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TYBMS- “A” Submitted to: Prof. Mr.B.K.Nair BY:- 02-Neha Agarwal 15-Binaifer Bodhanwalla 16-Dhaval chheda 21-Rajiv Dadia 24-Mansi Desai
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Dharma Imtp Presentation

Aug 31, 2014

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Page 1: Dharma Imtp Presentation

TYBMS- “A”Submitted to:Prof. Mr.B.K.Nair

BY:-02-Neha Agarwal

15-Binaifer Bodhanwalla

16-Dhaval chheda

21-Rajiv Dadia

24-Mansi Desai

57-Prerna Mascerenhas

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IntroductionThe Concept of Dharma

Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna that one's duty is of paramount importance, for it is the means to fulfill the purpose of life. That which supports the fulfillment of one's duty is called Dharma. Dharma is not comparable to religion; it encompasses all the dimensions of life. It refers to duties done harmoniously, skillfully, selflessly and lovingly. It supports one in fulfilling the purpose of life and helps one to relate to others and to society in a harmonious way.

But Dharma does not only mean fulfilling one’s duty. The word Dharma is derived from the root “Dhr” which means to uphold. Thus Dharma means to uphold one’s duty, to uphold truth at all times. Thus whosoever speaks the truth is said to fulfill their Dharma. This one point is constantly referred in the Mahabharata, where Bhishma Pitama mentions that those who are on the side of truth in the battle of Kurukshetra are on the path of Dharma. Bhishma Pitama also mentions to Yudhistira whatever creates conflict is Adharma (antonym of Dharma), and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma.

Dharma therefore means to be on the path of righteousness. Those following such a path are at all times in sync with the truth. Ideally the aim of Dharma is to make one reach Moksha or Nirvana or self-realization and in this process Dharma aims to elevate the characters of men.

The rules of Dharma have been laid down for regulating the worldly affairs of men. Dharma is the means of preserving one’s self. If you violate the law, it will kill you. If you protect it, it will protect you. It is your soul companion after death. It is the sole refuge of humanity.

Dharma is classified into Samanya Dharma Visesha Dharma

Samanya Dharma is general and Universal Dharma and Visesha Dharma is specific and personal Dharma.

Elements of Samanya Dharma1. Contentment (santosh)

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2. forgiveness3. self-restraint4. non-stealing5. purity6. control of senses7. discrimination between right and wrong, as also between the real

and the unreal8. spiritual knowledge9. truthfulness

10. Absence of anger comes under the general or universal Dharma

Visesha Dharma includes duties toward one's birth, age, family, society, career, job and spiritual life

Thus Dharma shows people the correct path to follow throughout their lives. It is an unwritten law that guides man in conducting himself with good behavior. This is why Dharma is so vital. The teachings haven’t withered with time but the same has only gotten stronger.

Dharma and Karma

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We should avoid even the smallest negative actions, and we should perform even the most insignificant positive actions without underestimating their value. The reason for this is that the happiness we all want and the suffering we all try to avoid are produced precisely by our actions, or karma.

The Dalai Lama, a Flash of Lightening in the Dark of Night

Source: http://www.buddhism-blog.com/karma/index.html

All religions of the world have certain commonalities in them. One such commonality is not to commit any sort of sins or crimes. Society has made rules and regulations to ensure that all those committing such action are going to be met with justice.

Sins are negative actions for which there will be negative repercussions. Similarly there are positive deeds that one is always expected to do. Such deeds lead to positive repercussions. They say your action decides your future. The kind of consequence one faces purely depends upon their action. Thus the concept of Karma says that one must at all times continue pursuing what he/she is supposed to do. One must ensure to try and do things which lead to a positive consequence. Consequences of actions are known as Karamphala. A positive Karamphala is Poonya and a negative Karamphala is known as Paap.

According to Hindu Scriptures, the life a person lives is based on his/her past actions. The present will shape the future. Thus the law of Karma always advises people to ensure that at all times they’re trying to make a positive difference in their daily lives by which everyone benefits.

