Please read these two articles from BusinessWeek and post your thoughts below:
(1) Karma Capitalism (BusinessWeek, 30 October 2006)
Has the Bhagavad Gita replaced The Art of War as the hip new ancient Eastern management text?
(2) Dueling Playbooks (BusinessWeek, 30 October 2006)
The opposing best-practice ideas of Sun Tzu and Krishna.
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28 February 2007
Karma Capitalism: The Bhagavad Gita Meets Capitalism
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I really enjoyed these articles and felt optimistic that these new, friendlier business practices will replace old ones and still end up being better for all businesses. When working together becomes the main focus instead of competition, I feel it will lead to less corruption and unethical behavior within business and more people will be satisfied by the outcome. It's not to say that all businesses should adopt a Hindu way of thinking and doing things necessarily, but most of the ideas and principles they suggest are universal of ethical human nature and behavior and could help lead confused individuals down a more righteous path.
While I concur with Michael in that, in theory the new business practices focusing on Hindu beliefs are better for society as a whole and make a lot of sense. However, in practice, such ways of organizing and running a business are rarely practical. It is nice to think that everyone would work for the betterment of society as a whole. On the surface, that may appear to be occurring in such businesses; however, the underlying theme for many employees is "how can I better MY life and career." In general, human beings are selfish, greedy and ambitious individuals. Rather than looking out for the betterment of one's co-workers, which, don't get me wrong, I ma in no way suggesting all people are like this, people often look out for their own self-interests. Backstabbing, cheating and lying have always been, and will continue to be, a part of the business environment. Companies such as Enron and countries such as Germany during the 1930's and early 1940's serve as examples of what can happen when these selfish interests are carried to the extreme. However, smaller, more regular such interests occur nearly on a daily basis: presidents electing friends, family and supporters to government jobs, higher up officers in an organization receiving special benefits and privileges, college athletes receiving free tuition based on athletic performances rather than academic or community excellence. Throughout history, deeds have given money to the eldest son, certain individuals and groups have been given preference over others, et al. I find it very difficult to believe that simply switching to a Hindu based style of business will have a dramatic affect on people's actions and thoughts. It is unnatural; we are, by nature, a greedy, lustful species.
I thought the articles were interesting. I thought it was interesting how some businesses were starting to incorporate Hindu practices and instead of manipulating their customers, collaborating with them, which would lead to better business. I though the different practices in Dueling Playbooks was interesting too as they were both opposites of each other.
These articles were very educational. I think incorporating the Hindu beliefs into the workplace is often a very good thing. It promotes the understanding of practicing that religion. Hinduism is a way of life, so it is natural that it be incorporated into the work aspect of people's lives.
The second article was interesting because it directly showed the views each has on issues.
As someone with a limited knowledge of traditional business practices, I really liked the way both of these articles spoke about a business model that would integrate more humanistic, holistic methods in achieving success; the Hindu approach to business seems to emphasize the importance of the individual, while traditional business conduct takes only the "end goal" into consideration. I think the business model outlined in "Karma Capitalism" sounds like the most effective way to achieve both corporate success and interpersonal harmony, and that it would be a very valuable thing for most businesses today to consider.
Karma Capitalism was very intriguing in that as the general public, we do not see what tactics or self fulfilling acts CEO's of huge companies take part in. I personally liked the Dueling Playbooks. When reading the two approaches to situations, it is strange to look back on my past and realizing that I had been taught both approaches when dealing with situations. Both have the same goal in mind yet take two completely different paths to accomplish the goals. Interesting.
These two articles actually gave me a lot of hope. Whether justified or not, I tend to have a very negative view of big business because of what I perceive to be questionable aims and methods, namely a ‘profit at all costs’ approach. It is great to see, at least for some, that a perspective of interdependence and compassion is having a great impact on how they do business. These articles also highlight the fact that some in corporate America are dissatisfied with there lives and seek gain as a way to cope with this dissatisfaction. Hinduism teaches them another way to be, a way to find higher fulfillment.
