We have not thought enough of the negative consequences of the modern management system, based on western materialistic thought and modeled to pursue high standards of living, consumerism and economic growth. This unbridled pursuit of ‘having more’, has been accompanied by an unforeseen tidal wave of social disintegration and moral disorientation.” It is in this context, we must take serious note of the visionary words of Sri Arnold Toynbee, the noted Historian and Nobel Laureate, who professed – “It is already becoming clear that a chapter which had a western beginning in business management will have to have an Indian ending, when the world adopts rich thoughts of Indian ethos and wisdom, if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race”.

There is disillusionment and frustration with the present model of management which is materialistic and production-centered. In this Western materialistic thought based management system, the Worker is all and Man stands nowhere. Man has been reduced to a wage-earner and is treated like a hired commodity. In the rush for economic planning and growth, the true model of man has been completely lost sight of. Human values have been sacrificed at the altar of profit. Human values refer to spiritual, ethical and moral values. These values act as the base for thoughts, actions, skills and behaviour and shape good character. These values create a good man, a good manager and a good organization. They set good examples in society. Swami Vivekananda said “I care only for the spirit– when that is right everything will be righted by itself…” Spiritual development is an essential part of total human development. Here, mind is more important than material, ethics is more important than economics.

Western models of man and management are bound to prove inadequate in addressing the problems of modem society as it is based on individualism and consumerism and it lacks consciousness and spirituality. The answer lies in building a sound value system as preached by Indian tradition of holistic living based on the vision of oneness. Western management scholars are turning to our Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita for answers to the angst pervading their civilization which their management practices have failed to resolve.

Important concepts are available in India to enrich Western thought and to provide a holistic set of ideas for management and organizations. Ancient Indian scriptures like Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Kautilya’s Arthashastra etc, apart from philosophy & spirituality, deals with topics like leadership, teambuilding, motivation, emotional intelligence, mind management, organizational skills, Administration and strategic approaches to management like decision making and problem solving etc which will be useful to modern business leaders & managers in managing their businesses as well as in their personal and social life. The ideas presented in these scriptures also have global perspective and relevance.

The Kendra, at VK AICYAM, Bhubaneswar, will focus on the doctrines and ideas from these ancient Indian scriptures which are relevant to global mindset development with specific reference to business leadership and management and will attempt to connect these concepts and ideologies with contemporary management principles and practices for efficiently managing their organizations and also focusing on their personal effectiveness.