“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 one’s own destiny. Action or Karma is the route”

Source: Ethics, Indian Ethos and Management, Page 99

Popularly it is said that one must not worry too much about the results but must continue doing what they’re supposed to do. Students are supposed to study, doctors are supposed to diagnose etc. No matter

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what the work one has to do, one must make sure that it is done with utmost sincerity, wholeheartedly and lovingly.

These are the elements of Dharma as explained by Shri Krishna to Arjuna. This is where Dharma and Karma come together. Where there is dharma you cannot avoid karma. Karma does not exist independently of dharma, and only dharma makes karma work. The concept of karma is that if you go against dharma, you have to pay the price for it.

Even Gods and kings get affected by their Karma. According to the Ramayana, the great Ravana, king of Lanka also had to face the repercussions of his karma. The result of his sins was his death at the hands of Lord Rama.

Therefore if kings cannot escape the results of their past actions, what can be said about us mere mortals? The aim of life is to perform your work in a way by which positive deeds are created. For that to happen one must at all times be on the path of righteousness. That is Dharma.

Karma bound by Dharma, leads one to happiness and bliss. The objective is to achieve Moksha or self-realization.

The rest of the world may not know this but Karma can be seen everywhere. Today, some companies are successful is because they have done work in the past which has led to positive consequences that has proven beneficial for companies, stakeholders and society.

The Tata Group built Jameshedpur and set up industries there, that was positive Karma.

Sony made a contribution to change the perception of people in the 50’s of the brand Made in Japan. This has proven to be beneficial for Japanese industries. This is also positive Karma.

Companies need to inculcate the teachings of Dharma and Karma in order to bring scientific changes in their management whereby performance and behavior of employees is guided by these teachings.

Different people have different duties by virtue of their positions. This concept is known as Swadharma. This is what companies need to understand and can be used as a strong HRM tool where by each and every employee’s role becomes well defined.

Corporate leaders can very well use these concepts of Dharma and Karma to build characters of their employees. Such concepts can help companies build on a long lasting reputation in industry and society.

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They can position themselves as the company that is on the path of righteousness.

Source

Websites

www.hinduism.co.za/dharma.htm

www.avgsatsang.com

Books

Bhavan’s Journals

Ethics, Indian Ethos and Management

Suggest specific strategies to practice DHARMA in Corporates .

Thanks to an enlightened mindset, the bottom line is not the sole criterion that fires corporate thinking these days.

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There is a clear crosscurrent based on Indian ethos and eastern spiritual values that's quietly pervading boardrooms across the globe. The grit and gumption of Oriental nations is creating a strong undercurrent that's holding back western domination of markets. Japan led the way. Now it is the turn of China and India…

Modern management is increasingly adopting Vedic precepts to stay in the race for market share. The Vedas are a systematic and formulated study of the science of life. Vedanta literally means the end (anta) of knowledge (ved).

Says Anuj Bahl of Logic Control: "Indian ethos is more vital to modern management than any other management theory for the simple reason that it takes in to account a 'whole' man rather than approaching man in a partial fashion as the other theories do. Each and every situation can be met with 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 a manager look at the perceived problem situation in a creative manner. It leads to a more coherent and complete understanding."

Advaita Vedanta (monism) advises us that we should determine our goals, identify our capabilities and focus our actions upon the goals. Vedanta identifies key areas where man suffers on various fronts due to the ignorance of various laws of life and nature. Such ignorance leads to a loss in physical and mental energies causing tremendous damage in the effective implementation of the decisions and actions of an individual.

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The first point we need to understand is the importance of reducing the Ego as it fosters self-centered, separatist tendencies. A practical way to control the ego at the workplace is to emulate what the public relations company IPAN (Indian Public Affairs Network) does. Here the staff's visiting cards do not mention their designation, simply the names. This goes for the CEO, Rajeev Desai too. In this manner a misplaced sense of hierarchy is discouraged and though every executive handles a certain number of clients only, each is in principle responsible for all.

As we all know, human desires never end. And as salaries, aspirations, expectations, workloads, work hours and deadlines rise, the body and mind of employees across all levels of the spectrum are increasingly coming under strain. Putting in 16 to 20 hours a day is not uncommon in IT, foreign banking, advertising, public relations and some segments of the media. While this may boost company profits, there are unwanted consequences for management and employees alike. The primary one is that hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, nervous breakdowns, viral infections, cancer and other stress-induced ailments are making a much early appearance with more alarming frequency than in previous generations.

