. When the pattern of thoughts in your mind changes, the texture and quality of your performance change. In the world of constant change, you must learn to keep your balance. This balance will come from your mental quality. You hold on to hale and hearty values of life, nothing can disturb you. Under all circumstances, you will be at the top of the world, controlling the situation, smiling away through. Karma and Self: A person is known by his character. Character is the expression of his values. Values are formed through experiences. Experiences are the result of ones deeds, Karma. Therefore, ones character is the result of ones karma. What one has done in the past, determines what one is in the present. What one does in the present, is because of what he is in the present. What one does in the present will determine what he will be in the future and therefore his future actions. So on, the cycle continues. One is both the cause and the result of ones actions. One has no escape from ones past. We have the power of discrimination, which is the ability to distinguish between one and another. We also have the freedom to choose between
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the various alternatives before us. We are exposed to multiple events and options. We have the freedom to choose what we would like to be aligned with or get involved with. This choice is our action and determines our character. That is neither fate nor destiny. It is our own making. If, at any time, we realize that the choice was not the right one, we have the freedom to resort to different choices and different actions. The consequences, in terms of impressions on the mind, would be different. The future course can be changed. We can escape from the past. Those who are born to circumstances that give them unwholesome experiences may not be able to get rid of the circumstances. People who live in slums may not be able to avoid contact with the criminal and the unsociable element. But that is not the only choice. They may, if they choose to, stay away from them, although continuing to live in those surroundings. Even if one had lived for some time as part of the criminal and unsociable characters, it is possible to come to a different conclusion later and change. Such a change will modify the effects of the past karma, because the events and impressions thereafter will be different. This is how repentance and penitence works. It works only when one is genuinely repentant, not in words. If it is not genuine, the rest of the world may be mislead by the pretension, and may believe that the repentance is genuine. But the impression in the mind of the pretender is yet another lesson of Cheating pays. It only confirms the earlier tendencies. The character does not change. This is the meaning of the belief You can cheat the world, but God cannot be cheated. He knows. The God is within you and is witness to everything. Internal Locus of Control: The concept of Karma makes one fully responsible for what happens to him/her. One is not subject to the tyranny of Destiny or Fate. One can determine ones own destiny. Action or Karma is the route. When one takes responsibility for oneself, the locus (place) of control is said to be within. If the locus of control is outside or external, one blames others for what is happening to oneself. A person whose locus of control is within does not ask the question, When the whole world is corrupt, what can one do? The Indian tradition suggests that every person should take responsibility for self. The concept of Karma gives one confidence and shows the way. The soul who meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests satisfied within the Self; there remains nothing more for him to accomplish. (Gita). The laws of karma are firm and inexorable. The concept is not one of a supreme being, keeping watch to punish or reward on a future date. It is laid down as an eternal law that works itself out
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automatically and immediately. The consequences cannot be avoided. No one, not even the Gods, are exempt from this law. Indian mythology has several stories of the high and the mighty having to suffer for their wrong actions and the lowliest receiving the biggest possible rewards for their good deeds. The rewards are not merely bliss, but also the ability to command the Gods, which in effect means, complete mastery over ones situations, including over nature.
3.9 THE CONCEPT OF DUTY

Duty arises out of ones position in life. One may be born into this position or one may have chosen it. One becomes a son or a king by birth. One becomes a member of a club or organization by choice. Employment is by choice. Ones duty arises out of ones role in the group, the family or the society or the organization. If that role is not performed, the objectives of the group may not be attained, unless some one else puts in an additional effort to compensate. Everybody who depends on that role being performed suffers. Neglect of ones duty harms the community. Neglect of ones duty amounts to betraying the trust that others had in the person entrusted with that role. Neglect is equal to cheating. Spirituality helps one to retain faith in the performance of duty being its own reward, being beneficial in the long run, while non-performance of duty, including abuse of authority, is harmful in the long run, to self, the organization in which one is, and the society. The benefits to self include happiness and peace of mind. One also acquires a higher stature among colleagues. Non-performance of duty, particularly arising out of misuse of authority, is accompanied by a sense of guilt and by the anxiety being caught. Many respectable people have landed in humiliating circumstances, when they were found to have acquired their respectabilities, through dubious means, including misuse of authority and other omissions and commissions related to duty. Action is greater than inaction. Perform therefore the task in life. Even the life of the body could not be, if there were no action. (Bhagvad Gita). There is a strong emphasis on the Swadharma. This means that different people have different duties by virtue of their positions. He who performs his appointed dharma, to the extent of his powers, goes after death to the region of superior bliss. (Mahabharata- Shanti Parva). By ones performance of ones duties in the position in which he is placed, he can raise himself in the
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hierarchy. In the classics of old, the hierarchy is in the social (caste) system and the ultimate bliss is derived from the attainment of ones objectives, which are identified in terms of salvation or realization of the Ultimate. In the context of current times, the objectives are in the areas of social and professional recognition. The simple message is Do well what you are expected to do. This is duty. Dont try to be doing what is someone elses job, however nice and attractive that might be. Attempts to do so arise from desires to attain for oneself, to possess, and to satisfy ones senses and ego. There is also an element of jealousy at the others better position and by comparison, ones own lower position. Such thoughts divert ones dedication away from duty and therefore, do not help. Does this mean that ambition to improve ones position is wrong? No, if that ambition or desire is based on doing well whatever is given to oneself to do and thereby earning a reward for proven dedication and excellent performance. This can happen only if, while doing, there is no other consideration than doing well. This is what is meant by phrases like Making an oblation of ones actions in the fire of renunciation, which are repeated often in the puranas. This is also the concept of detachment.
3.10 HOLISTIC APPROACH

Holistic approach means looking at a problem or a situation in totality rather than only one aspect of it. We have to pay equal attention to all the aspects of human personality and consider him as a whole or complete being, having practically unlimited potential energy and power to develop himself and acquire perfection so that he can enjoy all round internal and external harmony and progress. This is called holistic approach in self management and management of any enterprise as well. Traditional therapy emphasizes on personality factors and development but holistic approach seeks to balance the psychological aspects with more spiritual aspects. This takes traditional therapy one step further. Integrating the personality and the higher self can be an important part of the process of healing. Personality is built on sympathy, character is built on empathy.
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Personality is passion, character is compassion. Personality is building, character is the light within. West tends to be demonstrative and extrovert and East tends towards introverts. Personality builds up external man and character builds up the internal man. Union of east and west will provide together, personality + character. Internal being and External being both should be fully developed as per Dharmic Management with Holistic, valued based approach. As per the Indian tradition the qualities required to develop a personality are: Atmavishwas (self-confidene): Self-confidence is a must in each and every individual. Can do attitude must be developed in every individual. Abhyasa vrutti (readiness to learn): Readiness to learn and curiosity to learn go hand in hand. They help individual gain knowledge, resulting in the development of the individual. Compassionate: He must have love and compassion for love. Appreciation: A person must learn to appreciate others. Perseverance: He must have perseverance and deep thinking. Sportsman Spirit: He must learn to accept failures just as he accepts success. Audarya (generosity): A person must have a big heart and not a narrow one. Sahanshilta (tolerance): He must have the quality of tolerating any human being and any situation. Para Sanman (reverence for all creation): An individual must have reverence for nature, man, animal, etc. Sahas (daring): A daring to face situations and challenges. Dheriya (patience): Attitude of Slow and steady wins the race and Haste makes waste as results always take time. Nischaytmakata (decisiveness): An individual has to be decisive, it is said that Samsayatma vinashyanti Straight forwardness and simplicity: A person should be straight forward and simple in life. He should be able to adjust to various circumstances. Satata (continuity): He must be a constant and continuous learner. Tyagi (sacrificing): He must learn to sacrifice (for good cause).
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Alertness and awareness: He must be alert about good and bad and must be aware of his duties and responsibilities. Tanmayta: He must be engrossed in his work.
3.11 HUMAN VALUES INDIAN INSIGHTS

Values are basic convictions that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence. Value system indicates a hierarchy based on ranking of an individuals values in terms of their intensity. Terminal values are desirable end-states of existence; the goals that a person would like to achieve during his/her life time. Instrumental values are preferable modes of behaviour or means of achieving ones terminal values. Values are called gunas. A broad definition of values, derived from an insight into ancient Indias psycho-philosophical wisdom literature is: Values are states of feelings/emotions that underpin the content of a choice/decision and determine the manner of using the intellect/reason for justifying and implementing that choice/decision. Character is the foundation of values. The sequence being: Character -> Values -> Attitudes -> Behaviour Human Values is the sum total of qualities like truthfulness, integrity, gratitude, humbleness, forgiveness, patience, transparence, charitableness, simplicity, etc. Human Values make a person Antarmukhi (interiorized) while skills will make him more and more Bahirmukhi (exteriorized). Human values transcend moral, ethical and spiritual values. Values and Ethics: Ethics can be defined as The systematic attempt to make sense of individual, group, organizational, professional, social, market and global moral experience in such a way as to determine the desirable, prioritize ends that are worth pursuing, the right rules and obligations that ought to govern human conduct virtuous intentions and character traits that deserves development in life and to act accordingly. Ethics are derived from a set of universal values and have two fold objectives; it evaluates human practices by calling upon moral standards and also gives perspective advice on how to act morally in a specific type of situations.
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Ethics is related to issues of propriety; rightness and wrongness. What is right is ethical and what is wrong is unethical. The words proper, fair and just are also used in place of right or ethical. To refer to something as ethically wrong, is what is called an oxymoron. The words used in conjunction have opposite meanings and do not add emphasis. The words unethical or wrong would mean the same. If it is ethical, it is right, proper, fair and just. The word ethical does not qualify right or wrong. Issues of right or wrong are related to ones values. The word value is used very often, but with the meaning of worth, economics or otherwise. In the context of ethics, values are our standards of right and wrong. Whether something is right or wrong, is not a matter of fact. An action may be upheld by some as very right while others could be equally vehement in the contrary view. It is a matter of opinion. Our sense of right and wrong, or what is proper or not proper, has its base in the values that we uphold. Values are not seen in every difference of opinion. Difference in opinions with regard to the rightness or wrongness of economic policies, do not emerge out of values. They emerge out of ones understanding of economics and its dynamics and the likely consequences of alternatives. These come from ones knowledge or past experiences. Ones values do influence ones preferences for the objectives and priorities and priorities that these policies are directed at. Values find expression in matters of social and interpersonal behaviours. A simple example would be traffic jams being created by vehicles trying to get forward from right and left, ultimately making it impossible for anyone to move. These people do not see anything wrong in their actions. Another example would be when you find that some other vehicle is parked so close to yours that you cannot even open the door. These show a concern for ones own advantage along with a lack of consideration for others. Concern for others is a matter of value. Values are manifest in behaviours like jumping a queue, violating traffic laws, trying to cheat, maligning someone, using foul language, etc, which, when seen in others, makes one question the upbringing or character of the other. Our values are not explicitly stated. We may not be even aware of our values. But they guide our actions. If anything happens that offend our values, we would be disturbed. We would feel bad. We may feel angry, or annoyed or irritated, the reason for which may not be easy to explain. But another person, who does not hold a similar value, may find the irritation totally illogical.
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Values are learnt, not taught. Values are learnt from childhood, from the variety of contacts one has with persons, stories and situations. Manners, etiquette, social proprieties, etc constitute and reflect values. Values determine ones evaluation of what is right and wrong. They are deeprooted, fundamental beliefs. They lay down ones standards of propriety. They are responsible for a large part of ones instantaneous response to situations. Values are responsible for the consistency of ones behaviour. Ones character is defined by consistent elements of ones behaviour. Values constitute the foundation of ones behaviour. What is called character, is the sum total of ones values. When one is forced to a situation where he has to do something wrong, viz., something contrary to what the values dictate as proper, ones conscience pricks. The same happens when one sees an action that is wrong. One may feel outraged. When one feels good or feels bad, it is the expression of ones conscience. Conscience is the custodian of values. One can identify and become aware of ones values, when the conscience expresses itself, through feelings of good and bad. Values v/s Skills: 1. To become, we need values. To do, we need skills. 2. Becoming (needing values) must precede doing (needing skills). Values should act as the basis of the skills acquired. 3. Values are the means of perfection. Skills must have sound system of values as the base. Otherwise, one can manipulate skills for ulterior motives. 4. Values are internal, dealing with internal development of a person, purifying mind and heart. Skills on the other hand only make a person proficient. Values are the means of perfection of personality. 5. The field of values is governed by union, holism and relatedness. More often than not, skills are used to bring about division, fragmentation and separation. 6. Values bring about excellence and universal good. Skills see us through mechanics of management. 7. Skills are not enduring, values are. 8. Skills change with passage of time. Policy is flexible, principles and values are not. We have permanent fundamental values. Skills must pass through the corridors of values and the corridors have to be kept not dark and untidy, but well lit and clean.
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Skill Value Matrix
Values Skills
Strong Weak Strong Most Desirable Tolerable Weak Dangerous Useless
The discussion in no way speaks against acquiring skills but tries to guard against only acquiring skills, as the matrix above testifies. Of course, the discussion in no uncertain terms makes it clear that values are more important that skills.
3.12 STRESS & INDIAN ETHOS

Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, constraint, or demand related to what he or she desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be both uncertain and important. More typically, stress is associated with constraints and demands. The former prevents an individual from doing what he/she desires while the latter refers to the loss of something desired. The word stress is derived from the Latin word Stringer which means to draw tight. The Indian View on Stress: Ancient Indian literature does not talk about stress itself. Some of the terms used are bishad, klesha and dukh. Klesha refers to the stressor aspect. Our ancient literature does talk of tritap which refers to three kinds or rather sources of distress and miseries (dukhatraya) in human life, mainly Adhibhautika due to beings, i.e., wild animals, reptiles and cruel humans. Adhidaivika due to Acts of God, i.e., natural calamities which are ordinarily beyond human control. Adhyatwika relating to ones own body and mind, i.e., physical and mental illness. Out of the three, those in the second group are ipso facto outside our control, the first group may be avoided if we are careful enough and the third are by and large within our control. As can be observed, these are very similar to the Causes of Stress.
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Methods of Stress Prevention (What our Scriptures say?): Effective management of the 5As (anger, ambition, anxiety, apprehension and arrogance). Developing a spirit of progressive renunciation. The ethico-moral law of cause and effect (The Theory of Karma). Conscious efforts towards developing a healthy personality. The Dwandik Theory of Stress: It is a contribution from The Gita which says that stress arises from the universal phenomenon of the constant interplay of dualities or opposites or contraries in the fabric of life of our existence both the outer/physical world (e.g., night and day or hot and cold) and the inner/psychological domain (e.g., pleasure and pain or success and failure). The Gita suggests two alternative approaches to deal with Dwanda or Dualities, Samattwa (i.e., treating the two as equal) and Nirdwandwa (i.e., transcending the dualities). The first approach suits the Bhakta and is called the Bhakti-Yoga while the second is for the Gyani and is called the Gyan-Yoga. The first approach is relatively easier. The following two verses from The Gita which reflects the Samattwa and the Nirdwandwa approaches: sukha-sukhe same krtva labhalabhau jayajayau [To regard pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat as alike] and yo na hrsyati na dvesti na socati na kankasati subhsubha parityagi [He who neither rejoices nor dislikes nor grieves nor desires, who renounces good and evil]
3.13 DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN ETHOS

1. Indian thought believes, unlike the western, that the world of mind and matter is but an appearance of a deeper reality which lies beyond the perception of our senses. It is not enough to interpret reality the changing and the unchangeable, impermanent. Further, as the Vedanta points out, the world around us is of wonderful design. There must therefore be an intelligent agent, for such action is never seen to operate without an agent. This agent is Brahman, or the ultimate principle beyond which the mind cannot go. This is the creator, the preserver and the destroyer. 2. This ultimate principle or intelligence is present in every one. It is the Atman or pure spirit. The individual is only a part of the infinite and has in him an intelligent or spirit that is higher
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than his body, mind or intellect. This is the soul of a man which is a spark of the universal soul. 3. It is possible for man to go beyond mind and intellect and realize his self, which is a part of the universal spirit or the cosmic self. This realization need not and cannot be based on the use of mans reasoning capabilities. Wholly unlike the West, India has held that metaphysical truths can be known by direct experience. The west holds that such truths can only be speculations, inferences or undergrounded faith. Indian literature is full of examples of men who have had such direct experiences in self-realization. The wisdom of those who experienced it a thousand years ago (Vedas, Rishis) is as important as of those who experienced it in recent centuries (Sri Ramakrishna, Meerabai, Ramana Maharishi) or today. The Indian thinkers warn against rationalistic self-sufficiency, which insists on verification being necessary for acceptance of facts. 4. Arising from this, the concept of Man itself is different from that of the west. Human personality develops as a result of the meaningful interaction of body, mind and spirit and evolves normally from a lower to a higher state (tamasic to saatvic). The uniqueness of Man lies in the fact that the instinctive and the intellectual in him attain their fruition in a spiritual personality. He seeks to establish order and harmony among the different parts of his nature and strives after an integrated life. He is unhappy so long as he does not succeed in his attempt at reaching an organic wholeness of life. There is always a mental and moral ferment in him, a tension between what he is and what he wishes to become, between matter which offers the possibility of existence and spirit which moulds it into significant being. 5. The divinity of man and the presence of the cosmic consciousness in him, has moulded the Indian approach to all relationships. Every human being, indeed every being, is divine and is therefore worthy of respect. I see the world in me and I am of this world. There is therefore, such greater emphasis on cooperation rather than competition, on trust and harmony with natures creations. We are the children of god. 6. The basic unit of social life in India has been the family. The family is the guardian, the protector, the mentor, the ultimate insurance against all odds. The wider social networks, social organizations, cultural institutions, the work place and the state are extensions of the family. The unity of family life and family values such as discipline, obedience, respect for the elders, equality and direct access to each member, and interdependence are to be
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projected to other institutions, of which one is a member. The state itself is the guardian, the mother and father. 7. The workplace is characterized by strong, informal relationships rather than a rigid hierarchical structure. Work is a value, an offering to the divine. The joy of work and the opportunity to serve are stressed. 8. Indian thought constantly emphasizes the concept of balance. The wise man, it is said, keeps pleasure and pain, friend and foe, likes and dislikes at equal distance. This helps him to master his own mind and body. Our sense organs like the eyes, the nose and the ears are constantly in touch with the outside world with objects that we may like or dislike. We develop an attachment to those that we like and get pleasure from gaining them and pain from being deprived of them. Both pleasure and pain are transitory. The food that we like in periods of good health turns unpalatable in periods of sickness. A balanced mind is aware of the transitory nature of these pleasures and pains and does not develop any attachment. 9. In an effective metaphor, the self (atman) is compared to the master, the body to the chariot, the intellect (buddhi) to the charioteer, the mind (manas) to the rein, the senses to the horses, and the objects to the road that winds. If the charioteer is asleep and the horses not reined in, the chariot cannot reach its destination. Ones intellect, when trained, is an effective instrument to control ones emotions and raising the self almost all the religious teachings of the prophets throughout the world. Ethics and morality would seem to be synonymous. Both refer to aspects of good and evil, rights and wrongs. What is moral is apparently also right and what is immoral is wrong. A person who is moral is supposed to abide by certain principles, which by implication, are deemed to be important and correct. He would so abide, even if it affected his personal interests adversely. The expression moral victory is usually used to refer to a situation where there may have been a defeat in an election, or in a court case, or in fight for supremacy, but the person so defeated did not compromise on principles. These are principles, which clarify propriety or rightness of conduct. These principles are not sacred by themselves, but are held widely as such, by large sections of the community. If they were not so widely held, the person concerned would not get the acclaim of a moral victory, although he may personally be content. Only principles, which
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are widely held, are labeled moral. There could be some differences between morality and ethics in definitional nuances, but for all purposes, they may be assumed to mean the same. Ethical dimensions vary according to the context. If one were to ask a friend for change of a hundred rupee note, it is expected that he would return a hundred rupees in a change and not pocket a rupee or two as his commission. But with a moneychanger, it would have been right for him to charge a commission. The money changers action is accepted as a legitimate business profit, a concept which was quite alien to societies may be a couple of centuries back. Making profit amounted to an unethical practice, before money became part of normal trading. Overcharging is wrong. Charging 15 for a cup of tea in a five star restaurant is however, accepted as not wrong. The maximum retail price, printed on packages, is not relevant when the purchases are made in certain premises. It would be considered wrong for a reputed shop to quote a price higher than the one at which it will make the sale, although it would be quite in order for a road side shop to quote 300 and then sell it for 30. Issues of proprieties and ethics can be determined only in specific contexts. Historians and scholars tell us that India is possibly one of the very few civilizations, if not the only one, having the longest history of unbroken continuity of its culture and tradition, of the ethos derived out of them. It has repeatedly shown its capacity to renew and sustain its ethos and a remarkable resilience to withstand the powerful onslaughts of history down to modern times. One of the reasons cited for it to have survived for so long is its ability to synthesize the contradictions and diversities of different cultures. The core of its ethos has maintained the supremacy of the spirit of humanity, of life, not merely in biological terms, but in intense human terms. If we were to look for ancient texts that are Indian, we would locate the Upanishads, the Vedas, the major epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Panchatantra stories and the Jataka tales. Most Indians would be familiar with these regardless of religious affiliations. When the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were being telecast, the audience was not limited to the Hindus. These epics have universal appeals, being popular in Germany and in Indonesia, in adapted forms. This is so because they deal with human issues and contain lessons, which are relevant for all mankind.
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Perseverance in seeking to gain the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit, and the perception of the gain that comes from knowledge of the truth; this is called knowledge, all that is contrary to this is ignorance ~ Bhagavad Gita. Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviours. Keep your behaviours positive because your behaviours become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny ~ Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian Ethos is such a vast domain that encompassing every aspect is not feasible within the scope of this project. However, certain relevant concepts of Indian Ethos, with respect to their applications in management, have been discussed in the next chapter.
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4. INDIAN ETHICS, THOUGHTS AND PRACTICES IN MANAGEMENT

4.1 WHAT IS MANAGEMENT?
Management's job is to see the company not as it is... but as it can become (John W. Teets). The modern concept of management is not confined to books, seminars and sleep-inducing lectures. Management is the professional medication for solving problems faced by the mankind, its habitat and the society at large. It pervades every stratum of society and industry and is practiced by all classes of business, commerce, organization, society and polity for yielding a concrete output in numeric as well as in qualitative terms. It is the practical and result oriented skill of mankind, thus making it a vital tool for survival and growth. A manager is a leader, a motivator, a go-getter and one who achieves results. And the new age rightly belongs to a successful manager. A religion helps individual in spiritual, moral and aesthetic cleansing processes and management would certainly become a successful religion for everyone. Management is a process of designing and maintaining an environment in which people achieve common organizational goals in most effective and efficient manner. In short management is getting things done from others. The mental contents of a good person are called ethical values. This is also called daivi sampati or divine qualities. Now if we coagulate both the meanings then we would realize that both are complimentary to each other than supplementary. Our effectiveness at work is tied to exercising intrinsic human values i.e. moral and ethical values such as communication excellence, credibility, innovation, creativity and coordination. The human values help good inter personal interactions. They reduce conflicts and disputes. They are part and parcel of achieving accelerated process of improvement. Customer, worker and citizen, they enhance the goodwill of organization. Management is basically, of people. People behave and respond according to their ethos. The behaviour of people cannot be managed except in the context of their ethos. People from different parts of the world do not have the same ethos. Ideas of management developed from western experiences, will not work as well, when applied in the Indian context, because the ethos
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is different. It is important to identify some of the characteristics of the Indian Ethos and relate them to what may be appropriate management practices. The management team, the backbone of the International Student Recruitment Organizations (ISRO), should consist of the people, who have vast professional experience in the field of advising students about the various study options available abroad, keeping in mind their profile and needs. The people in the team should provide information regarding higher education in various countries and be empathetic towards the students' needs as well as have the ability and will to fulfill commitments given to the students. The team of administrative staff, an important chain responsible for the admission process of students, must consist of efficient people sharing different responsibilities like Visa Assistance, Preparing & Dispatching Application Documents on time, regular follow-ups for timely delivery and overall co-ordination. They should have a command over the education system world wide such as UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Singapore, France, Switzerland and Ireland. Studying abroad can be an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it is important to do as much research as possible in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. Hence ISRO should offer expert and specialized result-oriented guidance to students and parents to avoid disappointment.
4.2 INDIAN ETHOS IN MANAGEMENT (IEM)