I find it interesting that the business leaders of the West are learning these values from the Hindu tradition instead of the Christian tradition. Treating everyone as equals, leading compassionately and selflessly, inner peace and happiness being more important that amassing wealth, putting purpose before self, a sharing of the decision-making (what I would consider economic democracy): I feel like these are things, at least ideally, that Christianity would support and promote as well. Yet corporate America is being taught these values from a Hindu/Indian perspective because, in my opinion, Christianity in our society has failed to do so.
However, it doesn’t really matter where such teachings are derived from. Anything that focuses on the betterment not of simply the individual or the few but of the entire society as a whole is good and necessary in today’s world.
I also agree with the idea that incorporating such ideas would help businesses run more smoothly and overall create a better business world. But the realistic aspect of things is that there will always be cutthroat competion in businesses, and while bringing these Hindu ideas into practice would maybe benfit everyone in the long run, it is unlikely that it will happen overall for every business.
I thought that both of the articles were really interesting and showed that businesses are seeking to have a more honest, consumer friendly, holistic method of business which I think would be a refreshing change. In the article that compared Sun Tzu and Krishna I felt that Sun Tzu may be what people THINK makes a good business person but in actuality I agree much more with the Krishna, being personable, not intimidating I think would be much better.
I found the "Dueling Playbooks" comparison interesting. Certainly many American & international businesses have found success using Sun Tzu's ideas, at least to some degree. As a business student, I see a merging of the two philosophies in what I am taught. A popular topic in business education (at least at this Jesuit university) is corporate social responsibility. CSR basically means taking the needs of all stakeholders into account (as the article says, "shareholders, employees, partners, and neighbors"), not just those with a financial or business interest. Some studies have even shown that companies that pursue CSR may experience better business performance than those companies that do not. So, I think that the Bhagavad Gita certainly is relevant in today's business world and may offer a different route to business success.
These articles were very interesting and informative. I wasn't very educated about business practices at all but I am pleased to find out that businesses are becoming more friendly and honest by adopting Hindu practices. I don't think that a little bit of healthy competition in a business setting is a bad thing. However, some business places have taken it too far and I think an adoption of the Hindu perspective would make a big difference.
I will not be surprised, if the Bhagavad Gita replaces The Art of War in management decisions at least in the east.
In fact, my only question is “Why it took so long” for people to realize the potential of the Bhagavad Gita.
I also do not understand how Hindus or any one else can sit idle and do nothing after reading Bhagavad Gita.
Gita is based on Samkhya philosophy, which is considered by many an atheistic philosophy. Gita describes devotion in the only in 12 th chapter. Gita is a “how-to-live” book .
Krishna is very clear cut in his advice stating people should follow King Janaka’s example. King Janaka, father of princess Sita was very rich and indulged in all kind of pleasures and still he preached “ You can possess things as long as you are not possess by them ” and “attachment is attachment in what ever form it is. “
Krishna taught us we have only right do the actions [Karma] and we have no right for the fruits of the actions. We should act without any selfish motive nor stop acting altogether [Gita 2:47] He also added that he constantly act even though he has nothing to achieve nor can’t achieve in three worlds.
Bhagavad Gita teaches how to act seeking higher consciousness as well how to act and not to react.
Bhagavad Gita ends with a statement “ Wherever there is supreme intellect [ Krishna,] and wherever there is a person who is ready for action [Arjuna] there alone will be victory.” “ I do not know how any one can sit idle and do nothing after reading that statement.
Hinduism is a culture, a way of life and all of us can in cooperate Hindu way of positive thinking as well as Hindu way of breathing exercises in family life as well as in work place.
The typical Hindu belief that everything happens for a reason , and everything we experience is the result of our past actions , allow them to have stress free life.
“ Let noble thoughts come to us from all the sides”- Rig Veda
I like to see businesses taking a new approach to management. These were my favorite insights from the articals: One is the conviction that executives should be motivated by a broader purpose than money. Another is the belief that companies
should take a more holistic approach to business--one that takes into account the needs of shareholders, employees, customers, society, and the
environment. I wouldn't be the least bit suprised to find these ideals used in future management of very strong companies.
