The Essentials of Organizational Management: A Study on the Bhagavad Gita

Abstract

The Indian sub-continent since the ancient times has been the epicentre of rich cultural heritage. The ethos of the ancient Indian texts holds true to the present day. Some of the well-known ancient Indian texts are the Upanishads, the Vedas and the epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is an intrinsic part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata. It was written by Sage Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita gets decoded at the battleground of Kurukshetra. It is based on the conversation between Arjuna, the warrior prince and Krishna, his charioteer. Initially, Arjuna was reluctant to fight the battle and Krishna assumed the role of an ideal mentor to counsel Arjuna to fight for the right cause. Eventually Arjuna was transformed into a determined warrior and ready to take on his rivals. At the end of the battle, Arjuna along with his brothers accomplished victory over their opponents. The eternal philosophy embedded in the verses of the Bhagavad Gita has been adorned by renowned world leaders. Organizational management has evolved since the onset of the industrial revolution. The advent of globalization has led to reshaping the management scenario in every organization across the territories. Every business house is striving hard to enhance the organizational performance to ensure sustainable growth. At a time of globalization it is imperative for organizations to look for alternative paradigms to match up to the constantly evolving management practices. Since the last few decades the Bhagavad Gita has attracted the attention of the management researchers. The present study attempts to evaluate the diverse aspects of the organizational management as reflected in the Bhagavad Gita based on the systematic review of academic literature. The finding of the present study seems to suggest Bhagavad Gita is the store house of ideal solutions to deal with the various issues related to organizational management. More specifically, it emerges from past studies that the Bhagavad Gita is an effective management tool in the field of leadership and provides sustainable solutions to overcome challenges pertaining to the constantly evolving business environment. In the present day business context, organizational leaders and management practitioners may imbibe the ethos of the Bhagavad Gita for the long term survival of their organizations. Thus, it may be said that since the ancient times, the Indian worldview as noted down in the different texts has benefited the human race and will do so for the years to come.