Formally, the body of knowledge which derives its solutions from the rich and huge Indian system of ethics (moral philosophy) is known as Indian Ethos in Management (IEM). Is IEM some kind of Hindu concept of management? Certainly not! Management is behavioral science and it has to be culture specific. IEM has as its basis, the culture base of India and as a country whose culture has its roots in religion - it does draw its lessons from the religions of the land - be it Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other. Basic principles of Indian Ethos for Management (IEM): 1. Immense potential, energy and talents for perfection as human being have the spirit within his heart. 2. Holistic approach indicating unity between the Divine (The Divine means perfection in knowledge, wisdom and power), individual self and the universe.
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3. Subtle, intangible subject and gross tangible objects are equally important. One must develop ones Third Eye, Jnana Chaksu, the Eye of Wisdom, Vision, Insight and Foresight. Inner resources are much more powerful than outer resources. Divine virtues are inner resources. Capital, materials and plant & machinery are outer resources. 4. Karma Yoga (selfless work) offers double benefits, private benefit in the form of self purification and public benefit. 5. Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam - Excellence at work through self-motivation & self development. 6. Co-operation is a powerful instrument for team work and success in any enterprise involving collective work. Principles of IEM are universally applicable. IEM can help develop an effective and holistic management pattern which will assure all round growth in productivity, marketing and profitability. This will help in synchronizing private and public benefits and encourage individuals to lead an enriched quality of life together with worldly achievements. The best form of management has to be holistic and value driven which is the objective of IEM. Indian ethos demands a subjective management system which leads to an understanding of the following: (a) Management Attitude Top management having firm belief in value-oriented holistic management. Profit is earned through service and satisfaction of all stakeholders employees, customers, shareholders and citizens. Fulfillment of social responsibility must be ensured. (b) Humanizing the Organization Looking at the three aspects of humane organizations, i.e. inter-personal relations, man-machine equation where man is the prime concern and inner management through mental and spiritual growth of individuals. (c) Interiorizing Management Self management or management by consciousness. When the soul manages the other four members of the human being, namely, the body, mind, intellect and the heart, the conflict these four have amongst themselves can be resolved. This is management by consciousness. The objective of self management is to first know and manage oneself and then manage others. (d) Self-introspection Embark upon self-study, self-analysis and self-criticism to locate areas of friction and disharmony, a self examination of ones own thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations and passions and a desire to reduce and subdue the ego.
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(e) Brain-stilling For rational and enduring decisions, silent mind is a necessity. A perfect Mounum (calm mind enjoying tranquility) is necessary. Brain-stilling or meditative silence is the most reliable method to discover solutions to problems and difficulties which seem to be difficult to be tackled by reason and intellect because through this one can come into contact with the inner mind or higher consciousness called Chetana. (f) Stepping Back (for a while) Never decide anything, never speak a word, never throw yourself into action without stepping-back. The stepping back from a situation for a while enables one to control and master a situation. (g) Self-dynamising Meditation A dynamic meditation is meditation of transformation of lower consciousness into higher consciousness and hence is called transforming meditation. Through meditation, in a silent and calm mind, one reaches a higher level of consciousness which offers guidance in the form of intuitions to tackle a multitude of problems. This is called consciousness approach to management. (h) Role of Intuition Intuition is the act of coming to direct knowledge or certainty without reasoning or inferring. It is immediate cognition by the inner mind and when fully developed, is efficient and effective for taking prompt and sound decisions. Intuition skills enable one to cope with confidence the fluctuating environment and rapid changes. Faith is a prerequisite to develop and realize the power of intuition. Many researchers draw lessons in management from the Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. This is possible, because the stories are about kings and relationships. Managers of business organizations and officers of Government can benefit from the behaviours of the characters in the epics. A companys activities are based on the validity of two maxims of ancient Indian tradition. One is Isavasyam Idam Sarvam meaning All this belongs to God. The other is Vasudaiyva Kudumbakam which is a reference to the whole world being the family of God. These two maxims together recognize the oneness of all living beings, as belonging to one family. If everything belongs to God, nothing belongs to any individual then ones possessions can be seen only as gifts to be grateful for, to be held and used in trust for the benefit of the community, which is indeed but one family.
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Indian management thoughts include the concept of divinity of all living beings and therefore all people are equal and divine, to be dealt with equal respect and reverence. Then while dealing with any person, the behavior or treatment would be appropriate. Thus the attitude at work brings about an orientation that seeks to serve the interests of both workers and customers which is devoid of any economic dimensions. In the managing of workers, discriminatory remuneration package would be avoided. The sense of concern would make counseling and development more natural and committed. Trust and support would improve. The quality of work life is likely to improve. Systems and structures to get employee participation will get invigorated through the genuine concern and authenticity that mutual concern inevitably brings forth. Managers may even find it easy to take disciplinary action for two reasons. One is that the sense and dimensions of fairness will flow naturally from the flow of concern. Secondly, there would be no feeling of remorse if severe actions become necessary. Managers, who get attached to the feelings of others and begin to bother about what may happen to the future of the employee being punished, find it difficult to decide on strong action and thereby find excuses for leniency and allow indiscipline to grow. Contrary feelings of anger may lead a manger to decide more severely than the case may deserve. International Student Recruitment Organizations (ISRO) has multiple and often conflicting responsibilities to different segment of its stakeholders (investors, customers, suppliers, employees, etc). Their own survival and growth is an important objective. To ignore it is unethical. It is not necessary to steal, copy, cheat or harm others to achieve these. Ethics is consistent with the logic of business and business should have values. Despite all the theories available to make business decisions, the purity of motive rather than the actual harm or good, is the higher good. Values of an organization are seen not in their declarations, but in their actions.
Besides this we have the concept of trusteeship, a Gandhian concept, based on non-violence and Indian philosophy. It is based on the concept that someone in possession of wealth is not the owner of the same but hold it in trust for the benefit if the community. Therefore the utilization and outputs from the wealth must go to the community and not be appropriated by the one in
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possession. Due to all the effective contribution from employees to organizations, objectives can come through different parts viz, (1) activities of employees being so assigned to mesh with the total (2) employees being helped to understand and appreciate the purposes of the organization and their roles (3) employees having complete faith in the organization, its purposes and the management. These three are similar to Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Bhakti yoga. Thus Indian management thoughts contribute to managerial effectiveness.
4.3 THE MARGAS

The science of Yoga suggests four margas or paths to attain the ultimate objective of bliss. These are the path of Knowledge (Jnana marga), the path of Devotion (Bhakti marga), the path of Action (Karma marga) and the path of comprehension or Concepts (Raja yoga). The first three are also the rational, the emotional and the action-oriented courses. The comparison suggests that just as there are four ways to attain the objective of bliss in personal life, there are four ways in which a manger could attain managerial goals, all by himself or by leading his men. Because of the latter factor, these paths would get related to questions of leadership. 1. Jnana Marga: This is an intellectual route. One knows what is to be done and why it is to be done. Through an intellectual understanding and acceptance of the goals and the methods to adopt therefore, the person commits himself to the task. The manager, who pursues this route, explains, discusses, consults and encourages both participation and dissent and then obtains commitment to the decisions. At the personal level, as distinct from the official, the awareness results in doing good to others, immersed in love and concern for other beings, because all others are seen as but reflections of the Supreme. It also finds expressions in concerns for the prosperity of the nation. At the organizational level, the awareness is manifest in performing ones role and tasks and performing them sincerely, without looking for personal advantages. The concern or personal benefits arise out of ones ahamkara or ego, which veils the buddhi or intellect. The concern for others arises out of awareness that all of them are working towards the same goals. The focus on organizational objectives remains sharp. ISRO should assess the student's profile, academic or financial constraints, future aspirations and interests and do their best to ensure that appropriate Countries, Courses, and Universities are
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considered by the student to meet his/her ambitions, career goals and aspirations. They must ensure that there is no compromise on either the quality of the service profile, or the ethics and integrity of the operation. When the members of the management team drop their senses of Iness and share the understanding about what and how to do, the seeds for collaborative activity are sown and that group can then function with minimum supervision and control. The advantages are similar to what are recommended as super-ordinate or shared goals, objectives or vision being shared by the working group or within the organization. This is Jnana. Bhakti marga: This is the route of devotion. There is no attempt to try to understand the why and wherefore of things. There is faith and everything flows from it. The faith comes from a strong belief in, attachment to and love of the Supreme. A person full of bhakti does not seek to understand higher things. Having accepted a Guru, equivalent to a manager in an organization, there is willingness and determination to follow the instructions of the guru, with absolute trust it is for ones good. The managers concern for ones welfare is taken for granted. There is no felt need to be a party to the decision making process. Every instruction is followed. The drive comes from an absolute faith in the wisdom, competence and bonafides of the guru, the need to be in his good books and the urge to avoid giving him any cause for complaint. The managers approval becomes the basis for ones satisfaction and happiness. It is assumed that one cannot and need not try to understand the complexities of organizational maters. It is also assumed that the manager knows and will do the right thing, neither mislead nor misdirect. In this route, the manager is endowed with referent and knowledge power. A manager, who can generate faith and devotion of this kind, can be quite effective. He has to make sure that his concerns are for his subordinates and for the organization; that he understands organizational requirements, tasks and goals perfectly; that he subordinates his personal needs to those of the organization; that he does not make scapegoats of his subordinates for mistakes; that he is fair and just in his dispensation of rewards; and so on. The manager has to become worthy of such personal devotion. When a manger behaves in ways that are inconsistent with the faith imposed, the damage is to the entire system of management, not merely to that individual. It is similar to the disenchantment that the Indian people experience
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with regards to the entire system of governance of the country, the behaviours of the politicians and the ministers, the perception being that they are concerned more with their personal benefits rather than the national interests. Karma Marga: This is the route of Activity, doing ones duty becomes the drive. It does not matter what the manger says or thinks. Ones commitment is to the task, arising out of a position that one has accepted in life, either because of employment or being born into it or otherwise. Doing ones duty is like keeping up a promise that has been made. It is like the brick layer who lays bricks using his skills to the utmost, without bothering whether the designs are alright or whether the structure being erected is a factory, house or temple. He is not bothered about the trustworthiness, competence or character of his supervisor. Having accepted the job, he keeps doing it to the best of his ability. While doing ones duty, one does not feel that it is lesser in importance or dignity than anothers. There is no attempt or desire to want to do someone elses work. No duty is ugly. No duty is impure. No duty is low. This is the concept of swadharma, which focuses on ones dharma arising out of ones nature and position in life, and understands that to be doing ones job well is better than aspiring to do someone elses job well. That is both the source of satisfaction and the basis for rewards. ISRO should have an increasingly large and growing number of staff plugged into the companys vision; and enjoying it immensely. The employees must strive to provide best possible service to their customers. Action is performed through the human body. When action is in the course of duty, there is no credit that one takes for having done. There is no sense of personal achievement that makes one proud. There is no attachment to the doing. If there were attachment, the action could bring in failure and sadness. The action is then likely to be directed wrongly, towards personal benefits, instead of to the objectives of the larger organization. When there is no attachment, the action is in the service of the organization, similar to all actions being offerings to God, at the personal level. Global education providers need to be a solution-oriented company, with a single mind approach - Doing ones duty is the highest form of worship, which is dedication to God at the personal level and dedication to ones organization at the corporate level. All of this amounts to unrivalled resources available for students seeking admissions all over the world.
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If the duty does not arise out of a job, then the nature of the action becomes important. Doing good, helping some one, etc, become the source of ones satisfaction, because they are seen as services to be performed as the duty of a good person. The validity for such thoughts is found in moral and religious teachings. The nature of ones actions conditions ones mind, filling it selectively, with tendencies of jealousy, love, compassion, anger, greed, calmness. When persons do evil actions, they become more and more evil. When they begin to do good, they become stronger and learn to do good all the time. When actions are done with attachment, with a sense of ego or Iness, emotions of jealousy, anger, greed, etc, arise. Otherwise, compassion, love, etc, arise. The former set of emotions distorts the way the mind perceives realities. The latter contribute to better clarity. A karma yogi is always striving to perform his duties, working with concentration and dedication. He believes that it is only through work that his mind will be purified. He does work, not because it benefits him in any manner, but because he considers it his duty to do. Raja Yoga: This would be the level of concepts. At the personal level, it is the behavior that emerges from the constant awareness of the Almighty and ones relation to it. According to Patanjali, Raja yoga involves 8 steps, namely, Yama or Abstinence, Niyama or Observance of certain rules, Asanas or Physical postures, Pranayama or breath control, Pratyahara or withdrawl of the senses from the external world, Dharma or Holding of the Mind steadfastly, Dhyana or Meditation and Samadhi or Absorption. There are rules of conduct, which are aimed to help mental purity and discipline, as well as Consciousness of the Ultimate. Raja Yoga operates at the level of the super-conscious plane, different from the sub-conscious and the conscious planes. The mind transcends the physical limitations of the senses. Mental healing and telepathy are examples of this capability. The thought that rises to the surface from the conscious mind, gets united to the will and becomes energy or power. The raja yogi does not criticize others, but only self. He is full love- love of a kind that is not transactional, love that does not expect anything in return like protection or satisfaction of needs. Love for loves sake cannot be explained or expressed to those who have not experienced it. The person, who loves, does not hate cannot be a fanatic, because a fanatic has to hate. The calmer the mind and the less disturbed the nerves, the better will be the balance in ones
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relationships with the rest of the world. A Rajayogi is aware that there is nobody who is wholly bad or wholly good. There is no straight line in nature. In organizational terms, the equivalent of raja yogi would be someone with vision, seeing the totality of the organizations goals, strategies, future, etc. he will be someone at the top of the hierarchy. Without such vision, no organization can be effective in the long run. He should be able to see the environment, opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses, clearly and without distortion, accept them without remorse or criticism and consider options available in the circumstances. He would not be hassled by setbacks. He would maintain equanimity, while experiencing both successes and failures. ISRO should employ people who have lived and worked overseas for several years. They must be well traveled individuals with vast international exposure. It is this vast combined international experience of the management that can be packaged into a successful business in an area of activity where first-hand, hard-core knowledge is a pre-requisite to advice students realistically and factually. For a manager, the equivalent of the 8 steps prescribed by Patanjali for a Rajayogi, would be (i) getting detached from the fruits and results of daily routines (this does not mean indifference to the objectives), (ii) adherence to a certain discipline in action without being carried away by or buffeted by the pressures of circumstances, (iii) maintaining equipoise at all times without getting excited through too much jubilation or remorse, and (iv) focusing always on, or being constantly absorbed in, the long term concerns of the stake-holders. A manger, who is in an operational position, middle or junior, with the attributes of a raja yogi is likely to be the most effective in releasing the potentials of his subordinates. Empowerment and commitment to work become realities in those circumstances. The need for close supervision, which is sometimes the need of the supervisor and sometimes the need of the situation, would vanish, because a raja yogi transfers vision along with values. When values are shared, control does not have to be externally imposed.
JNANA
Based on Analysis
BHAKTI
Emotion
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KARMA
Activity
RAJA
Vision
Concern Asks Orientation
Data What Intellectual
Relationship Who Devotional
Doing How Practical
Mission Why Idealistic
All the margas are available to managers for their effectiveness at work. All of them are equally effective. The chosen path would depend on the individual development of the manager. It must also match the development of the subordinates.
4.4 CORPORATE KARMA

