Ancient Wisdom for Transformational Leadership and Its Insights from the Bhagavad-Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita and Business Ethics

Business Law and Ethics ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8195-8.ch060 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1209-1228

Author(s):

Balakrishnan Muniapan

Keyword(s):

Business Ethics ◽

Western Europe ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Business Leaders ◽

Business Leadership ◽

Bhagavad Gita ◽

Moral Principles ◽

The Subject ◽

Asian Context ◽

Bhagavad Gītā

The study of ancient wisdom has recently become a subject of growing interest. During the past decade we have witnessed an increase in the amount of literature on applying ancient wisdom in the context of business leadership. In the Asian context, the ancient literature from India and China is pregnant with several lessons which are relevant and useful for business leadership. Among the literature from the Indian context, the Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most popular and most cited by many scholars and practitioners in the field of business leadership. However, based on a survey of business leadership literature from the Bhagavad-Gita, very few works are found on the pressing and important topic of business ethics. Therefore, in this chapter the author attempts to explore and incorporate the ethical principles found in the Bhagavad-Gita into business leadership. In presenting the business ethics from the Bhagavad-Gita, the author has employed hermeneutics, which is a qualitative methodology used for the interpretation of ancient literatures. The Bhagavad-Gita advocates a consciousness and a spirit-centered approach to the subject of business ethics based on eternal values and moral principles that should govern the conduct of business leaders. This chapter is likely to provide insights into Indian business ethics for Western business leaders, enabling them to work more effectively with Indian business leaders in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Western Europe and North America where there is a significant Indian population.

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The Bhagavad-Gita and Business Ethics

Asian Business and Management Practices - Advances in Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6441-8.ch018 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 232-253 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Balakrishnan Muniapan

Keyword(s):

Business Ethics ◽

Western Europe ◽

Qualitative Methodology ◽

Business Leaders ◽

Business Leadership ◽

Bhagavad Gita ◽

Moral Principles ◽

The Subject ◽

Asian Context ◽

Bhagavad Gītā

The study of ancient wisdom has recently become a subject of growing interest. During the past decade we have witnessed an increase in the amount of literature on applying ancient wisdom in the context of business leadership. In the Asian context, the ancient literature from India and China is pregnant with several lessons which are relevant and useful for business leadership. Among the literature from the Indian context, the Bhagavad-Gita is one of the most popular and most cited by many scholars and practitioners in the field of business leadership. However, based on a survey of business leadership literature from the Bhagavad-Gita, very few works are found on the pressing and important topic of business ethics. Therefore, in this chapter the author attempts to explore and incorporate the ethical principles found in the Bhagavad-Gita into business leadership. In presenting the business ethics from the Bhagavad-Gita, the author has employed hermeneutics, which is a qualitative methodology used for the interpretation of ancient literatures. The Bhagavad-Gita advocates a consciousness and a spirit-centered approach to the subject of business ethics based on eternal values and moral principles that should govern the conduct of business leaders. This chapter is likely to provide insights into Indian business ethics for Western business leaders, enabling them to work more effectively with Indian business leaders in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Western Europe and North America where there is a significant Indian population.

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Confucianism Values for Transformational Leadership Development in the Chinese Context

International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management ◽

10.4018/jabim.2010070102 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 10-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Balakrishnan Muniapan ◽

Ee Yaw Seng

Keyword(s):

Transformational Leadership ◽

Leadership Development ◽

Future Research ◽

Ancient Text ◽

Leadership And Management ◽

The Past ◽

Qualitative Research Methodology ◽

Scant Attention ◽

The Analects ◽

Inside Out

Transformational leadership has received a great significance in the leadership literature during the past two decades. However, this research is dominated by Western traditions and scant attention is paid to Asian traditions. Therefore, in this paper, the authors explore the relevance of Confucianism, an Asian tradition, and its significance in transformational leadership development. For this purpose, the authors have selected the Analects, which provide the essence of Confucianism to explore the relevant transformational leadership concepts. This paper is based on hermeneutics, a qualitative research methodology that involves study, understanding and interpretation of ancient text. Confucianism provides an inside-out approach to transformational leadership development, which is self leadership first, before leadership of others. This inside-out perspective is also similar to other Asian traditions, such as ancient Indian wisdom. The prospects of analysis of Confucianism in other areas of leadership and management can be considered for future research.