"External situations only mirror what employees are within.”

If employee lives are unwholesome, distressed, imbalanced, disintegrated and out-of-sync with the laws of nature, the external situations for themselves and their organizations cannot be otherwise."

To protect bottom line interests, corporates are hiring consultants to help safeguard and promote the well being of employees. In tackling stress-induced ailments, New Age practices such as yoga, meditation, Vipassana and prayer are finding wide acceptance

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Dr. M.B Athreya (management consultant) says that in many companies these workshops are open to all employees, and even unions.

In fact, sometimes it is the managers and senior executives who are gyaan paapis (resisting the light of knowledge). "The utilization of New Age principles has brought balance in the minds of union leaders about their broader responsibility to stakeholders, including society. Thanks to this thinking, at least some workers refrain from making populist demands on their representatives. Line executives acquire more compassion in their human relations. The relationship between line and personnel managers moves towards cooperation."

Dr. Athreya also says that at the top management level the ideas of organizational dharma, including social responsibility and good corporate governance, are finding global favor. Companies using such principles are the Godrej group, the Vardhaman group, Indian Oil Corporation, Lupin Laboratories, Excel Industries, Yash Paper, Eicher, et al.

This is a line echoed by Vikas Malkani spiritual guide and author. Malkani says that the social aspect is increasingly being accorded more prominence. Whenever the me-too syndrome has consumers confused about which brand to opt for, they will gravitate towards companies that have fostered an image of responsible corporate citizens by supporting social and environmental issues. What we in India term "public service" promotions. Here, the Tatas, Godrej, the Birlas and others have exhibited a high level of social and environmental consciousness.

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And discounting a popular notion, Athreya says that liberalization since 1991 is changing the rules towards dharma. Companies with kaushalam, samatva, sevaa and keerti (skill, equanimity, service and fame) will thrive. Despite rivals sometimes hitting below the belt, organizations that follow ethical business practices need not suffer a dip in profits.

Two companies that have steadfastly promoted and practiced ethical precepts in management are Wipro Corporation and Infosys Ltd. It's no coincidence that both have scaled dizzying heights and can proudly claim the largest market capitalization amongst Indian corporates. The lesson in the twin success stories is loud and clear: those who take the long, hard but ethical road to success are assured of long-term dividends that aren't eroded with the next Union Budget. Short-cut success is short-lived success.

Athreya insists that to view ethics and business as incompatible is to take a superficial and cynically convenient view. "Long-term, sustainable profits can only come through dharma. Profit coming from adharma will disappear due to competition offering better value for money. In a pluralistic, open economy, dealers, vendors and employees have the choice of leaving for another organization. Lower tax rates and better enforcement make compliance and dharma more feasible."

Bhatnagar argues that "the correct index of success should not be money. It should be a 'sense of abundance' that an individual or organization feels they are enjoying. Again, abundance does not mean resources, turnover or net profits alone. It means abundance of everything—peace, happiness and harmony within and without, not just for the top few but for everybody in the organization. Seen in the

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above context, ethical and spiritual principles are not only compatible with the profit motive, they are the only means to ensure it".

Indeed, this synthesis is imperative for long-lasting success and societal well being. Corporates have realized that the pursuit of self-interest will not only destroy the environment, but our social fabric as well. The era of shortsighted corporate autocracy is gradually coming to an end. If our country, our planet has to survive, it cannot be otherwise.

Strategies to incorporate Dharma in companies

• Choose your vocation wisely. Follow your swadharma, your inherent nature. Choose a field of activity that fires your passion and is compatible with your nature. You will achieve a higher degree of recognition and success than you would in some other field. And the best part is that you will get paid for something you love doing!

• The mind-not matter-matters. Ideas make the world go round. Realizing this truth, even a hardware and appliances giant like Sony is gearing up to diversify into service-related fields. It was not the steam engine that changed the world, but the idea that steam could be used to power the engine. Practical ideas power change.