The concept of Karma has application in the case of corporate also. Business houses have images, which are public perceptions as what to they are. The products of some business houses are believed to be of the finest quality. That will not be true of some other producers. These are, in effect, perceptions of the character of the business house. These perceptions are formed out of their actions of the past. Perceptions, by definition, are not the same as reality, but they are not totally devoid of the reality. ISRO have reputations, which determine the quality of the students who join in. The reputations are made by what happened in those organizations in the past, the kind of teachers it had or the results obtained by the students. The training faculties, one of the strong pillars of such organizations, train students to achieve the desired results in various examinations like GMAT, GRE, IELTS, SAT and TOEFL. Performing well in these tests can be crucial for admission in the universities, scholarships and visa. A difference of 150 extra points in these tests could result in affecting many decisions, for example financial aid may not be awarded, scholarships in the form of Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship. Hence organizations should provide classes with limited batch size, extensive course materials and flexible timings and conduct mock tests to ensure result oriented coaching. Apart from training the students, companies should also help them get application form for the examination, filling and submitting thus aiding the students in securing the required scores. Because of the reputations, the organization may be in a
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position to command higher levels of fees, particularly if it is free of Governmental control or regulation. These reputations determine their ability to command resources and be effective. A companys reputation is responsible for the quality of the persons who join it. Their
enthusiasm to work, their commitment, is dependent on the climate in the company. The climate is the result of the management practices of the past. The ability of the company to innovate and to be ahead of the competition is again a consequence of the climate in the company. The extent of innovation and product development like, choice of Universities/Colleges with lower tuition fees, hassle free admissions to colleges/ universities, directors with substantial experience and background in the field of education, a competent team of experienced counselors assisting students in the process of application to the representative university & their visas, experienced faculty members ensuring the right input imparted to the students, hosting direct interviews from University Representatives, etc, will determine the future prospects of the company. These are the results of the past actions. The present and the future of the company are linked to its past. Those in charge of bringing about change in organizations know how difficult it is to bring about change. Even when people agree that change is necessary, the change does not happen. Both systems and people tend to regress to the status quo, to the known habits, practices and ways of thinking. It is not easy to shed the past and to accept new ways. It has to happen at the behavioral level. It happens when the events confirm the validity of the directions of change; when there is experience to say that the new systems work better than the past. The precedents are replaced by the new ones. The thought processes set the new paradigms. This is karma in action.
4.5 LEADERSHIP
Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall (Stephen R. Covey). Leadership is related to that part of the managers responsibility that deals with people. Leadership is the ability to influence other people, to shape their attitudes and behaviours in such ways that goals are achieved. The rightness of the goals is an issue of ethics. Increasingly in the future, leadership would become the critical factor determining the managers overall effectiveness. The reason is that, to remain successful and competitive in an environment
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which is changing fast on all parameters - political, regulatory, technological, economic and social organizations would have to be quick to respond, adapt and innovate. These can happen only through the people; not through other resources like finance, machines or technology. People bring to work all knowledge and their creative potential, but do not necessarily make them available at work. The knowledge and creative potential may be applied at work in ways that are not helpful to the companys objectives, in non-productive and even destructive ways. Whether and how they are applied at work depends on the leadership. Dharmic Leadership: In business organization dharmic leadership means the torch bearers as to the ethical practices to be followed by the subordinate. Dharmic leadership involves placing the satisfaction of employees as a key goal and developing company policies and processes around it. It involves creating an opportunity for employees to excel by taking the time to place the best people for the job. Based on love and a desire to uplift the quality of life for all, such leadership fully empowers individuals. Employees have an opportunity to not merely pursue economic gain, but also contribute meaningfully from the depths of their being to the organizations success. The new generations of leaders are not satisfied with wealth creation alone. The new leader is wealthy, balanced and wise. He is not a slave to technology but masters it to enhance the quality of life. The new leader seeks and promotes balance as a practical weapon to improve the bottom line, enhance material prosperity and increase the speed of innovation over long haul. Creating an environment that promotes balance will result in more productive, fulfilling, loyal employees. Leadership is personal: Managers have authority, by virtue of the structure of the organization and the positions they hold. The authority is to issue orders and to use resources, so that goals may be achieved. Leaders do not use any official authority. Gandhiji and Martin Luther King Jr. had no authority. They did not hold any official position. They exercised influence because the people accepted them as leaders. Both of them had what is called moral authority which comes from the identification of the causes the espoused, their integrity and their personal charisma. The leaders power over his followers is personal. Moral authority does not flow from the temptations (offer of rewards and incentives) or threats (to punish) that official authority uses. It does not flow from the legal basis of ones official position. It is powerful and lasts because it appeals to the heart. It transforms. It inspires.
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Responsibilities: In a business organization, a leaders responsibilities are three-fold. The first is to achieve the task. The job must be done and the energies of the subordinates must be directed towards that end. The leader of ISRO, i.e. the manager, should make sure that the organization is equipped with extensive and up-to-date library facilities with catalogues and application forms of most universities and their programs, thus helping in saving considerable time involved in the pre-application procedure. It is also difficult for students to receive scholarships, although there are some available. These costs must all be weighed against the initial saving in tuition fees and the students financial situation. The manager should be an expert in finding the right scholarship/financial aid which would help in reducing the cost of education. Compared to colleges and universities in the United States, many of the universities in other countries like U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Scotland, etc, have considerably lower tuition costs. There are hidden costs, however, such as currency exchange and travel expenses. Depending on the currency exchange at the moment, students may find themselves with a lot more money than expected, or a lot less and this changes daily. Managers should guide students to deal with these fluctuations in funding. They must also assist in systematic documentation and mock interviews to help students appear for visa interview confidently. It is important for managers to be regularly advised by the consulates about the latest Visa documentation and rules and have an extremely high success rate. Special care must be taken of booking flights well in advance to allow ideal departure dates, routes and also best discounts. Tie up with reputed Foreign Exchange dealers such as Thomas Cook ensures that students get competitive exchange rates and prompt services. Any student not satisfied on any count must be given the facility to write to or speak with the manager and the manger must immediately address the matter. The leader must make the organization the one stop solution for all the students international study needs. The manger of ISRO should train the staff in counseling, filling application forms and preparing documents like resume, essay, statement of purpose, etc. The counselors should also be able to assess the students English and other skills so that the Universities admission committees may consider their recommendations. They must follow up with the chosen universities and ensure positive and quick response including for the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service) process. The manager should let the staff know why they are doing what they are doing
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(objectives), how they are doing (feedback), helping them to do better (training or learning opportunity). This is the second responsibility. Employees work for many reasons. The most common reason would be that they would like to grow through what they are doing. Growing has connotations of becoming more proficient in ones chosen field of activity. They would put in their best when they see possibilities of such growth happening. The leader has to be concerned with this aspect at the work place. The third responsibility is to ensure that the group functions as a cohesive unit, as a team. Noncohesive groups are riven by suspicion, mistrust, jealousy etc, and are not productive optimally. Lost of energy and effort, of the leader as well as of the others, will be wasted in sorting out problems. In cohesive groups, there would be a lot of interaction between members, discussing work related issues, and sharing experiences, thinking through what is happening, looking for innovation that saves on resources, and so on. A good leader makes these happen. Between the three, achievement of the goal is the most important. That is the primary test. If the objectives are not met, the growth of individuals and the cohesiveness of the group become irrelevant. Persons are complex: A person comes to the work place as a total person with all the responsibilities and cares from his multiple roles. People are complex beings, operating simultaneously on several dimensions. The issues affecting them are physiological, psychological, social, economic, and power. All the five koshas or sheaths are in operation. The persons energy and motivation to perform the tasks exist within this complexity. Leaders have to understand these motivations. At one time, it was thought that the leaders success depended on his personal traits, like his intelligence, knowledge, enthusiasm, courage, maturity, honesty, trustworthiness, caring nature, determination to face difficulties and obstacles and so on. The Indian epics also refer to the traits that make a leader ineffective. They are: Ajnana or Ignorance which leads to lack of discrimination. Aviveka or Lack of Discrimination, which leads to conceit. Ahamkara, or Conceit which leads to attachment and hatred.
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Raga and Dwesha or Attachment and Hatred which lead to wrong direction.
Subsequent studies have shown that the traits of the leaders did not by themselves explain effectiveness. The willingness of employees to be influenced by the leader, depended on perceptions and understanding of the leader. It is an outcome of the interaction between the two. It is dynamic situation, in which the complexities of the two individuals as well as of the others in the group play significant roles. De-motivators: In the Ramayana epic, Rama advises Bharata against the following 13 behaviours as they de-motivate. Falsehood (Anrutham) Rage (Krodham) Intoxication (Pramadam) Delaying tactics (Dirghasutram) Not interacting with the wise (Adarsanam Gnanavatam) Not keeping confidentiality (Mantrasya Aparirakahanam) Prey to the five senses (Pancha Vritta) Laziness (Alasyam) Unilateral thinking and action (Ekachintanam) Misinterpreting good advice as useless (Arthanam anartha gnischa mahtranam) Not implementing decisions (Nischintanam Anarambhamam) Not using auspicious traditions, systems, etc (Mangaladi aprayogam) Picking up fights with all and sundry (Prathyuthanam Sarvatah)
A leader, who is seen to behave in any of the above manners, would command less respect. He will be seen as indecisive, self-centered, wasting resources, untrustworthy, undependable. No one follows a person who is seen to be like this. A leader has to earn the respect of his people, which would be based on the perceptions with regard to his expertise (he knows) and himself as person (sober, selfless, auhentic, bold, decisive, clear thinking, energetic, balanced and so on). These are judged from what he does.
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Leaders must have integrity: Peter Drucker, in his book Management Tasks, Responsibilities and Practice has written, A great leader is rarely warm. A good many have been icy. He is not often outgoing or affable; he tends to be austere and aloof. He has little empathy; he makes demands. A good many may not have a trace of charisma. But a leader always inspires confidence, always commands respect. Confidence and respect are given to people, not on the basis of their external appearances or behaviours, but on the basis of their characters as inferred from the external behaviours. The inference is the meaning made of what is seen. Issues of communication and perceptions arise. But it is safe to say that inferences will be positive, if ones actions (deeds) are consistent with ones thoughts and ones utterances. If any of these is not consistent with any of the other two, it is likely to be noticed and then the person becomes suspects. He is not trusted and he loses his ability to influence. Such consistency between thought, speech and action is integrity. Leaders must have integrity. Leadership needs character: The leader is one whom the follower is ready to follow. In this context, the three margas referred to in the earlier paragraphs are relevant. When the bhakti marga is practiced, the leader becomes the focus of trust and faith. To inspire confidence and command respect, character is necessary. Bhakti also implies a belief that the leader will take care of ones interests. The concern is taken for granted. He has also to be a person who can be approached for guidance, for expressing ones difficulties or just to find solace. Approachability is important. Thus, effective leaders: a) Mean what they say and know what they say. b) Become available for consultation and advice. c) Become available for support and help at times of difficulty. d) Listen to what is said to them and also to what is not said to them. e) Treat subordinates as worthy individuals. f) Consult subordinates before making changes in their work/ assignments. g) Come across as genuine and authentic. h) Show concern, compassion and forbearance.
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They do not: a) Try to bluff. b) Ridicule or insult either the person or his knowledge. c) Hesitate to point out errors or deficiencies of subordinates. d) Carry prejudices, encourage cliques or play favourites. e) Contradict themselves in stating priorities or giving instructions. f) Disown responsibility for knowledge of actions. g) Panic in difficult situations. There is a verse in the puranas as, Amantram aksharam nasty, Na aushadi vanaspati, Ayogya purusha nasty, Yojaka tatra durlabah. This means There is no word which is not a mantra; No plant which does not have medicinal qualities. There is no man who is useless. But an organizer is scarce. The organizer can mean a leader or a manager. The scarcity is because a good leader has to be one in control of self leading to clarity and vision. Being in control of self is the biggest achievement. He is a Yogi, in contact with the Self.
4.6 BLISS OR MOKSHA