These articles show how religion is incorporated into the workplace. I believe this is a positive thing because religion is a way of life for some people as well it shows that there is more than making money in the world. The second article is very educational with the two charts side by side.
I admit that I was not very knowledgable about the Hindu way of life, but these articles cleared up many misconceptions. I also agree that incorporating such ideas can potentially help businesses run more efficiently. People should use any method possible to improve the business world, why not incorporate some Hindu principles.
I think that the art of war style theory is a more leader based set of ideals, where the krishna style theory is a more socio-political based set of ideals. Krishna ideals take into mind that our actions as an individual can and do affect the society as a whole in the future. It would be great for businesses to take on the task of bettering society for the sake of being able to live in that better society, giving you a clear understanding of the forces controlling the fate of society, rather than extracting the life out of society in order to better fulfill your own needs and wants aside from what society might require as well.
I enjoyed both articles but i found myself being way more into the Krishna style. It addressed a lot of my feelings of how people should work together towards a common goal. The first article made me think of how much the people in today's society could learn from relaxing and truly thinking out what they do.
The articles addressed the issue of how businesses are changing their philosophy. I thought that it was really interesting that they are adopting the Krishna style because it is so different from western traditional thinking. I think that it is a positive step for western society. This style promotes morals and ethics, instead of just results. I think that this will improve environments in the work place because employees will have a better sense of well being and will be more willing to work with one another. I do not think this style will affect competitiveness and productivity, as the articles indicated, it will instead make business more concerned and stronger because the focus will be on actions rather than accomplishments
While I agree that the articles were entertaining, I find it highly unlikely that businesses will all end up joining together to support one another. While using Hindu ideas to help fuel businesses, it just doesnt seem all that likely to me. I wish it could happen, as it would be better for society, and a lot of underhanded business tactics would be avoided. But everyone must always remember, competition fuels big business.
The first article was extremely interesting and offered a lot of insight into the relation between Hindu practice and good business. As a possible business major who is taking several business classes, I think that there is definite sound reasoning in this argument. Instilling aspects of Hinduism into the business world, such as putting purpose before self, makes perfect sense and would prove a beneficial practice for business executives and other leaders. By finding more inner peace and happiness and by thinking more about the good will of others, managers will be able to relate better to others (colleagues, employees, and consumers) and improve their business strategies.
In relation to the first article, the second article gave me further insight into religion in the business world. I definitely agree with the modern belief that the Bhagavad-Gita is an excellent source for top businesspeople to follow, rather than following the previous teachings of The Art of War. However, I think that a balance of the two sources would produce the best result; hard-work, self-discipline and aggressiveness combined with selflessness, good actions and an eye for social welfare would prove effective among businesses and benefit the most people.
I found both of these articles very enlightening, especially the frist one. The setting was one that many of us have heard about within our own cultures, but I never would have thought that other cultures practiced the same type of dinner party. It was comforting to know that these buisness men and women took time to stop and listen to an experienced voice share sucessful practices. I feel as though many times we become to caught up in boasting about ourselves to listen to what others have to teach us. I think it is great that the Indian culture is incorporating their values into their buisness practices. The second article was a great way of finding a balance between the two extremes that present themselves in times like this.
I found the second article to be very inlighteing. Its interesting to see that even in a religion which seem very accepting of individual opinions and beliefs, there is some very contradicting ideas. To me, this makes Hinduism a bit more "real" instead of seeing it as this peaceful almost utopian religion where they focus on the correct beliefs instead of correct doctrines. It reminds me of clashes and divisions within the Christian religion, and this is very interesting to see.
The first article also brings up interesting points. I do wonder however, for what reasons these businesses are accepting Indian infulence and teaching to help the effiency of their company. Is it becasue they genuinly think these help? Or because it has become the "it" thing to do?