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• Foster team spirit. Control the Ego. The ego has a tendency to place one apart from the rest of the world. It encourages a self-centered, egotistical attitude that is detrimental to the common good. Such a person feels: "Only I can do a good job." Life is a game where teamwork counts. Learn to delegate work. You are not the sole cog in the wheel. Nor are you indispensable. The graveyards are full of people who thought they were indispensable.

• Praise counts. When somebody does a good job, say so. Learn to be stingy in your criticism, generous in praise. However, the praise must be well deserved and genuine. As Dada J.P. Vaswani said, sex and money are not the most important things in a person's life. Praise and recognition are. Human beings thrive on these and redouble their efforts.

• Take responsibility. Success has many mothers, failure none. If things go wrong, stand by your team. Do not duck responsibility or apportion blame. Take the blow squarely on your chin. Your staff and peers will respect you for it. And back you to the hilt in future.

• Share the credit. When the cash counter starts jingling, remember the role of every single player. Don't exult, 'I did it!' Say, 'We did it!' Be humble in success and you will sow the seeds of repeated success.

• Remember—your team is human. Do not expect every employee to consistently keep up with the scorching pace that you set. We all have different levels of tolerance. Genghis Khan once sacked his most accomplished general. When queried about this strange act, the Mongol chieftain's answer was enlightening. He was the best, the great Khan admitted. While on the march, he was oblivious to thirst, hunger or pain. But he did not realize that the 10,000 men under his command felt the pangs of hunger. Definitely the best general, he wasn't the best leader of men.

• Welcome competition. Dvaita—duality—is the law of nature. Happiness-sorrow, success-failure, pleasure-pain are an inseparable part of life. If you fear competition, the negative emotion will sap your energy. Instead, regard your competitors as pacesetters. This positive thought will keep you on your toes and improve the quality of your product/service.

• Integrity counts. The means to the goal must be as upright as the

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goal. To quote Swami Vivekananda, "One of the greatest lessons I have learnt in my life is to pay as much attention to the means of work as to its end." Success achieved through dubious means comes minus peace of mind.

• Stay focussed. There are times when your ideas or goals may be tossed around in a storm of opposition. Stay calm. Focussed. Practice meditation. This will take you to a higher level of consciousness and tap the enormous power of your Inner Self. It will teach you the power of silence when surrounded by motivated criticism. And enhance your self-belief.

• Cross the Pain Barrier. In an ultra-competitive ambiance, you will find the ante is upped at frequent intervals. The only way to survive and thrive is to go the extra mile—despite the pain in your legs. Cross the pain barrier repeatedly and you will soon be oblivious to pain. You're then on the highway to super-success.

• Learn to have fun. There's no better way to recharge one's cells than to take a break. Or have fun while on the task. One man who embodied this spirit was Rusi Modi, who'd spent the greater part of his career with the Tatas. For all the hard work that he put in, Modi made it a point to take his Sabbatical regularly. Make work fun. It works!

A good leader must have a firm and fair style. "He or she must follow sresta dharma (best practices) and samathva (equitability)."

It is a must for any corporate to attach importance to customer values, shareholder values, employee values, societal values and leadership values, he emphasised. Good corporate governance is the one that focuses on customer satisfaction. The company must give value for money to its customers. This ensures a good, mutually beneficial relationship between the company and its customers.

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Insisting that companies should focus on enhancing shareholder wealth, Dr Athreya said there must be an equitable, not necessarily equal, distribution of wealth among CEOs, employees and shareholders. "Sustained returns to shareholders and transparency in business dealings are also equally important," he said.

Today, any management faces many pressing problems to survive and grow in a competitive world. Even in this environment, corporates must be whole-heartedly committed to human resource development and corporate social responsibility.

BUDDHA – DHARMABuddha – Dharma does not have any bearing to god or any religion whatsoever, it is in fact an interpretation of the Dharmic way of life according to Gautam Buddha and other Buddhist scholars.

Here, Buddha – Dharma does not reflect the personalities of these leaders rather it signifies the importance of the attitude of mind that enables a practitioner of Dharma to re-harmonise his personal nature with the principles of Dharma which will lead him/her towards the undoing of all egoistical falsehood and ultimately make him achieve ‘Moksh’ or as we would say in English liberation.