The objective of life is the attainment of eternal happiness or bliss, which is moksha. This happens when one becomes aware that the pursuit of sensual pleasures is wasteful because those pleasures are transient. The happiness from having acquired knowledge lasts longer than the happiness of a first class in the University examination. The happiness of a high salary disappears when the job is not satisfying. Material pleasures do not last long. Beyond a point, they do not give pleasure. These are short term. Lasting happiness arises out of satisfactions that are not material. Ones mind prompts one to pursue the sensual pleasures. Man has the ability to reason, to discriminate between good and bad, because of his intellect. The pursuit of material pleasures happens because of the dominance of ones mind, over the discriminatory power of the intellect. Buddha has said If one conquers in battle a thousand men a thousand times and if another conquers himself, he (the latter) is the greater conqueror. (Dharmapada verse 103). Efforts are
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necessary to discipline the mind and to strengthen the intellect. The effort is called sadhana or upasana meaning meditation. Relevance of Gunas: Managers make decisions. Gunas influence and give direction to their decision. Tamasaics are likely to make decisions that are harmful even to them, unable to see the long term benefits and the effect on others. They do not see the larger good and are rooted in darkness. Sattvics are likely to make decisions that would do the maximum good to all concerned in the long term. ISRO could focus on the gunas of their personnel and arrange for interventions that would strengthen the sattvic. Basing on the satsang concept, one method would be to arrange meetings with sattvic personalities who could focus on the higher values. Another would be to provide opportunities for yoga and meditation, because both purify the mind and clarify ones vision. Spirituality: The use of the word God need not offend the non-believers. God may be interpreted as an ultimate, a power that pervades all things and all places, which is universally applicable to the whole world for all the time. We believe that there is an order of the Universe. We have faith that this order is Gods law and that it represents the ultimate reality. But we also believe that mans imperfections prevent him from even fully comprehending this reality in each specific situation that confronts him. We believe that as a result of this limited perception, finite man is constantly violating Gods law in some way. Inevitably, each of us is always inadequate to the full demands of whatever situation we encounter. From each of us, then, is demanded a continuing profound humility concerning the spiritual adequacy of our own ideas and actions. We believe that every business situation inevitably involves conflict of values. Man must strive with goodwill, for integration may involve compromises which frustrate the individual, because what he sees as right varies so sharply from what he realizes is attainable. We believe that forthright exchange of views between men, however divergent their values, provide an opportunity for more complete comprehension of Gods reality than any one man can achieve alone, however sincere his motivation or intense his application. Each of us, therefore, faces the obligation to seek and respect the ideas of others. Only in this way, we can augment our own inevitably fragment grasp of Gods reality. But the ultimate
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responsibility for decision is our own. Man should possess complete faith in the omniscience of the Creator and in the existence of the order in His universe. Implicit in the process, is the recognition that there is spiritual significance to every phase of mans work, be it in business or any other calling. The businessman who embraces this process must do so knowing that the way of faith is hard, rigorous and filled with continuous, humbling evidence of mans imperfections. ISRO are large organizations with large and growing number of staff. Sometimes a staff member may make a mistake, but that should be the focus of training or improvement as required. Shortfalls need to be fixed without making any excuses. Any student or parent, unsatisfied with the services provided or queries unanswered, must be encouraged to directly contact the concerned Branch Manager or Directors at the Head Office. God is the witness. He sees everything. And He will not allow the offenders to go scot free. He will take care of my interests. These thoughts are enough to moderate emotions and get along with the duties of life, without any let up on commitment. Thus God, gives one solace in difficult times, keeps one on the straight path of dharma without straying into misdeeds and gives courage to venture forth into new courses of action.
4.7 PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Effectiveness is related to the attainment of the objectives. When one achieves the desired or expected result, one is effective. Otherwise, one has failed. Therefore, the question of effectiveness arises only if there are objectives or goals. The circumstances or factors causing the failure do not mitigate the ineffectiveness. They may at best, avoid blame for the failure. The likelihood of being blamed and the need to avoid being blamed will arise only when working for someone else. When one is concerned with own goals and objectives, there is no question of being blamed. The circumstances or factors that caused the failure are important to provide data for learning to do better, to improve, in the future. Personal effectiveness is related to a persons individual goals or objectives. One must know what he wants to achieve, to become in life. Work is only a method to achieve those goals. Organizational objectives and goals are important. But they have to be in consonance with ones
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personal goals and objectives. Otherwise, the personal goals may gain dominance, affecting the organizational goals. Ones technical skills do not automatically ensure effectiveness in work. Ones felicity with language or clarity of thought does not ensure effectiveness in communication. One can be an excellent journalist, but not a good speaker or vice versa. Effectiveness depends on several other factors. A learned person is not necessarily wise. Knowledge and wisdom are two different things. Learning: One has to constantly strive to improve. To improve, one has to know the present status and also the desired status. If one becomes aware of a gap between the present and the desired and if the effort to bridge the gap succeeds, the person has learnt and will do better. His effectiveness would have improved. If there is no change in behavior, there is no learning. While desired status is entirely a matter of ones own decision and choice, awareness of the existing is not possible without feedback from others. All of us are largely ignorant of how others see us or of the impact that we make on other persons or events. We are partially blind to the effects and consequences of our actions. Others see them, they experience. If they tell us what they see and what they experience, we would have some better information about ourselves and that would be a basis to decide future courses of action. It is important therefore, that we be willing to receive feedback from others. It is not necessary that the feedback be accepted as valid. But the feedback should be received and examined for validity. Objectives are ultimately, the same for all people. They are in the areas of Happiness and Peace. These are states of mind. What gives happiness and peace, may differ from person to person. To some it is found in Excellence in ones chosen profession. To another it may be in ones Status. To some others, it may be Self Esteem, which comes from the regard others give and may be related to position occupied or for excellence at work or for helpful nature and Character. All these are again intangibles, difficult to measure, but quite possible to experience. Mind and Effectiveness: A person has a Body, an Intellect and a Mind. He works with his body. The body is the instrument of action. The intellect is the instrument for reasoning, for discrimination, to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong. All knowledge is in the intellect. The mind is the instrument dealing with feelings and emotions. The emotions that the mind generates at any time, decide the attitude, the energy, the drive and the motivation to do.
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Ones moods are created by the mind. All imagination and fantasy is made possible through the mind. It is the source of ones enthusiasm, ones creativity and of all innovation. If the mind does not concentrate and remain focused, the body cannot use the available knowledge and perform well. When ones Mind is disturbed or agitated because of some events like a major quarrel, or a tragedy in ones life, or the Mind is distracted by some other concerns, one will find it difficult to do what one normally does quite easily. One is not in the mood or one feels bored sometimes. There is at that time not enough energy to do, even if one knows that there is something to be done. On the contrary, there is extra energy to perform, when there is enthusiasm in the mind, there is eagerness or there is a spirit of challenge, to prove oneself. Ones potential is fully realized only when the Mind is acting fully in consonance with the Body and the Intellect. Effectiveness is thus related to the management of the Mind. One has to calm ones mind as part of an effort to improve effectiveness. An agitated Mind cannot concentrate and remain focused, except on matters relating to the cause of the agitation. Feelings or emotions like anger, jealously, arrogance disturb and create agitation in ones mind. Anger is extreme displeasure at someone elses doings. Jealousy is displeasure at someone else being better than self. Arrogance is the attitude that comes from thinking of oneself as being superior to others. They may not at all affect the person against whom these emotions are directed. But they remain in the person experiencing them, causing body changes relating to the experience of stress. They cause harm to self. They do not bring happiness. They cause distress. They cause more agitations and unsteadiness in ones mind. It is a vicious circle. They direct ones energies to the wrong ends. A clam mind makes a better assessment of the situation and decides on the available options for action. Just as one takes care of ones body through regular bathing and washing, ones mind also has to be washed, to be rid of all the dirt that accumulates through interactions during the day. The Mind is like a piece of clean white cloth that absorbs the colour into which it is dipped. It can be rid of these colours and made pure white, which is its natural colour through regular cleansing processes (Shraddha). This process is partly meditation and partly introspection. The cleansing would be to remove extremes of emotion like anger, jealousy, arrogance, greed, etc. The remaining whiteness would exude kindness, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, love, etc. Love is a very powerful emotion. When thought is based on love, truth appears. When action is
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based on love, right conduct results. When understanding is combined with love, peace exists. When feelings are based on love, non-violence is automatic. One technique to strengthen the whiteness of the Mind is to attend satsangs or spiritual discourses. These discourses appeal to the highest nature of the human mind on awareness of the oneness of all living beings, the need to do good and to be compassionate, to remain humble subjecting oneself to the all-pervading Energy that pulsates within all of us. Sharing of pleasures then becomes easy. One of the causes of extreme emotions in the Mind is Attachment. If one can be detached (Vairagya), the mind will be in a better state of balance or Equanimity. In this state of Equanimity, one is happy at anything good that happens and also sad when something bad happens. But one avoids the extremes of elation on one side and melancholy on the other. Neither success nor failure disturbs him unduly. He continues doing what he sees to be his duty. He remains humble and thankful to many others, persons and circumstances, which caused him to succeed. If he has not succeeded in his attempts, he does not become depressed and afraid of what might happen to him. He tries to understand the reasons for his failure, not to provide excuses, but to know the reality better and to know how to do differently a second time. He is aware that it is for him to do his duty and that the final result, success or failure, is not fully within his control. Interdependence: One must recognize that, both in organizations and outside in society, one is never independent. He is interdependent. Others are affected by what he does and vice-versa. If he does not do what is expected from him, his duty, someone else is going to suffer. His freedom is limited by the impact his actions will have on others. Even in a position of authority, he cannot do whatever he wants to do. He cannot be arbitrary. He is also not dependent, being passive and letting others be in control. To be dependent is to be immature, like a child, wanting a guardian or parent to make the decisions for him. A child is dependent and is not personally effective. In the context of Interdependence, one has to be assertive, not aggressive nor submissive. Aggressiveness results in attacking the other person, trying to cause injury and hurt. Submissiveness results in blaming oneself for inability to succeed. The aggressor kicks others. The other kicks himself. Both are unsatisfactory. The middle path is that of assertiveness, where
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one neither attacks nor avoids, but states his position clearly and firmly, regardless of whether he has his way ultimately or not, whether the other person likes it or not. One does not feel helpless. He does not accept a situation, which he finds not acceptable, without a protest. He thus retains his sense of worth. If he does not acquire this skill, he may either find himself being pushed around by others or creating a lot of enemies and hostile relationships. Because of ones interdependence, ones effectiveness is enhanced by his sensitivity to what is happening elsewhere. One has to develop this sensitivity, to become aware of how ones actions affect others, individuals and events. Persons, who have exceptional interpersonal skills, are those who have developed such sensitivity very acutely. They react to all the media of communication, the body language and make meaning even out of silence. They understand what is not said and also why it is not being said. They often anticipate what may happen. Only then, is it possible to control, avoid the undesirable and make the desirable happen consequences of ones actions. In the context of interdependence, ones measure of effectiveness is the nature of interpersonal relationships. Another aspect of interdependence is the obligation that every member of a group has to accept. That obligation is to support other group members. If this does not happen, the group does not become a team. It becomes a crowd, a mob, with collective energies dissipated in non-productive matters. When the members of a group interact supportively, trying to understand each others thought processes, etc there is a net addition to knowledge and collective strength. This is known as the principle of synergy. Every member has to contribute to derive the maximum benefits of synergy. Authenticity is an important aspect of ones effectiveness. To be authentic, is to be real, genuine, not playing games with people. This is an aspect of character. An authentic person thinks, says and does the same. He does not bluff, does not praise just to motivate people. If he praises, there would be an exceptional reason. If he is unhappy he does not hide it. Assertive people are likely to be authentic. Authentic persons build strong, trusting, supportive relationships with others. ISRO must make sure that they give institutions abroad quality students across diverse disciplines for Postgraduate, Undergraduate, Diploma and Short study courses. It is their responsibility to present only suitably qualified students, who are genuine and never present or
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condone fake documents or stories. Organizations should make efforts so that they can be relied upon to tell the truth and insist that students tell the truth too. They need to be a professionally competent company with strong internal check-and-balance systems. As a result of their reputation for sound business practices and proven track record for delivery, institutions would approach these organizations. On the other hand, Universities and institutions will be pleased with the fact that they get suitable and appropriately qualified students, who contribute to the Universitys diversity and enrich its classroom experience for all their students. It would be winwin all around! One has to take responsibility for ones actions. There are some who bask in the glory of success, but dodge the issue as soon as something goes wrong. They then try to pass on the blame for failure to the others. Such persons are seen as cowards and not respected. Their subordinates rate them as very poor mangers. Mature people understand that there is nothing wrong about making a mistake. People learn from mistakes. There is something wrong if one makes the same mistake twice. There is also something wrong, if the same mistake had been made before and the opportunity to learn had been lost. A person, who takes responsibility for his actions, does not depend on others to instruct him. If he checks with seniors, it would be for clarifications on parameters of policy. Even if the matter is outside his authority, he would not simply pass it on to the senior, but would make a clear recommendation for action. One takes responsibility for decision and for mistakes, only when he is clear about his bonafides. A person, who is concerned about approval from other, about the benefits that the decision will bring him, will not be able to see through the problem clearly. When there is fear and anxiety in the Mind, the thinking is clouded and confused. Having Confidence: A person who is not sure, keeps wavering, is indecisive is unlikely to achieve much. It is said that the man filled with doubt perishes. Rational analysis, which the Intellect is capable of, is one way to overcome doubts and get confidence. It requires realistic data, not affected by delusions of the Mind. Sadhana, or spiritual routines or disciplines, like Yoga, meditation, etc., help to remove the delusions and to remove the doubts. One is able to contact ones inner resources and arrive at right conclusions.
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Self confidence leads to self satisfactions which lead to self realization. The goal of all work is happiness. Works is in the region of grossness. Results are in the region of subtle experiences. The expectation of material benefits brings the goal also to the region of grossness and that can never be fully satisfying. We tend to hold strong opinions about people and events and these opinions are not in shades, but in black and white. When something happens the way we would have liked it to happen or someones behavior is not to our liking or expectations, we tend to be hypercritical. Nothing ever happens as we need or wish. Nobody, including self, is perfect. There is no straight line in nature. Everything is fractured, broken. To every negative, there is a positive and vice-versa. This realization helps us to maintain some balance. Look for some good in what you see as bad. Do not ignore the bad, but do not condemn it either. There will be some good in it. The result is likely to be more correct view. Hatred will give way to compassion and empathy. Criticisms will become helpful. Support for learning will become strong. Interpersonal relationships will strengthen, that is an indicator of personal effectiveness.
4.8 CRITERIA FOR ETHICAL EVALUATION

