A teaser from Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Managemnet

Contents of Business Sutra by Devdutt Pattanaik

Why does the output seem so much Western?

You are prejudiced!

And the only way to prove I am not, is by agreeing with you, right?

To be globally acceptable your

ideas must fit into a secular rational

framework based on mathematics, logic

and evidence.

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Belief GAZE Behaviour Business

GOAL

Management science begins here

Business Sutra begins here

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Goal-based

Management

Mythology

WEST INDIA

Gaze-based

Journey of this book

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OrderHow?

They are speculativeI am pragmatic

TruthWhat?

They are exoticI am objective

PeaceWhy?

They are obsessed with thingsI am focussed on thoughts

INDIA WESTCHINA

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West India

Pre Industrialization

Cold War

Early recession

Late recession

Industrialization

Source of luxury goods

The other

Outsourcing hub

Potential market

Source of raw materials

Matrix Feudalism (based on communal

authority, not on royal or religious authority)

Democratic Socialism

Democratic Capitalism

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Brahmana-jati….priests

Kshatriya-jati….land-owning aristocracy

Vaishya-jati….traders

Shudra-jati….labourers, artisans

Dominating

Denied water, dignity, touch

Caste pyramid.Fixed at birth

Dominated

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Brahmana-varna….unconditional leader

Kshatriya-varna….conditional leader

Vaishya-varna….conditional follower

Shudra-varna….unconditional follower

Fluid mindsets. Expands with wisdom

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Rules…compliance…systems…audit….rules…processes….professionalism

Target

Task

Whose vision?

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West

India

China

Greek individualism

Biblical collectivism

Taoist harmony

Confucian ritualism

Hermit House-holder

India is a problem that needs to be

solved.India is chaos

that needs order.

India is diverse. The world is diverse. Focus less on goal and more on gaze.

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devata

Yagna

svaha

tathastuyajaman

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Belief

Behaviour

Business

Darshan (gaze)

Guna (personality)

Varna (mindset)

Bhaav (feeling)

Svaha (investment)

Tathastu (return oninvestment)

Does Lakshmi walk your way?

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Kama’s Vision Statement

Drishti, observing objective reality

Divya-drishti, observing subjective reality

Darshan, observing the subject

Yama’s Balance Sheet

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Not hungry Not hungry

Not hungry

Not hungry

Not hungry

KailasNo grassonly snow

Ganesha’s rat Shiva’s snake

Shiva’s bull Durga’s lion

Kartikeya’s peacock

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Indra

DakshaVishnu

Shiva

Tathastu

Svaha

I do not need to give or take

I will give but I do not need to take

I will give and take

I will take but not give

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Obey?

Decide?

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I don’t want to be a part of society

Oh, come on!

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Shareholder

Entrepreneur

Manager

Executive

Customer

Yajaman

Yajaman

Yajaman

Yajaman

Devata

Devata

Devata

Devata

Sattra

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Divya-drishti, observing subjective realityRulesProperty Stability

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I am secure on my throne as long as

they fight amongst themselves

I am the second in command I am the second

in command

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The gaze can be cruel or caring

Yashoda: the caring parent who punishes mistakes regretfully and reluctantly, for she believes her son

can do better

Gandhari: the uncaring righteous parent who frowns

at mistakes

Krishna

Ravan

Ram

Duryodhan

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They do not distract him.

I feel powerful

I feel nourished

I feel safe

I feel valued

He sees me.

Everyone seeks a caring gaze

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I imagine myself as a goat. But he turns away from me.

He thinks I am a tiger. Who is right?

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My growthYour growth

Yajaman Devata

YajamanBhagavan

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vana-vaas forest-exile

No status Just another animal

Existential angst: who am I?

Assault Assault Assault

Social body Physical body Mental body

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Hunger for wealth….fear of (imagined)

starvation.

Hunger for power…fear of (imagined)

predation.

Hunger for identity…fear of

invalidation.

artha-shastra = philosophy

Why do I really chase the goal?

artha-shastra = economics

artha-shastra = politics

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What you get What you give Type of tathastu

Lakshmi

2.

3.

1.

Durga

Saraswati

Lakshmi

Lakshmi

Lakshmi

Dakshina

Bhiksha

Daan

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Devata

Karya-karta

Karta

Yajaman

Bhagavan

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