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Different traditions regard Dharma in a different light. While some regard it as the ultimate and transcendent truth others who regard Buddha as an enlightened soul see it as his teachings. Here, it is important to note that no matter what your personal belief is the bottom line remains that you should adhere to Dharmic principles and try and lead a righteous life.

QUALITIES OF BUDDHA – DAHRMA Dharma is not a speculative philosophy it is the universal

law found through self – enlightenment. It deals with moral principles, concentration, self – control, willingness

and wisdom to do the right thing.

Dharma can be tested by practice alone.You cannot expect to read up on teachings or listen to others experiences and hope to experience it yourself. You have to make a conscious effort to practice the Dharmic way of life to get results.

Dharma is able to bestow timeless and immediate results here and now for which there is no need to wait until the future or next existence.Nobody says that you must be Dharmic and only after you reach a certain level of enlightenment you will be at peace or that if you are dharmic in this lifer you will reap results in the next. Dharma like everything else related to spirituality is a state of mind and comes from within. If you chose to lead a good life the results will be immediate. There is no ‘conditions apply’ factor present here.

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Dharma welcomes all human beings to put it to the test.There is no discrimination here. All human beings can strive to lead a dharmic way of life no matter what walk of life they come from and reap the results of their efforts.

Dharma is worthy to be followed as a part of ones life.Trying to be dharmic is not a short-term practice. To truly lead a well-balanced and fruitful life we must make dharma a part of ones life.

It is said that by knowing these attributes, practitioners of dharma will attain inner peace and happiness. Each person here is individually responsible for himself to put these principles into practice.

Here, these leaders who have interpreted Dharma are compared to doctors whereas the Dharma is compared to medicine. However skillful a doctor is results will be apparent only if the patient makes efforts to administer the medicine himself.

In conclusion, we can say that Buddha – Dharma is used to refer to the teachings of Buddha, not in the context of the words of one man but as a reflection of a natural law that was re-discovered by this man and shred with the world. So a person who lives their life with an understanding of natural law, is a dharmic or righteous person.

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How the concept of dharma is useful to practicing managersThe most central and core concept of Hindu philosophy is known as Dharma. There is no accurate translation of the word into English but we may have a glimpse of its vast scope by translating Dharma as right action, right conduct, virtue, moral law etc. Every form of life, every group of people has its Dharma, which is the law of its being. Dharma or virtue is conformity with the truth of things; adharma or vice is opposition to it.

Dharma is a strategy not a religious thought or superstition. Corporate image depends upon the dharmic management followed. Dharmic management becomes a practice in the entire organization right from CEO to Class-IV employees. Dharma helps managers from becoming Hippocrates. Managers and management becomes more transparent. There may be short term losses or loss of profit but in long run firm will be profitable. Indian Examples: Narayana Murthy, Aziz Premji, TATA’s.

Dharma helps managers to enjoy his work to attain any useful purpose", "belief in the conservation of moral values", " a mode of life or a code of conduct which regulate a manager's work and activities as a member of company and as an society to bring about his gradual development and enable him to reach what was deemed to be the goal of human existence".

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scheme or code of laws which bind together managers in the bonds of mutual rights and duties, of causes-and-consequences of actions arising out of their temperamental characters, in relation to each other and company as well as society etc. In the insolvable problem when a manager faces-

na dharmasaukshmyat subhage vivektutm shaknomi te prasnam imam yatthaavat; "I am unable to answer your question because Dharma is subtle"

A manager is able to define the boundaries of Dharma through interactions, discussions, reading of scriptures, the great epics, legends, mythologies, history, drama and a wide variety of stories heard throughout the formative years. These experiences help constitute personal measures and yardsticks that an individual may use in making decisions throughout the lifetime. In a sense this is the manager's conscience and it is perhaps the only available light that guides his actions. There are no other readily available manuals that can serve to distinguish our actions.

In India it is important for us to profit by modern technical processes and increase our production but in doing so we must not forget that the essential objective to be aimed at is the quality of the managers and the concept of dharma underlying it.

Managers practicing dharmic management will be able to develop following characteristics-

He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving.

