Professional Documents
Culture Documents
KMB101 : UNIT 1
“Certainly we should take care not to make intellect our God. Intellect has, of course, powerful muscles but no
personality. It cannot lead. It can only serve. It is not fastidious about its choice of leaders (Mind or Soul). The intellect
has a sharp eye for tools and methods but is blind to Ends and Values”.
– Albert Einstein
Ethics
• The word “ethics” is - Greek word ethos (character),
• Which means
– “way of living and from the Latin word ‘mores’ (customs).
ETHICS Definition
• Ethics is a set of standards,
– by which free human actions are determined as ultimately right or wrong, good or evil
– Mackenzie defines ethics as
“the study of what is right or good in human conduct”. or
“the science of the ideal involved in human life”.
• If an action agrees with these standards, it is ethical; if not , it unethical
• Business Ethics
It is the application of ethical principles to business relationship
and activities. It governs the way a business runs and carries its
operations . It determines the standard of behaviour that guides
managers in their work.
ETHOS
Ethos are the moral ideas and attitude that belong to a particular group or society.”
Ethos is a discipline that examines one’s morality or the moral standard of the society. Ethics means expected standards
in terms of your personal and social welfare. It includes honesty, morality, responsibility etc
1. “the set of beliefs, ideas, etc. about social behaviour and relationship of a person or group”
2. Ethos is the discipline that examines one’s morality or the moral standards of society.
3. Ethos is the body of knowledge which is derived from universalized Ethics.
4. the moral ideas and attitudes that belong to a particular group or society”.
Origin Ethics are derived from shastra Ethos is derived from culture.
2 Organize men, materials, machines and money Mobilize men and sound out other readiness
Bhagavada Gita
• It is a poem which depicts lessons on spirituality and ethics through a dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior
Arjuna who is at a great crisis of his life.
• The Karma Yoga, Samkhya Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and the notion of three Gunas (Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas) have very
important implications in the context of ethical leadership, decision making and management which we will discuss
subsequently.
Nishkaama Karma (Deeds without greed) one has to be selfless in doing all his work, - “karm kar fal ki apek sha
na kar”
Karma Yoga
• Karma Yoga is a good pathway for
– self purification
– self-development.
• Individual as well as collective growth and welfare,
– minimum play of passion,
– jealousy,
– hatred,
– greed,
– anger and arrogance,
– team spirit,
– team work,
– autonomous management,
– minimum control and supervision, etc.
The result is all round happiness and prosperity.
Management Guidelines from The Bhagavad Gita
1. Forming a vision and planning the strategy to realize such vision.
2. Cultivating the art of leadership
3. Establishing the institutional excellence and building an innovative organization.
4. Developing human resources.
5. Team building and teamwork
6. Delegation, motivation, and communication
7. Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps whenever called for.
8. Nishkaama Karma
9. Karma yoga
Kautilya ‘s Arthashastra
1. The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in Sanskrit.
2. Kautilya, also identified as Vishnugupta and Chanakya, is traditionally credited as the author of the text.
3. The latter was a scholar at Takshashila , the teacher and guardian of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
4. Composed, expanded and redacted between the 2nd century BCE and 3rd century CE, the Arthashastra was influential
until the 12th century, when it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1905 by R. Shamasastry, who published it in
1909. The first English translation was published in 1915.
5. The root of happiness is Dharma (ethics, righteousness) , the root of Dharma is Artha (economy, polity) , the root
of Artha is right governance, the root of right governance is victorious inner-restraint, the root of victorious inner-
restraint is humility, the root of humility is serving the aged.
— Kautilya, Chanakya Sutra 1-6
Management Guidelines from Arthashastra
Vision and Mission Efficient management means setting up of realistic targets and meeting targets without
using over zealous methods
Policies and Swamy should ensure enactment of prudent policies. Prudence should be based on
Procedure & Dharma and Nyay that will ensure equal opportunity for all to earn a decent living.
Business Ethics
Leadership Swamy must bear in his mind that a king with depleted treasury is a weak king and the
easiest target for a take over
An ideal Swamy is the one who has the highest qualities of leadership, intellect, energy
and personal attributes.
Growth with long Profitability should not only mean surplus over costs. It should also mean provision of
term orientation investment for future growth.
Centralization , Span Swamy can reign only with the help of others. He should appoint not more than four
of control , advisors and sufficient number of Mantris to look after the governance of the State
Decentralization machinery. While limiting the span of control for the Swamy, Kautilya warns against
centralization of power in the hands of the Swamy by stating “one wheel alone does not
move a chariot”
Knowledge:
Small difference in ability can lead to enormous differences in results.
Planning:
By failing to plan, you are planning to fail. Every effective performance is based on
thorough preparation.
Success and
Innovation Most important basis of success in any venture is pragmatism. Do not ask where the
new idea came from or who thought of it first. Ask only one question: does it work?
1 Belief Production, productivity, profit at any cost Material gain, with belief in achieving human and
social welfare also
2 Guidance Management guided by mind only, led away by Management by consciousness power beyond
ego and desire, soulless management mind, i.e., soul.
Interiorized management
3 Emphasis Worker development, management of others, Development of man, integrated growth, harmony,
profit maximization. Human being given only lip happiness and health.
sympathy Management of self
4 Tools 5Ms as resources- men, money, materials, Men, machines, materials and methods as
machines, markets. Science and technology conscious partners- all having
information for decision marking consciousness whether manifested or dormant.
Information and intuition for decision.
Ethics and values combined with skills
5 Problem Conflict resolution by negotiation, compromise, Conflict resolution through integration and
solving arbitration, liquidation of differences only for a synthesis on stressing super ordinate common
temporary period. No reference to higher goals so that enduring harmony and unity is
consciousness assured. Self introspection, stepping back aids the
search for solution
6 Decision Brain storming (round table approach Brain stilling(entering the room of timeless
making silence)
7 Development Physical, vital and mental only. Soul or spirit Integrated development, whole man approach,
ignored. Material development only, even at the breath control and meditation emphasized. Human
cost of man and nature enrichment and total quality
8 Approach External behavior. Mental, material, selfish Noble attitudes. Inner guidance, team spirit, total
only- soulless harmony, global good
Ramayana
• It depicts the duties of relationships,
• Portraying ideal characters like the
– ideal father,
– ideal servant,
– the ideal brother,
– the ideal wife and
– the ideal king.
Apart from this, the Ramayana also teaches
– how the temptation for lust can bring a powerful
– and well established man’s doomsday.
• It deals with loyalty.
• Trust worth ship
• Commitment
•
Buddhism
The founder of this school was Gautam Sidhhartha
Who later became Lord Gautam Buddha.
The Buddhism is based on the four noble truths:
(i) Suffering exists;
(ii) There is a cause of the suffering;
(iii) Suffering can be eradicated;
(iv) There is a means for eradication of that suffering.
• Management Lessons
1. Buddha establishes that everything on the earth is non- permanent.
2. Nothing on earth is self.
3. Hence everything on this earth is “anatta” or not-self.
4. Buddha taught the eight fold path to liberation from all suffering.