As stated earlier, values are unique and personal. They differ from person to person. Nevertheless, there are certain criteria, which can be applied in making evaluations about the ethical dimensions in any situation or action. Concern for others: First of all, the question of ethics arises only if the action in question affects another person. Where no other person is involved or affected in any manner, there is no question of ethics. There is nothing wrong or right, if one were to take a knife and cut his arm (may be to test his threshold of pain), but there would be an issue if someone else were to do it. It would be wrong if a robber did it. It may not be wrong if a surgeon did it. The concern for the other, to harm or to help, makes the difference. Words like exploitation, manipulation, taking undue advantage, etc, refer to unethical actions, which can happen only when there is no concern for the other. It is concern for others that drives for customer orientation, participative practices, safety precautions, etc. The manner in which an action affects the other person is the determinant of ethics. If the action in question helps another it is likely to be right. If it is likely to harm the other, it is likely to be
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wrong. Ethics is related to the extent of concern for others. Help or harm need not be physical. It could relate to sentiments, making feel good and cheerful, or making them feel bad and offended. It could be harmful or helpful to the interests of the other. ISRO should assist students in selecting the right universities, which are recognized worldwide, based on their academic grades, test scores, budget and specific preferences. They should deliver value added services at a nominal cost to students and parents. Students and parents should be assured a caring atmosphere. The staff/ counselors must be professionals, well travelled and highly trained giving ethical, non commercial advise; always for the students best interest. Once students approach them, they need not go anywhere else as all their needs must be catered to, Professionally, Efficiently and Ethically. This would give the organizations a sense of pride. Cheating and Trust: Cheating takes place when one does something different from the expectation given to the other person, explicitly or implicitly. A cheat persuades you to believe something, which is later found to be false. A customer who takes the signboard fixed price in a shop seriously, is being cheated, if another customer who bargains, is allowed a concessional price. Breaking promises and breach of trust are forms of cheating. Both cause harm. When funds raised from public are used in ways different from the statements in the prospectus, there is both breach of promise and breach of trust. Cheating is wrong only when it is deliberately done. If a person is given information, which turns out to be wrong, but was not known to be wrong by the person giving it, there is no cheating. Advice or action based on current knowledge or awareness cannot be described as unethical, even if it is subsequently found to have been misleading. Counselors can make genuine errors while processing the documents of students, like unknowingly sending them to a different university, or mistakes regarding the educational background of the student or personal details. There is no cheating here, however the errors should be brought to the knowledge of the university as well as students and rectify them immediately along with an apology. But if the counselor had, under pressure from someone, given false information just to secure an admission for the student because that would in return create money for the company, then the counselor has violated the trust placed on him/ her knowingly. This is cheating. There are many institutions in the foreign countries that merely offer degrees and no knowledge is imparted by them. These educational institutions have mushroomed around the world because of the rise in demand for
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quality education by the Asians and the Africans. Counselors must process applications in such a manner to ensure that only those institutions are applied that are in the best interest of the student and best suited to their profile. We trust a number of people in the course of our daily lives. We trust users of the road to adhere to the rules of the road. We trust the taxi driver has competence to drive his vehicle and that he will take us safely. We also trust that he knows the place we want to go to and will not take us for a ride around the town. We trust that the news printed in the newspaper is true. Without such trust, it is not possible for any civilized society to run. Breach of trust by any one of them can cause great harm. There would be chaos. Studying abroad is not merely about researching the net, filling in application forms and sending them to universities one has heard of. It is a complex process involving an array of questions, issues and formalities that need to be looked into, understood, completed and followed through. ISRO must always provide personalized attention to students and consciously seek to avoid an assembly line approach to counseling students. Keeping promises: Failure to keep a promise amounts to cheating. This is considered very wrong in the Indian tradition. There are proverbs in all languages that emphasize the importance of keeping ones promise. Pran jaye par vachan na jaye is the hindi version. The stories of Harishchandra, of Vamana and Mahabali and of Dasaratha (being compelled to hand over the kingdom to Bharatha and send Rama to the forest), all emphasize that a promise, once made, has to be kept at all costs. In the traditional markets of India, agreements to sell and buy were not reduced to writing. In many of the wholesale markets, one can find even now, negotiations being conducted through the fingers hidden (from the view of others in the premises, who may even be competitors) under a cloth. No words are mentioned. The deal, decided by the fingers, is sacrosanct and is not denied at any stage. There is no written contract. The practice in the modern markets of urban India may not conform to this level of trust. But many interactions are founded on the strong unchallengeable validity of a verbal agreement. To be found reneging on that invites condemnation. Promises are also implicit. A policeman on duty is bound by an implicit promise that he will protect the interests of the citizens.
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Many companies make claims that they are so far ahead of everyone; best trained and the most caring staff, best infrastructure and a reputation for honesty; for constant striving for excellence and innovation; that no one even comes close. Companies must live up to the promises made. Their philosophy must be that the student comes first. The counselors need to work hard to ensure that they help students make an informed decision about their study choices. It is important to make sure that the work done abroad will count towards the student's degree once they return to their home country. Duty: Doing ones duty is always right. A person not doing his duty is effectively going back on his promise and guilty of breach of trust. Duty comes out of a position one holds, whether out of choice or otherwise. It does not matter how it affects another person. A soldier fighting in the front or a personnel officer taking disciplinary action against an erring employee need not bother how it will harm anyone else. At times, when duty is not done, some one is adversely affected. Counselors should work with students to find out what suits them best. ISRO should be selective about the institutions they represent and ensure that they are genuine education providers and are government approved. Support must be provided throughout the application process - from helping to choose the best university available, making an application, applying for the visa, predeparture services (accommodation, student loans etc.). Counselors need to be trained in order to meet the benchmarks set by the company to ensure that they provide the best advice to students. Selfishness: Concern for others makes one unselfish. It is not wrong to benefit oneself. It is however wrong to benefit oneself at the cost of another. Nobody would proudly proclaim that he is selfish or self-centered. On the contrary, these words are enough to portray another as unworthy. There is nothing wrong about ISRO in competing with others in the market to promote ones sales, and gaining better market share. It would be wrong, however, to compete on the basis of spreading wrong information about the competitors services or trying to destroy the competitors working styles and distribution facilities. Not having concern for another is bad enough. If in the pursuit of ones goals, harm is likely to be caused to another, some may try to avoid it, some may be indifferent to it and some perhaps, may rejoice in it. These are three degrees of unethicality. But all are worse than the one who cares for the other, even at the cost of his own interests. Self-sacrifice or tyaga is a highly praised
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quality in the Indian tradition. It is often argued that no person can be unselfish. This is true to the extent that everyone seeks his satisfactions or happiness, in whatever he does. Nobody does anything that he does not like to do. No one deliberately does anything that will make him sad or unhappy. Social workers derive pleasure out of their deeds of helping the poor and the sick. Becoming happy or satisfied is not the criterion of selfishness. Selfishness centers around trying to acquire material possessions for oneself. People who want to know what they will get out of whatever they are about to do are being selfish. Humanity cannot survive if the environment is destroyed. No business can thrive, if the country is not healthy. No part of our body can remain healthy, if the body as a whole is sick. An organization that allows the environment to be damaged, in order to save costs, may show better financial results in the short term, but not in the long run. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, total commitment to student welfare; like they are their own children. ISRO must have a passionate insistence on ethical and professional practices, continuous investment in world class infrastructure, staff training, development and enviable software developed in-house to cover every conceivable parameter for assisting students comprehensively. Under competitive economy and ever changing environment the quality and performance of organizations determine both the survival as well as success of any enterprise. Intentions: Intentions matter. What is done is less important than why it is done. An action may be evaluated as unethical, because it caused harm. But if there was no intention to cause harm, the action is not wrong. If there is failure to keep a promise, because of some unavoidable intervening circumstances, the failure does not become unethical. If a person is given information which turns out be wrong, but was not known to be wrong at the time it was given, there is no cheating. Cheating is deliberate action. Sometimes, a manufacturer may become aware of the defects in the product only after it is already in the market. At that time, does he resist appropriate recompose, defend his company rationalize, explain away, deny responsibility or blame someone else? All these actions are worse than trying to rectify the error. A very ethical person would take steps to call back the product from the market, at the first hint of trouble, investigate the extent of damage that could
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have been caused and offer to compensate those who may have suffered as a consequence. It does not matter how far he succeeds. Intentions make the action ethical. ISRO need to have a strong Ethical Practice Code with a single-minded focus, to guide students to the best possible Institutions, thus enabling them to build their future. They are the steppingstones to the students future and remember that the students success is directly linked to the organizations success. The advisors should live by a strict code of ethics and a set of values that are not merely etched in stone but are woven into the very fabric of the organization. Respect for rights: People have rights to privacy, to information, to safety, to equity. Any action that violates any of these rights is unethical. Discrimination like reservation in admission and employment or in charges for various services is unethical, unless it is grounded on considerations of equity. Privacy is violated in a number of ways. The indiscriminate distribution of data available with various organizations, leading to unlimited junk mail on the Internet, telephone calls at odd hours offering various packages etc, constitute violations of the right to privacy. Attempts to tempt one to attend a seminar ostensibly to collect prizes that are said to have been won, but actually not, violate ones right to information, privacy and respect. Selections made by specialist panels, ostensibly on their own judgments, but actually on the basis of recommendations, constitute violation of the right to equity. They are also cheating. Operating practices different from pronounced policies violate the right to information and amount to cheating. ISRO should conduct generic seminars at numerous colleges and elsewhere to build awareness in the market of the necessity of sensible, and well-in-advance career pathway planning, as well as issues associated in navigating a global education space. They should dispel all the myths usually associated with study abroad and bring the concept of overseas education to the doorstep of every student, by making it affordable and devoid of cumbersome procedures. Organizations should be responsible for designing strategies that become industry norms over the years. There are various affiliations and accreditations that certify the credibility of the companies. They are:
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i) AAERI; Association of Australian Education Representatives of India.
ii) Singapore Tourism Board preferred Education Specialist.
iii) CII; Confederation of Indian Industries.
iv) FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
v) Preferred Trusted Student Agent Partner, UKBA (United Kingdom Border Agency) in India.
vi) NZIER (New Zealand International Education Representative).
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vii) Member of NAFSA (Association of International Educators). Organizations should be a part of all these as it advocates for Ethical practices and Professionalism. They must yearn to be trend and policy setters, who stand on their record within the student, parent, University and official community. All this in return will bring market recognition for being the leaders for setting ethical and professional standards in the industry, making it more difficult for agents to mislead, wrongly counsel or cheat students. Ethical issues are ambiguous!: While the criteria stated earlier would seem to be clear, evaluations of ethical issues often tend to become ambiguous. For example, it is clearly unethical to cheat. Charging a high price, in times of scarcity, is cheating. The black marketer does so. They are taking advantage of the customers compulsions and making undue profit. But then, what is undue profit and what is reasonable profit? There is no clear answer to this? Marketing principles state the price could be as high as the market can bear. Price should depend on supply and demand. There is also what is known as the skimming strategy, making as much profit as possible, before the competition catches up. Very often, the dimensions of a problem are not simple. The repercussions may be touching on many diverse social and economic issues. The longer term benefits must be given priority over short term. The demands of competition tend to focus on the immediate results. This is an extension of the styles of urban life, where there is competition every minute, e.g. for promotions and increments, for market share, for declaring profits and dividends, for fund raising, for sustaining shareholders support. Sometimes winning is not enough. Others have to loose. It is said that intentions determine whether an action is right or wrong. A bad judgment can cause serious losses. No one can be sure that his judgments and decisions are always right. If intentions were bonafide, it is easy to own up the bad judgment and to make amends. Some one with bad intention, i.e. with deliberate intent to cause loss to another, may claim bad judgment, in order to escape punishment after being caught. The boundaries of such issues are not clearly defined.
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Everybody agrees that corruption is killing our country. International agencies rank India among the most corrupt countries. Corruption takes many forms. A person who pockets a part of moneys entrusted to him for a certain purpose is being corrupt. Examples of such corruption are not confined only to the activities of the Government. Corruption pervades the private sector, as much as it does the public sector. In many organizations, however, no serious note is taken of such instances. They are sanctioned under proverbs like, The person who deals in honey will naturally lick his fingers. Ethical dilemmas: A dilemma exists only when there is a choice or option and the two available options are equal in weight. The choice may be between two or more actions or between To do or Not to do. If there is no choice there is no problem. If the relevant considerations for choice are valued-based, it is called an ethical dilemma. Usually such dilemmas arise because of the demands of two different roles in which one is placed. A police officer may face such a dilemma, when dealing with his son, who is a criminal. Employees bound by the requirements of confidentiality, will have the problem, when they see activities that are harmful to the society or the customers. Should they Blow the whistle and make the information public. Blowing the whistle is not free from risks. One will certainly lose the job. That is the least of the risks. It is also the experience that whistle blowers are heroes for some time, praised for their courage and public spirit. But they are forgotten soon afterwards by the public, but not forgotten by employers. They would be labeled as untrustworthy. The risk is not the only factor to consider in blowing the whistle. What does one do if the boss is seen to be misusing the facilities and resources of the organization? Is ones loyalty to the organization bigger than ones subordination to the boss? An incidental question relates to the whistle blowers appreciation of the situation. What happens if the seniors are already aware and have sanctioned the so-called misuse?
4.9 VALUE-ORIENTED HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT