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Taking a Knee to Take a Stand: An Analysis of The Bhagavad Gita's Application to the Take a Knee Movement

Perceptions ◽

10.15367/pj.v5i1.153 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Srikar Katta

Keyword(s):

Racial Inequality ◽

Police Brutality ◽

Past Century ◽

Basketball Players ◽

Bhagavad Gita ◽

National Anthem ◽

The Past ◽

Football Game ◽

Knee Movement ◽

Bhagavad Gītā

Despite there being significant advancements with respect to issues related to racial inequality in America in the past century, minority oppression continues to exist today (e.g. police brutality). To raise awareness of these issues, football and basketball players around the country have been kneeling to the national anthem. In response, President Trump and countless others have lashed back, saying “A football game...is no place to protest,” and that “Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their ‘outrage’ at something that most of them are unable to define.” This essay views the virtuousness of the Take a Knee movement, but through an Eastern perspective. The Bhagavad Gita, a poem in which Arjuna, the general of the Panadav army, struggles with the morality of fighting and killing his cousins in war. In response to Arjuna’s crisis, Krishna, Arjuna’s charioteer and the king of another kingdom, discourses to Krishna the ideas of dharma, yoga and samkhya, and the three gunas. These same principles can be applied to the justification and righteousness of the Take a Knee Movement. Because the athletes dissociate their actions from the reward of those actions, work towards equalizing society, while still continuing to fulfill their roles as athletes, the Take a Knee Movement exemplifies righteousness and should continue to raise awareness to some of the greatest problems in America today.

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FEATURES OF THE STRUCTURE OF SIMPLE PROPOSALS IN SANSCRITE

Chronos Journal ◽

10.31618/2658-7556-2020-19-2-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

A. Baluta ◽

◽

B. Salanki ◽

Keyword(s):

English Translation ◽

Main Type ◽

Past Tense ◽

Passive Voice ◽

Bhagavad Gita ◽

The Real ◽

The Past ◽

Simple Sentences ◽

Bhagavad Gītā

This article is devoted to the study of the structure of simple sentences in Sanskrit based on the material of the Bhagavad Gita text, in particular, the structure of sentences complicated by participial constructions. In the course of the study, it is possible to establish that the main type of participles that complicate simple sentences in Sanskrit are the aoristic participles of the active and passive voice, which in the Western linguistic tradition (English translation), as well as most of the Sanskrit past participles, are classified as participium perfecti passivi. Aorist participles can be translated into Russian by past and present participles of the real and passive voice, short adjectives and verbs in the past tense

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Ethical Leadership in India

Psychology: Volume 3 ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199498864.003.0003 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 160-184

Author(s):

Kanika T. Bhal

Keyword(s):

Transformational Leadership ◽

Ethical Leadership ◽

Two Dimensional ◽

Leadership Theories ◽

The West ◽

Bhagavad Gita ◽

Ethical Concerns ◽

Interpersonal Orientation ◽

Bhagavad Gītā

The chapter offers a review of research and theory on ethical leadership in India, attempting a confluence between leadership theories developed in the West and the traditional Indian wisdom. Gunas, as described in the Bhagavad Gita, present an account of ethical/moral traits of a leader. Given the debate over the assumed ethicality of transformational leadership, wherein a leader could exercise influence for personal benefits as well, this approach provides a very limited view of ethical leadership. The idea of Karma and its distinct focus on duty and detachment from rewards provides a basis for ethical leadership. Gunas and the key tenets of Karma are used to identify a two-dimensional conceptualization of ethical leadership, where the former focusses on ethical person (aspect of leadership) and the latter on the ethical manager (given its interpersonal orientation). This approach to leadership brings ethical concerns to the centre stage in managing work behaviour.

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