Lord Krishna enumerates the characteristic feature of a Man-of-Perfection, and thereby prescribes the correct mode-of-conduct and way of life for all seekers.

He by whom the world is not agitated(affected), and who cannot be agitated by the world, who is freed from joy, fear and anxiety-

He by whom the world is not agitated- a Man-of-Perfection is one who will not create any agitations in the world around him.Who cannot be agitated by the world- not only does a Man-of-perfection queiten the very world around him, into a dynamic peace, but also the world, however chaotic, revolting cannot create any agitations in him.He is completely freed from – all the

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usual causes for inward agitation such as “joy, envy, fear and anxiety”. A person ever peaceful with himself and the world, who rules the circumstances and never yields to be victimized by them, who has crossed over the usual weaknesses of the mortal heart is dear to Lord Krishna.

He who is free from wants, pure, alert, unconcerned, untroubled, renouncing all undertakings(commencements)-“free from wants(Anapeksah)- An ordinary man discovers his peace and joy only in the world of ordinary objects available around him. but through practicing drama a manager can develop his inspiration, equanimity within himself.“who is pure”(sucih)- dirt has no place within or without a true and honest manager. It is well known that the condition of a man’s table can give a great insight into the mental nature, discipline and culture of that man. “Alert” (Daksah) - enthusiasm is the key to success in any undertaking. Managers should be intellectually vigorous. He should be ever on his toes to take up the activity.” Unconcerned” (Udasinah) - this means to economize our mental energies. Managers should realize the importance of difficulties, wants, discomforts arisen in completion of the project in order to have a positive way to deal and solve these problems. “Untroubled” (free from trembling)- the inward tremors are experienced only when any burning desire has conquered completely. Managers should never allow their inner person to enter into any such fears or agitations.“renouncing every undertaking”- Manager should have a strong feeling that he is beginning an activity for the purpose of achieving a definite goal whereby he is fulfilling a specific desire or will thereby be gaining a positive profit.

Managers should follow Hindu of dharma:

"O Indra, lead us on the path of Rta, on the right path over all evils."

This means the logical progression of an early course of things into an all encompassing moral order, a path and way of righteousness, an all encompassing harmony of the universe, in the Vedic of Rta.

Source:Book-

Ethics, Indian Ethos and Management – B.K.Nair Human Values – S.K.Chakraborthy

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www.lifepositive.com/chinmayamission/gita

www.avsrinivas.com

A Few Salient Aspects For Managers In Management:

1. Rights – Orientation Displacing Duty – Orientation: The need of the hour, on a priority rating is of recognizing the importance of ‘human duties’ than ‘human rights’. For example, Only if the teacher does his ‘duty’, are the students’ rights satisfied, or, Only if the boss does his duty of caring for the subordinates, can their rights of participation and autonomy be better taken care of. Indeed, if duty-oriented doesn’t predominate our endeavors, ugly things will always continue to occur & come to light. It has been observed that today more intellectuals from premium Indian institutes migrate outside for the sake of ‘comfortable living’. Their inclination is less for the country and their duty towards society. Such a change is replacing the traditionally Indian concept of duty-orientation.

2. Exteriorized Orientation Displacing Interiorized Orientation: We in India are missing an essential insight of our inner-self. The eastern temperament is essentially introvert as compared to the western, who are dominantly extrovert. Though we show sincerity, goodwill, gratitude, love, but these shouldn’t be restricted to only flow of words or gesture. We are missing the realization of our self-sufficiency factor. We depend on others for our internal satisfaction which is indeed a corruption/vulgarization of the depth of inner feelings. This is what Viktor Frankl diagnoses as the ‘gravest’ psychological problem called ‘existence vacuum’, which alienates us from our inner essence.

3. The Secular Orientation Displacing the spiritual Orientation: Unfortunately the meaning of both secularism and spirituality is not clear in our minds today. Maurice Wilkins, a Nobel laureate regrettably says that today world is increasingly

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focusing on the material aspects of life and on technical solutions to human problems. Further it is observed that how western youths come to India today to revive the sense of inner meaning of life, now lost to the West, and laments that due to the current wave of modernization, India also is in danger of losing this sense of the sacred the holy, the spiritual in everything.