The etymological root of the term holism or holistic is the Latin word holon meaning total, whole or integrated as opposed to fragmented or splintered. It is generally used to mean a total view. It can be looked from the following two approaches: (a) A Rational approach, involving a process of aggregation.
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(b) A Perceptive approach involving a process of synthesis. Rational is a bottom up approach putting together the fragments or components or constituent elements and thus construct the whole. The perceptive approach is a top down approach see the whole first and then go into the constituent elements. This is considered to be real holism. Value-Oriented Holistic Management is the essence of the Indian Management thought which has been enriched by the rich Indian heritage and culture; the way we have looked at life over the ages. Management based only on skills can never be total or holistic. It is beyond doubt that management based on values supplemented by adequate skills can only be holistic and that is why we have this concept of Value-Oriented Holistic Management. This time tested approach to Management can help stop the rot that has crept into individuals and organizations. Indianizing Total Quality Management: Sashkin and Kiser have defined TQM as Creating an organizational culture committed to the continuous improvement of skills, teamwork, processes, product and service quality, and customer satisfaction. TQM stresses three principles: customer satisfaction, employee involvement, and continuous improvements in quality, which some refer to as the quality trilogy. TQM is also said to be based on four fundamental commitments: 1. Commitment to the customers total satisfaction 2. Commitment to understanding and improving the organizations processes 3. Commitment to employee improvement 4. Commitment to data-based decision making Shared vision and values provide the foundation for making these commitments. Because the four commitments often require behaviour that is not customary to managers, in most organizations, unusual steps must be taken to ensure that workers and customers do not perceive the commitments as hollow promises. It is pertinent to note that it is values and value system that gives real meaning to TQM efforts. It provides the substratum or a solid foundation for TQM and elevating the capacity of people and organizations to produce extraordinary results on the basis of available material resources. In many ways, it teaches a worker to control the temptation of jumping into who is wrong? rather than concentrate on what is wrong? which is a core idea of TQM. Jnana Chaksu and the concept of Brain Stilling can help solve problems which
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otherwise seems to be beyond grasp of even the most well known problem solving tools. Karma Yoga of all workers in an organization will guarantee internal as well as external quality. Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam (excellence in work) guarantees total employee involvement. Indian ethos gives the key to effective motivation, which is a key requirement in achieving total quality. Quality of Work Life and Work Ethics: Work ethics refers to work culture. Work culture assumes that there is no question as to whether the work is ethical. Whatever work is assigned to a person, he must complete it dutifully and diligently and with a sense of dedication. Karma/work is considered duty and means for individual development and growth. The purpose of work is to bring out divinity and achieve growth and development, moreover all work/karma are 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 ones jurisdiction. Bhagvad Gita says Karmanye vadhikarasthe ma phaleshu kadachana. These are under law of nature. We can plan, organize and build a good strategy to perform our work but we cannot control the results, hence we should accept the results that come from laws of nature, just like we accept Prasad from temple. Traditionally the Indian concept believes that a person should do work, depending upon his ability. The experiences of action remain as impressions or vasanas- which lead a person to further actions. The Gita considers karma as duty or sadhana. Action is to be performed by dedicating it to the spirit (divinity) within. And whatever result/fruit comes is to be accepted as the grace of Prasad buddhi with equanimity of mind. The cultivation of Prasad buddhi towards the results of actions/work is karma yoga. It is only the right that leads to good results like perennial prosperity.
Why work? -To purify the mind and the heart (Chittashuddhi) and to become wise; to provide public benefit. What is work? -To nurture each other. It is form of Yagna, sacrifice. It is worship of the Divine. How to work? -With the spirit of renunciation (Tyag) and to serve others without self-interest. Spirit of work - Excellence and perfection in work. Ethics in work refers to the question whether the work is ethical or not. Ethics is concerned with the question as to what is right and what is wrong, and what is good and what is bad. It depends
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upon the values inculcated in a person. There can be no permanent values. What is ethical will depend upon person to person and culture to culture. Ethical dilemma arises only when there is a choice to be made. If there is no choice, the person may not hesitate in doing the assigned work. Golden Rule of Ethics: The following are the forms of the golden rule in ethics. Each of these forms the basis of all human values. These are the core values to change one first. 1. Everything you want others to do to you, you shall do to others. 2. Do not do to others that which you do not wish them to do to you. 3. Do not do anything to others that if done to you, would cause harm to you. Indian ethos and motivation: One of the important concepts of Indian management thoughts hovers around Swadharma- every person has certain innate abilities and whenever he practices any vocation purely based on his Swadharma, he is able to put his heart into the work, work tirelessly and always in search of excellence in what he does- under such circumstances he starts loving his work and his Vocation becomes his Vacation he never gets tired of his work. A person should select a vocation based on his inclinations; then if right action is performed in an excellent manner it will manifest the best of qualities in us. It will uplift the door and produce maximum happiness to greatest number of people. Thus the Indian concept of motivation is Self Motivation. A person may not be inclined to work due to various other inhibiting factors, and hence it is the managers duty to find out the innate capacities of his subordinates and give him suitable responsibilities and guide him so that he has a clear vision. It also talks of trusteeship- i.e. every employee is a trustee of what ever he handles and he tries to do it in the best possible manner in the best interest of all. Vedanta teaches how to bring out in man, how to manifest inner divinity in work, in behavior, in thinking and in doing. In Indian philosophy, therefore motivation is to be internal and not external. In fact, Bhagwad Gita is a story of motivation. Following lessons in motivation can be learnt from Bhagvad Gita: Patient Listening When Lord Krishna did not interrupt Arjuna and gave patient listening when Arjuna put forth his problems.
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Putting Stress on good point/ strength while removing Arjunas doubts. Discussing on intellectual level Showing the essence of Karma/ Duty. Showing the action plan to achieve the goal. Discussing the consequences of proposed actual plan. Indian concept of productivity: Productivity represents the search for even more output with either given inputs or relatively lesser inputs per unit of output that is it is ratio of output to input. Human factor is one of the input factors. Given the same number of persons employed to do a job, the productivity will entirely depend on his interest to perform the job which is governed by motivational factors. The Indian concept being self-motivation, no external factors affect the motivational levels. Greater is the congruence between skills of labor and technology employed better would be the productivity. Each organization and management is considered by Indian ethos as a living entity, having heart, soul and dharma. Productivity is the output input ratio within a time period. Productivity implies effectiveness and efficiency in individual and organizational performance. Effectiveness (ethicsin work) is the achievement of objectiveness. Efficiency (workethic) is the achievement of ends with the least amount of resources. The greatest opportunities for increasing productivity are in knowledge, work and management. Following are the ways by which International Student Recruitment Organizations (ISRO) can increase its productivity: Business ethics are the desired norms of behavior exclusively dealing with business transactions. Organizations are expected to pay taxes properly as also take care of the needs of the society. The organization should conduct a code of ethics which may be voluntary effort for self regulation and self conduct and is useful at all levels of management. It must be reflected in the thoughts, actions, speech and behavior of all members of the enterprise. ISRO should follow dharmic management which emphasizes wisdom in the managerial leaders and in the people of the entire organization. It should cultivate Total Quality Mind
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which is an Indian psycho spiritual process to practice working without greed with superordinate goal of lokhasangraha or world welfare. Total quality mind can provide a deciding factor of TQM in the objective of excellent quality to customers. Total quality mind is based on ethico-moral and spiritual values. Dharmic management prefers co-operation and discards cut throat competition leading to unhealthy rat race. Thus organization should practice ethico-moral model rather than the competitive animal model. Organizational productivity and working can be increased through karma yoga that demands Nishkama Karma i.e. renunciation of fruits of action and ultimately ego or sakama karma. Nishkama yoga emphasizes integration of head, heart and hands in our actions. Every thought, concept, calculation of the head has to pass through the heart and only it will pass to the hands to get itself converted into positive value based skills. Guna, Karma, Sanskaras theories of Indian ethos are related to selfevolution and self management and the sadhana of efforts needed for achieving perfection. Karma yoga can unite karma sadhana and dharma sadhana (giving values or ethics in works). Productivity can be increased with blending of western skills and management with Indian holistic value oriented management. Organization should articulate these values in their statement of mission, vision and values. The manager i.e. the sadhak should have the ability to transfer his team members into karmayogis. Managers are required only to remove obstacles, clear the doubts and understand the problems remove confusion of mind, which restrict man to perform. He should develop the team spirit among his members. In Indian philososphy work is considered as duty or sadhana. The main purpose is growth and development through lawful means. Each and every work is considered equally important. The top management should make effort in the organization to inculcate values. Value orientation should be a long term activity with the constant follow up and motivation through management. The three inputs Human resources, system and technology work in tandem and will reinforce each other and organization wanting to grow must simultaneously develop all the three.
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Indian wisdom indicates that productivity of human being is more important than plant capacity. Hence management should help the staff including counselors, trainers, accountants, marketing & sales people as well as peons to produce extraordinary results. Modernization of men is more important than modernization of plant.
Bhagvad Gita says about selfless work as Yoga of moral endeavor, selfless service to others. It says that one can get the results in accordance with his or her quality of work. Gita also stresses that one should do his/her duty without ego and without calculations of gains or losses. It is likely that by practicing the theory of selfless work, integrity, sincerity, efficiency and success can be achieved. Selfless work can increase the productivity of an organization. The Gita says, One cannot obtain anything without efforts, Efforts will never go in vain, There may be time between efforts and results but do not loose trust on efforts.
4.10 BENEFITS OF INDIAN ETHOS IN MANAGEMENT (IEM)