I found these two articles very interesting, especially the first one. Being a business major, I can really see how different the approaches are that people take in the business world today. In my finance class, I am taught that stockholders are the most important people in a company, but the article said, "You won't hear too many of us say the only legitimate stakeholders in a comparny are stockholders." As far as the marketing aspect goes, I feel like it does seem like in marketing people are being manipulating into buying a certain product where in the article they said they were going to try to collaberate with customers, not manipulate them. This shows how different two cultures can truly be. In the second article, I found it almost amusing how each point was directly contradicting the other one. I think that business schools today should be thinking about all the different ways of running a business and not just lean on the accepted ways we have now.
The first article touched on some topics we have covered in a few of my business classes. It is interesting to me how the business world is changing. It seems that major corporations have traditionally had the goal of doing whatever it takes to make money. It is now apparent that business is changing as we continue in the 21st century. It seems that executives are beginning to focus more on pleasing shareholders and are not necessarily taking whatever means possible to make money. The process is becoming more important than the results.
The second article was interesting because it compared two contrasting approaches. I am a firm believer on setting a goal and then coming up with a process to reach that goal. It is then important to follow the process and not think about the outcome. If you follow an agenda and do the right things, everything will turn out alright. If you set a goal and don't worry about how you reach it, then you are more prone to mistakes along the way.
I was very intrigued by the first article the Hindu community is definitely on to something. It always seems that business that do not operate using there morals and values system and are out for all the wrong ideals always end up failing. Like it said in the article look at Enron now they are nothing and most of the employees involved in the scam are in jail. It was refreshing to see that the Hindu religion has made a positive impact on business and hopefully Americans will follow step.
Everyday the world is becoming a smaller place. One example of this shrinkage of the world is in the field of economics as a result of globalization. As the economies of the world become increasingly linked, new people from all over the world are brought into our companies, bringing with them their own traditions and ideas. So it comes as no surprise that as Hindu Indian's enter into the American workforce, Hindu ideas are infused with other traditional western practices. But, while as refreshing as these new ideas and practices seem, the underlying principals of a capitalist economy are to maximize profits at minimal costs. A principle which I believe will be hard to change.
I think that the idea of incorporating hindu ideas would help many businesses run better. However I do not think that this is possible at all because of the nature of the business world, each business is too competitive with all the other businesses so I believe that this cannot happen.
After reading the articles i do like the idea of incorporating Hiduism into the workplace, however, the way the business world works is through a very competitive manner. With the method running the economy, i do not see Hinduism having much effect on the business world. There will never be businesses in support of each other as long as they are competing for the same things.
Its interesting that while many from the east are beinging to adopt western practices to raise their profits and earning potential, while here in the west we are doing the opposite. Andrew mentioned globalization and I believe that is the heart and soul of all this change occuring to the market.
While some talked about Corporate Social Responsibility, I don't necessarily believe that this is really the case in this situation. Corporations here are based on the capitalist teachings of unlimited competition and profits at all costs. This is simply another method for one company to outcompete another. Its nice to see that Hindu thoughts are being spread out throughout the west and are assisting in development, but the fact that its Hindu has nothing to do with it and everything to do with it. Companies simply want to say that they are applying a new, 'hip', to once again appeal to its customers and employees.
These articles seem to suggest the incorporation of a holistic approach to the capitalist business world. I feel that this is very important. My father used to work directly for corporations in N.Y.C., but became tired of the fact that the companies cared more about profit margins than the well being of its employees. He incorporated himself and is now working for these companies on his own terms. From his experiences I can tell that a change is needed in how the worker is treated in our society. A more holistic approach will ensure a happy worker, who will increase productive work output. Implementing these teachings will benefit both the worker and the company.
These two articles were very interseting. I liked the idea of incorporating Hindu practices and values into the business world. Since Hinduism is a way of life, these articles seemed to make sense in relation to the religion. Very good articles.
nice post. you may want to read what saints like gandhi have said about the gita http://www.gitananda.org/about-gita/index.php
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