4. Skills Orientation Displaying Values Orientation: It is not difficult today to visualize that the mistaken priority of ‘learning to do’, i.e. skills, is now acknowledged as such, and rectified by admitting the priority of ‘learning to be’, i.e. values. The chief hurdles working against excellence on the human side of Indian organizations don’t seem to be centered around paucity of any skills. They are primarily centered in values. Quality of products & services is dependent not so much on the quality circles but on the quality of the minds of the member of the circle.

5. Quality of Domestic Life Messing up Quality of Work – life: The Quality of domestic life transmits its inevitable impact to the quality of work-life. The quality of domestic life lies in a deep and serene home atmosphere, which should douse the scorching flames of stress stroked by work – life. Today in Indian scenario, where both husband and wife work for more than 8 hours, they hardly get time for each other and their family or their children who need them the most. This imbalance between the work-life and domestic-life definitely affects ones inclination towards its work.

6. The New breed Displacing the Old breed:Today, there is a clear distinction made in the minds of the two generations of people in Organizations. Senior professionals see lack of commitments and values towards a company, in the new generation of professionals, because these people change jobs very frequently. Such a thinking is based on no knowledge or depth of the matter. Hence there needs to be bridging between the thoughts of the two breeds of people to inculcate co-ordination and co-operation in organization.

7. Self Actualization Orientation Displacing Self Transcending Orientation:Many writings on motivational psychology have drawn our attention towards knowing Self Actualization. Some writers have pointed out that self actualization in practice actually coverts most interpersonal relationships into instrumental transactions for self-advancement. In Indian scenario, right from a senior professional to a clerk, the spirit of grievances is identical. They

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crave for satisfying their lower-end needs. While there are some people who are contrary to this. In large, people have an inclination towards fulfilling their lower-end needs which is called Self transcendence which will in result into Self Actualization.

8. Uniform Culture ensures co-ordination between departments:People in an organization, as employees, work for the ultimate organizational goal. His constant endeavor should be inclined towards serving the organization first and then personal objectives. If every employee thinks this way, it would bring cohesiveness in the different parts of the organization thus ensuring coordinated effort among all the departments to fulfill organizational goal.

9. Culture avoids conflicts:We, Indians have the ancient culture of family ties and bonding among the people. We value relationship forming thus giving importance to the other person as well. This builds loyalty in the minds of the other people towards ones relationship, which in turn reduces conflicts and misunderstandings to a large extent. On the contrary, the foreign culture believes in ‘hire-fire’ policy, which doesn’t support the idea of relationships hence work culture conflicts are seen to a great extent in such case. Thus a healthy culture avoids conflicts.

10.Importance of Honesty of the CEO:An organization is largely a reflection of the character and vision of the leader. His every action is reflected in the results of his followers. If the leader is honest, actions will taken in the overall interest of the company and its employees and if not, then wrong/unethical decisions will percolate down the system thus mainly affecting the overall goodwill of the company and its workers. Since a leader is the main representative of the organization, his honesty is of prime importance.

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ACTS OF GOD AND MEN

Mr. Manik an employee of G-four India, exports garments to South Asian buyers. Among the many third parties the company work with, there is one named Skanda Garments (SG) in the south. A small factory, which employs some 80 people. Its owner, Selvan, was tragically washed away in the tsunami when he had gone to Nagapattinam to deliver a consignment with three other senior managers.When the company heard of this, like any company devoted to cost and benefit, strategy and time planning, it shifted their orders to other stitchers.

Last month, one of their employees, Lingam, called mr. manik to ask if G-Four India, would help them. Being a small businessman, Selvan’s papers were not in order; loans he had taken and those he hadn’t taken were being attributed to him. His family was in a state of despair. His father, Arumugam, has to now settle his son’s family, which includes a daughter, Lata. He decided that the best thing to do was to sell off Selvan’s business and pay off the bank. Also Lata being a young girl, who was dark, was taken as a liability and the family was merely using her to come out of financial crisis by making her get married to her maternal uncle, Sethu, who was 30 years old and also claimed that his father owed him some money which he would write off if Lata marries him and the business operations are given to him.

