*********************************************************************** Global Hindu Electronic Network (GHEN) Are you a subscriber of Hindu Digest? To subscribe to Hindu Digest send an e-mail to listserv@arizvm1.ccit.arizona.edu with the following contents subscribe hindu-d Full Name [Note: Full Name must be at least 2 words] *********************************************************************** Subject: THE DIVINISED MANAGER AND THE ASHRAMISED BUSINES *********************************************************************** **************************************************************************** THEME IV SYSTEMS ARE CONDUCIVE TO THE UNFOLDMENT OF DIVINITY OF HUMAN BEINGS **************************************************************************** THE DIVINISED MANAGER AND THE ASHRAMISED BUSINESS ------------------------------------------------- BY S. K. CHAKRABORTY [Dr. S.K. Chakraborty is a Professor af Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, India, since 1971. He combines 4 years of work experience in Indian Industry with 3 decades of Post Graduate teaching in India and abroad. He is working in the areas of Finance and Control, Indian Values and Indian Ethos. He has published six books on Human Values and Corporate Transformation, and 15 books on Management Theory and Practices; Management Accounting; Management Development and Appraisal, Human Dimension and Financial Control; and Industrial Sickness and Revival.] Divinised management has two challenges (1) Logical positivism and (2) Materialism. But the two suffer from serious drawbacks. Logical positivism starts off with the arrogant presumption that our conventionally educated and trained mentointellectual equipment can scale all heights or can plumb all depths of rationality. Materialistic empiricism ails from the debilitating assumption that sense related reality only is the valley of roses. Both these defects are paradigmatic in character because spiritual empiricism ascends to not only a different but also to a higher paradigm where these circumscribing limitations do not erect arbitrary fences around the blossoming human entity. Economics from which business is born however rests on the above two challenging stances flanking individual selfinterest Lying in the center. Whatever works in the sense- related domain of the immediate and visible seems to be its keynote. Like capitalist economics, socialist economics too is essentially rooted in the same logical positivist materialist empiricist paradigm. The way both variants of this paradigm have been cracking prompts a fresh look at the whole issue. When we survey the managerial and administrative systems and processes there too we detect the same paradigms. Without organizations economics does not realize or manifest itself. Hence managerial philosophy in organizations tends to be no better than the lengthened shadow of the ruling economics philosophy. It is the permeation of this credo into management which causes it to leave out divinity in man in managerial systems. Our purpose therefore is to examine the contribution Indian thought can make to the reinstatement of man, the Divine man in management. There is a difference between Indian culture and Indian Ethos. Some say the notion of Indian culture is a myth because of so many religions, endless diversity of local customs and deities within the so-called Hinduism itself. The visible web of Indian culture is a mosaic of many hues and textures. Besides indigenous Vedantic, Buddhist and Jain traditions Indian culture has absorbed numerous enriching strands from Islamic, Christian and Parsi traditions. Within this great diversity of outward forms of culture also exist significant commonalities. When we think of even Indian culture, uniformity in many vital respects keeps pace with diversity in some others. Indian ethos is quite a different thing, It is the deep and unseen foundation supporting the superior structure of the Indian culture. Paradoxically the Indian culture gets modified but the hidden and solid foundation of Indian ethos has never been subjected to external changes. All its principal ingredients had sprung from the Indian geographical landmass long before other outside cultures had begun to infiltrate it. Upanishads, Smritis, Puranas and so on blossomed only in the Indian soil. So there is only one Indian ethos, at the deep structure. Otherwise we have to dismiss the assessments of archetypical Indian stalwarts like Radhakrishnan and Suniti Kumar Chatterjee as childish prattle. Still academics persist in arguing whether the Indian ethos evolved in remote antiquity have any relevance to modern management systems? But they know not that the so called new wave thinking in many parts of the world has been moving steadily towards the old wave, enduring. classical tenets/ The present theme of the Global Vision 2000 conference is in itself a positive proof of this thesis. To place secular complexity under the guiding charge of sacred simplicity seems to be the Indian keynote in the management of all affairs. Indian genius had grasped long ago the truth that problems springing from secular pursuits cannot be resolved by pressing forward along the secular track. And the answer to growing complexity is not even bigger tangles of complexity. Rather the opposites the Sacred and Simple are needed where every act is a spiritual prayer and every step is a pilgrimage. The key task of management in any secular aspect of life is to transform and elevate it into a sacred process. Simple living, high thinking must be resorted to again. Consciousness as the casual principle is a more precise term compared to spirit. The very first cause is least understood. Vivekananda had declared in America that "Every evolution presupposes an involution. Consciousness crystallizes from the subtle, universal, infinite state into gross and finite matter, life and mind. Self management by the human implies seizing this dynamic and reverting to the original state of consciousness. This is God, this is Heaven, this is Mukti (Salvation). Invest the secular with the sacred through Sadhana. The more one becomes all embracing, more one is all inclusive. The feeling of oneness is highly constricted. Hence the need for sacred ethics in the management of all our affairs. The negative and poor perception towards work life which most managers have is truly unnerving. For divinising the management system the most insistent principle of human existence is " Aim at and Strive for Pure Mind'. Emotions or feelings are more important than intellect. If the Primary driving power behind human actions, the mind or heart is not thoroughly groomed in wholesome ways, intellect will merely play into the hands of destructive driving force of perverse emotions. A pure heart penetrates heaven and hell, hence cleansing the mind is of utmost importance. All thinkers talk of only heart and mind. Indian thought is equally emphatic about the law. The subjective is the cause., the objective is the effect. In managerial terminology primary reliance on systems and structures to ameliorate organizational ill health becomes questionable. The crux of the matter lies in the human factor and not in the system or structural dimension. Third, the Indian thought offers a general theory and method of work. Work has to be done without personal claims for egocentric results as the primary driving force. The whole cosmos represents the Work of the Supreme Universal Creative Consciousness called God or Brahman. Aurobindo's Karma Yoga says' Change your being, be reborn into the spirit and by that new birth proceed with the action to which the Spirit has appointed you.' The Indian ethos deeply differs from the Western ethos on one point. Thinkers speak of meaningful work and lack of larger endeavor. But the opposite Indian viewpoint is 'Meaning and richness flow to the work from the mind. Awaken and enrich the mind through 'Nishkama Karma'. This is Gita's counsel about meaningful work. It really connotes meaningful mind. Karma Yogi is one who does all work as prayer to the Supreme Being. Malafide decisions or acts boomerang with unfavorable or retributive effects. >From both Gandhi and Tagore the same interpretation emerges; 'Man's social and economic affairs should be rooted in and be imbued with a comprehensive Cosmic awareness inducing humble gratitude for all that is already available to him as sublime gifts from the Supreme Being. Move more towards duties, obligations and sacrifices. Words and phrases reflecting visions about the quality of work-life scenario should be Simplicity, Efficiency, Economy., Decorum, Quality Output, Customer is God, Straightforwardness, Brotherhood, Self restraint and Punctualitv. Correlate the Ashrama metaphor with a business enterprise. The ultimate Indian ideal is 'The individual is the Holy Man, the foundation of the Divine Manager'. A business house should be like a holy Ashrama.