Principles of IEM are universally applicable. We need IEM in our management: (1) To develop proper management pattern, (2) To assure all round growth in productivity, marketing and profitability, (3) to gain worldly achievement and lead enriched quality of life together, and (4) To synchronize private and public benefits. The best management will be holistic and value driven united with skills. Such enlightened management can meet all problems and challenges of life in the 21st century. We need emotional stability, mental peace and harmony, together with material abundance. This is not impossible. IEM leads to management by consciousness. Managers new approach would be: From mere instructing to setting examples. From mere leading to empowerment. From mere mechanistic to creative. From mere power to responsibility/accountability. From rigid to open style. From intellect to intuition. From managing others to managing self. From tangible to intangible factors.
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From breaking whole into parts to unifying parts into whole. Ethical organization increases the confidence of the stakeholders as they will be assured of receiving their right share of profit and thus this would increase the net worth of the organization. The banks and other financial institutions would have full trust in the company of receiving their debts back. This would help ISRO to build strategic alliances with leading banks to ensure speedy processing of loans at lowest interest rates. The students and parents would have full confidence in the quality of the education, reputation of institutes and other cost and time saving services of the company like accommodation arrangements, discounted air ticketing, foreign exchange, discounted courier service, etc. The recruitment of the students would be purely on the basis of merit, knowledge, their academic and personal achievements, rather than the influence or contacts. By sending confidential assessment of the applicant and recommendations highlighting the students strengths to the universities abroad and also explaining reasons why they should be granted admission, the Universities Admission Committee will consider this in their decision and would willingly accept students, which in turn would increase the credibility of ISRO. The management would enjoy healthy relations among customers, clients and employees. There would be no dispute between the managers and the staff. The employees would be paid uniformly for the services rendered by the employees. The new employees would not hesitate to join the organization, as they would have job security. There would be harmony among the employees. The concept of Karma Yoga would effectively flow in the heart of the employees and workers. There would be higher productivity with the effective use of resources. The traits of dharma or integrity, e.g. courage, self-discipline, goodness, righteousness and all other essential and ethical values constitute the character of management/ organization just as they are of the individual character. They must follow their own dharma (collective heart/ soul), otherwise pay the price. A soulless company has no life. The spirit is the root or ultimate source of all values and character, which are the invaluable assets of the credibility and goodwill of individuals, organization and management. Business excellence is possible without compromising on integrity, quality and economy/ profitability. In todays world business is regarded as evil-tainted and unethical but it is not so.
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Business is sacred, a sadhana, it is a matter of attitude, approach and level of management consciousness. One can do business, make money, earn profit, build up property and even then it can be managed with due recognition to human and ethical values and respecting all persons in the society as human beings. Indian insight for management will evolve best management style. It has universal use. Spiritual and ethical values and holistic attitude help quality, productivity, progress, marketing, etc. Achievement and peaceful life, both are assured. We Indians have a very rich spiritual heritage but it is a matter of regret that we are drifting away from it, said Swami Jitatmanand, head of the Rama Krishan Mission, Vivekanand Memorial, Kolkata.
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5. CONCLUSION
It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a western beginning in business management will have to have an Indian ending, when the world adopts rich thoughts of Indian ethos and wisdom, if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race. Arnold Toynbee, Nobel Laureate. A highly respected philosopher has said that the seven sins of current times are (1) Business without morality, (2) politics without principles, (3) Education without character, (4) Worship without sacrifice, (5) Wealth without hard work, (6) Human existence without regard for scriptures and, (7) Devotion without austerity. Business houses are becoming big with control of large resources, human, financial and technical, which are not always used for purposes relevant or useful to society. In pursuing the emphasis on profits and shareholder value, there is fear that the concerns for the interests of the environment and the people at large are getting blurred. The strategies to meet the emerging intense competition are perhaps violating the principles of proper public conduct. There seems to be an urgent need to refocus on issues of propriety. The relevant issues relate to distribution of benefits, employment and other corporate practices, social impact of salaries and of life styles of the privileged, and so on. Studying abroad can be a life altering decision for a student. It is a decision that cannot & should not be taken in haste; a decision that should involve a lot of background research. It is widely seen that most of the students become very apprehensive while taking off to the foreign land. Various questions crop up in their mind while preparing for the study abroad like, How will I reach to my destination from the airport?; What about the permanent accommodation?; What about the bank account; Phone cards?; Will I get the part-time job? an many more During such moments, they always wish for someone who can guide them, support them and be with them on foreign land like a true friend! ISRO should provide students, from across India, fantastic opportunities for realizing their dreams of pursuing foreign education. They should give free introductory presentation on education for countries like Australia, USA, UK , NZ, Singapore, Canada, etc and give
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University or Course Counseling including admission procedures, visa procedures, financial requirements, loans, accommodation and other relevant information like assistance in travel arrangements, mobile services, pre-departure briefing part-time jobs, legal services and permanent residency. They should brief students on how to live in the respective country they are flying to, enable students to track the details of past students and also help the students to keep in touch with the current batch students flying to the respective country. Further they must provide free one to one session with trained counselors to discuss the cases in person. Taking into consideration, the academic track record of the candidate, their aptitude and future plans, the counselor should suggest the best course and the best university that meets the requirement of the student. Once the student selects the universities, they should forward the application, secure admission and then put up the visa file for the student. ISRO need to be ethical in their functioning and practices. They should sort out every students issues and help with their career and further education planning and never mislead or compromise the interests of both parents and their children. It is imperative that the companys staffs are superbly trained and remain updated globally, are professionally competent and manage to ensure smooth execution of the processes required for getting the job done! Consequently, they would become family consultants to entire families; siblings, nephews and nieces, distant relatives and others. The company will be well known and synonymous with developing processes and systems that ensure a perfect or near perfect fit of students with Universities. Thus, all students who use their services would end up at Universities those are best suited to their particular needs and emerge with enriching and life enhancing experiences. The use of Indian ethos in the management of ISRO would enhance the companys image in the market as well as in the society. An ethical organization is always very easily distinguished in the market and is looked upon with respect. Indian ethos is more vital to modern management than any other management theory for the simple reason that it takes into account a whole man approach rather than approaching man in a partial fashion as the other theories do. Each and every situation can be met effectively if one takes time to reflect over it. Reflection with a tranquil mind helps in drawing out solutions from within. Such guidance from within helps mangers look at the perceived problem situation in a creative manner. It leads to a more coherent and complete understanding.
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India belongs to collectivistic category in which co-operation and sharing are the basic ethics and human actions are governed by the giving orientations. Collectivistic managers are softness oriented. For them caring and sharing comes first. Such managers tend to take a highly humanistic approach to management and have a great ability to inspire people. By taking care of subordinates, they are able to ensure achievement for them. Indian culture is predominantly a spiritual and inward looking culture. It has socio-centric vision. The orientation of the spirituality dominated culture is that of welfare, the social good or the good of the greater members. Simple living and high thinking is the characteristic feature of our culture. Finally it can be concluded by saying Nothing can be greater than a business, however small it may be that is governed by conscience. Nothing can be meaner or pettier than a business, however large, without ethics and values.
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6. RECOMMENDATION
It is said that, Change is the only thing in this world that is Constant . I could not agree more. One should possess the skill of managing this change as that will help you to turn a new leaf in your life every time you adopt it. Each level of learning and experience has something new to offer and we choose what we wish to take from it. One can master this art of managing change only through proper management techniques. Higher education in India is being imparted by many colleges and universities. The state understood the need for professional and higher education and has taken vital steps for imparting higher education of high quality. There has been a strong effort to raise the educational level of the society by putting as much money as possible into providing educational institutions. It has to be emphasized that any country which does not have good university education will never be listened to as an independent country and will never be able to progress. Hence ISRO should start recruiting students for the educational institutes in Indian as well that provides a professional and career-focused education. This would retain our students who would build a better and developed India. We need more people in order to solve our material and spiritual problems; and education is the only way for getting over the ocean of problems we are in. ISRO cannot deny that its current status is due to the contributions made by the society at some cost to it; without enough educated professionals a country cannot move ahead. The organizations need to recognize that the society has paid to build the students recruited and the skilled workers employed by them. This is the debt that companies owe to society, which is an entity, including, but bigger than, all the other stakeholders. The debt to the society arises also from the premise that the resources of an enterprise (land, money, power, people, water) are of the society, belong to it and have been given to the enterprise by society, in preference to alternate demands for them. These contributions exceed in value and relevance than that of the shareholders. The expectation is that these resources will be properly used, not allowed to be wasted but made to grow for the development and progress of the nation. Profit is an indicator that the resources have been utilized properly. The benefits from the utilization of the resources
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must accrue, therefore, not merely to a few but the largest possible numbers in the society, directly or indirectly. In relation to the obligations of an organization to the society, there are two aspects. One is social responsiveness and the other is social responsibility. The former relates to helping the society to upgrade, develop and grow. Apart from sending students abroad, ISRO should also promote Indian education to students as it will help to create ingenious and proficient professionals who would build modern India through their contributions in industry, business, management, publishing, computer software, politics, medicine and others fields. These would be our star performers who would bring honor to the nation as well as build a prosperous future for their motherland. They would also help the corporate and public sector enterprises for the development of new products, processes and technologies for economic and social revolution of India. In the past, a majority of students enrolled in the US stayed on after graduating but now, with the Indian economy booming, more and more are returning home either immediately on finishing their studies or after gaining some work experience. The return is facilitated by multinational companies and research laboratories setting up offices in India. Social responsibility or social impact is related to the impact that a companys activities has on society. This is not easily noticeable and tends to be ignored. But it is of as much significance as socially responsive activities, in the development and growth of society. Earlier students felt that Indian institutions do not have a postgraduate diploma/degree that gives learning and working experience together at the same time. Hence ISRO would attract Indian students and encourage them to study abroad with incentives such as opportunity to live in multi-cultural world, internationally acclaimed qualifications, language immersion, independence, better standard of living, future job prospects, chance to experience a country's vibrant art and culture and a place where a student can truly make an international connection and gain maximum experience. The real loss is for the country that spends a lot on these talented young students. We must not dissuade students from going abroad. However, we must point out that educational standards in India are also improving. One may not need to go abroad in order to earn a degree. For example, a university located abroad would certainly give the degree in computer science but if the same degree is earned in India then he would be saving a lot of his financial resources. The
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educational institutions in India have well-developed programs to ensure that students get off to the right start. The education system also matches student's skills with the need of the industry. Students are attracted by the inventiveness, the flexibility and the uniqueness of the various programs available, the excellence in teaching and course delivery. Although the educational system abroad is pragmatic and builds careers of the youth, but at times they too are of poor standards and have no market value for getting a good job. It is not linked with Indian industry and business. This lack of continuity between the two major engines of growth has proved to be harmful for our national economic and industrial growth. Moreover, though India is seeing a large percentage of its students traveling abroad to study, most see themselves returning home once they finish their studies. Education should be planned keeping the requirements of industry and business in mind. ISRO can also recommend the government to encourage and invite foreign universities and institutes to start their campuses in India or have affiliations with institutes here so that Indian students can gain an international degree at a relatively affordable cost. Many universities abroad are offering courses that allow the students to attend academic sessions in the foreign country for one year or so. The rest of the academic curricula are completed by the students in India as those universities have liaison offices or affiliated colleges in India. This is a good concept and should be appreciated. Indian education scenario is changing and we have professional courses and institutions in India as well. For its part, India also trains a few overseas students. Many African leaders, including presidents and prime ministers, have earned degrees from Indian universities but the number is rather small. With some effort India can emerge as an attractive destination for students not only from developing countries but also the more advanced. Rahul Chhabra, press minister for the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., notes that "In a globalized economy, young people tend to gravitate towards countries that offer the best opportunities for their talent. India is a growing economy in attracting both Indian and foreign talent." Chhabra anticipates a future when India can fully accommodate its own academic force, as well as develop into a draw for foreign students and professionals from around the world. Dependence of any business on its social environment is so complete that the very existence, survival and growth of any enterprise depend upon its acceptance by the society who provides all
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the resources. If it outlives its utility to the society, it has no place and reason to exist. Today we need to insist on social responsiveness and awareness, meaning the willingness and ability to relate plans, policies and practices to the social environment in such a way that these are mutually beneficial to the organization and society. The social responsiveness implies actions and right now of the prompt responses of the management. The current trend is in the companys involvement in social actions. The mission and vision of a corporation expresses such deep involvement in social actions to improve the quality of life in the society. An enterprise must live in and interact with, as a responsible enlightened citizen in the society. In an age of fast changing and turbulent environment, proactive management is demanded to meet challenges of change in the society through wisdom, leadership and learning organization. Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer service to Me, bow down to Me, and you shall certainly reach Me. I promise you because you are very dear to Me. (Bhagavad Gita).
7.
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ANNEXE
8.1 MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP THROUGH SASTRAS: by Dr. M. B. Athreya
The word Sastras is a catch-all term covering a wide range of philosophical, religious, scientific and social texts. Examples are Upanishads, Ramayana, and the Arthasastra. Similarly, the field of management also has wide ramifications. It covers a variety of functions- marketing, manufacturing, materials, finance and human resources; and draws from a range of disciplines mathematics, economics, accounting and psychology. Sastra Source: Among the better known sources of Sastra teachings are the following a. The four Vedas Rg, Yajur, Sama, Atharva b. The Upavedas Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Ghandarva Veda, Arthasastra and Kalasastras c. The Darsanas, or schools of philosophy, such as Sankhya, Yoga, Vedanta and even the atheistic Charvaka. d. The Epics, such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavatam e. Upanishads f. Puranas Artha Wealth creation: The core function of business was to help society create wealth through manufacture, domestic distribution, foreign trade, financing and other such related activities. The Arthasastra of Kautilya and the Dharmasutras of Brihaspati, Yajnavalkya, Narada and Sukra refer to economic organizations. Of particular interest is the Sambhuva Samuthana, a business undertaking in which people joined together, contributing capital, labour, or both. There were provisions for simple and complex partnerships, as well as temporary and long term ones. Acquisition of wealth was also recognized as a legitimate human objective. The value was inculcated through Subhashitani slokas, such as Kshanasah kanasah cha ev vidyam artham cha sadhayet (acquire knowledge by the second and wealth by the penny). Kama Material Needs: Business had the role of providing the goods and services to enable people enjoy another legitimate life objective kama or desire for sense enjoyment. Business in ancient India produced and distributed a variety of goods including sugar, edible oil, textiles, fisheries, jewelry, furniture, pots, etc.
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Dharma Ethics: In ancient India, organizations were expected to be profitable and viable, though their core objective was sarva loka hitam (well being of all people). The work of business was seen as dharma karya, righteous contribution. In the post capitalist and post communist world we are returning to a similar social market economy concept, meeting the expectations of all the stakeholders. Moksha Transcendence: An important part of Vaisya dharma, according to Arthasastra, was dana, philanthropy. Business enabled citizens to move towards moksha by facilitating their going through a phase of satisfying kama. The businessman moved towards his moksha by serving society first in wealth creation and later through his philanthropy. This took the form of building schools, temples, tanks and other such socially useful assets. Managerial Leadership: Leadership roles in modern business can derive useful guidelines from the Sastras. They can draw many useful lessons from the role model of a good king, as enjoined in the scriptures. There are profound messages in the Bhishma Yudhishtra dialogue in the shanty parva of the Mahabharata and in Ramas advice to Bharat before setting out on his 14 year exile. There has been a strong movement around the world for professionalization of management. This puts a great responsibility on the managers. The core teaching for them from the Sastras is to follow Sreshta dharma or the righteous conduct of elite. Work Culture: In the present context of liberalization and globalization, this is perhaps the issue of greatest concern to Government and industry. Sastras have many injunctions to offer. Task Orientation: There was constant emphasis on work, effort, endeavor. Udyogam purusha lakshanam. (Effort is the hallmark of a man). Ma te sangostu akarmani. (Do not associate with inaction). Work Standards: Sloppiness and shoddiness were not acceptable. Yogah karmasu kausalam. (Yogah is excellence in action). Excellence has many dimensions including productivity, quality and service. Harmony: Avoid destructive enmity and conflict. Mavidvishamaha (May we not quarrel). Yogah samatva uchyate. (Yogah is balance). Do not take extreme positions
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Perspective: The word detachment is often misunderstood for fatalism and resignation. Our scriptures counsel dynamic action, but with a perspective and without crippling anxiety for results and rewards. Karmanye adhikaraste, Ma phaleshu kadachana. You have control over your actions. The end result will be affected by some additional, environmental forces. So, focus your energy on good competent action. The probability of success will be higher that way. Discipline: The focus was primarily on self discipline and failing that on external discipline. Atma eva bandhuh atmanah ripu eva cha (The self is the friend, as well as the enemy of the self). Atmana Atmanam avasadayet (Save yourself by yourself, from destructive behavior). Self-Management: If one were to look for the distinctive competence, core competence, unique selling proposition of the Sastras, it is the systematic model of self-management. It is well recognized that while western thoughts focused more on the external world, Indian thought began with a deep understanding of the Self and then related it to the cosmos. Self Awareness: The injunction is Know Thyself. Among several related answers are the following. Aham Brahmasmi (I am that universal soul). Tat Twam Asi (You are that immortal reality of the cosmic universe). Drives: Understand and moderate your drives. Do not repress them. Allow them scope in legitimate ways. Then transcend them. Further on, transmute the energy of the drives to nobler causes. Reduce Tamas sloth, inaction, negativism, cynicism, fear, anxiety. Convert Rajas raw, aggressive, egoistic, turbulent energy into Sattva refined, highly efficient, focused, calm, harmonizing, socially binding energy. Rajas de-energizes others. Sattva triggers others energies in the right directions. Life Cycle: Graceful transition through the four state of life cycle. They are Brahmacharya (scholarship), Grihasta (householderhood), Vanaprastha (disengagement) and Sanyasa (renunciation). Some of our family business and corporate succession problems arise from the reluctance of elders to move on to Vanaprastha and make way for the next generation. Self Enrichment: Economics and management science have recognized that firms have great difficulty maximizing profits. Individuals do not maximize utility. Thus the Sastras offer
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unlimited scope to enrich oneself in multiple dimensions. The Self is an ever expanding set of concentric circles and awareness is the key to open the door.
8.2 IDEAS AND THOUGHTS OF INDIAN ETHOS IN MANAGEMENT REVEALED BY OUR ANCIENT SCRIPTURES:
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. 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.
8.3INDIAN QUOTES
When the last great scorer comes to write against your name, he writes not that you had won or lost, but how you conducted yourself in a just and equitable way in the game of life = Rg veda. Man is made by his beliefs. As he believes, so he his = Bhagvad Gita With the conquest of my mind, I have conquered the whole world = Adi Granth Japji
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By inflicting pain on others, he who wishes his own happiness, is not released from hatred, being himself entangled in the tangles = Buddha Karma is not a never-ending chain. It is a chain that can be broken at any time. What was done yesterday can be undone today. There is no permanent continuance of anything = J. Krishnamurthy Subdue pride by modesty, overcome hypocrisy by simplicity and dissolve greed by contentment = Samanasuttam He who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good = Rabindranath Tagore If a teacher is indeed wise, he does not make you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind = Kahil Gibran Yoga consists not in frequenting tombs or cremation grounds, not in falling into trances, nor lies in wandering about the world, nor in ritual bathing. To live immaculate amidst the impurities of the world this is true yoga practice = Adi Granth Raise yourself by yourself. Do not allow yourself to be weakened. For you are your own friend and you are your own enemy = Bhagwad Gita Desire is a chain shackled to the world and is a difficult one to break. But once that is done, there is no more grief and no more longing. There are no more chains = Sutta Nipata The best of the men are those who are useful to others = Hadith of Bukhari Without selfless service are no objectives fulfilled. In service lies the purest action = Adi Granth God does not look at your forms and your possessions, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds = Hadith of Muslim If, for my own sake, I cause harm to others, I shall be tormented in hellish realms. But if for the sake of others I cause harm to myself, I shall acquire all that is magnificent = Shantideva Being ethical reduces transaction costs. Customers, investors, employees believe that you will deliver. Trust reduces transaction costs = Nandan Nilekani Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds = Buddha Whenever the mind unsteady and restless strays away from the spirit, let him ever and for ever lead it again to the spirit = Bhagwad Gita
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8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) S. Balachandran, K.C. R. Raja, B.K. Nair; Ethics, Indian Ethos and Management; 2nd Edition; Shroff Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd. 2) R. Subramanian; Indian Management Thoughts & Practices; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 3) Edmund Learned, Arch Dosley, Robert Katz; Ethics in Practice; Harvard Business School. 4) Dr. P.K. Ghosh; Indian Ethos in Management; Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research. 5) S.A. Sherlekar; Ethics in Management; Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research. 6) A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada; Bhagavad Gita As It Is; The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. 7) www.theindiansabroad.com 8) www.universityworldnews.com 9) www.impeloverseas.com 10) http://www.oshobuddhaquotes.com/upanishads-quotes-upanishads-sayings-quotes-fromupanishads/ 11) http://www.successconsciousness.com/bhagavad_gita_quotes.htm
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God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. Thank God for what you have, Trust GOD for what you need.
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Applications of Indian Ethos in Management

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Applications of Indian Ethos in Management

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Applications of Indian Ethos in Management