But there was chaos unfolding at the factor too. Four months after the tsunami, there was hope that somebody would take up the plant and run it, bringing back some stability into the workers’ lives. There were few orders they had begun work on, seeking more time for fulfilment. But they needed money for raw material, and the clients were unwilling to help as they claimed that 50 per cent advance had been paid to Selvan.

During the one year that the whole thing dragged on, the Skanda Garments factory absolutely deteriorated. The floods that followed the tsunami did the rest playing havoc on the plant and inventory. Meanwhile, Sethu began to informally ask the workers to start

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accepting pay cuts as he had found girls who were willing to work for less money. This would result in 40 men losing their job and also women were exploited in an unethical manner.

Realising the entire scenario which had an impact on several lives, Mr. Manik decided to approach Mr.Jatin Dayal to provide them with 25 lakh loan as a part of social responsibility towards suppliers and more importantly for humanity. A meeting was called for this purpose where initially only Mr. Manik was fighting against the inhuman approach of the company towards its suppliers. However, later he was backed by other employees too.

On the other hand Mr. Jatin here is an adamant person and is purely business minded. He takes this entire issue as a mere social issue and he considered it charity and not responsibility to look into the social problems of his suppliers. He is simply profit oriented and treats business different from human life. However, at the end of the meeting Mr. Jatin had no other choice but to agree. However during the meeting the following issues were discussed which led to a favourable outcome.

1. The issue is not only concerned with Selvan’s daughter and his deteriorating business operations but it is concerned with his 75 colleagues at Skanda Garments? What happens to the smaller businesses who supply to SG and their families? What happens to overall growth?

2. It was only when Lingam informed Mr. Manik about the daughter that he came to know that there are hundreds of such young girls out there who are being sold and transacted to repay all kinds of obligations. Is developing that community not part of their life, especially since the company has been dealing with that community? That Rs 25 lakh which it hesitates to spend will mean that the children of those workers will not go back to school; hopes that were there will get destroyed; lives which were taking off will not. But if they can have this money, the process of education, which was interrupted, will continue.

3. Children have been orphaned, homes have been destroyed, and infrastructure has been washed away. There is gender discrimination, gender exploitation, child abuse. So, it is the corporates who can influence social thinking by helping in areas that influence business growth and development. For, it is poor social conditions that are at the heart of low growth, which goes beyond food, shelter and clothing to respect for life.

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4. A business is not only about creating wealth, but also sustaining the means to do so. A shareholder’s claim to corporate wealth can be tenable only after the fulfilment of corporate social duties, not without it. Corporates exist in society; so, at the heart of any right to lay claim to it lies your corporate citizenship in a society. Such right to corporate citizenship begs fulfilment of corporate social duties.

5. As a business justification, it is vendor development; where they develop vendors and business gets substantive roots. This is not CSR but good business. The company is furthering strife in the community which in 5-10 years will affect productivity though the Companies Act does not permit to a loan. So, call this micro credit. From a social viewpoint, when we do not help, the community suffers and when the community suffers, the business suffers in the long run.

6. We need to see our vendor as our customer and not our supplier. He is a customer of the relationship we have transacted with him. This is not about welfare. It’s a case of rights. Suppliers have rights on the company. Even if rights are infringed, they remain rights.

And thus with the help of the following points it was decided that Skanda garments would be given 60-75 lakh of loan. The point here is that it was the understanding and application of dharmic management that provoked Mr. Manik to approach the issue to the authority. It was Mr.Manik who knew that the management was completely wrong here and it was very important to explain them the truth since it had an impact on the entire community of their suppliers. He did not vision his business as mere profit oriented but at the same time understood his social responsibility towards the society and thus took step in favour of truth against management’s unsympathetic approach.

However, there were many employees who knew that the management was being insensitive but could not do anything about it. At the end of the meeting two employees conclude the entire issue saying “Why don’t these things occur to us naturally? Why do we go through week-long debates to arrive at a decision that we already know in our hearts? Is it because corporates are surrounded by rules and rights and wrongs, dos and don’ts? Or is it simply that we in our minds separate business from life? We do not think of it as a part of life… and that’s because our education also separates work from life.”

However, reading this surely forces us to ponder our attitude too.

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Source: business world, case studies Feb. 2006