Unit 2: Indian ethos for managers

Indian ethos in management means applying principles from Indian scriptures and traditions — the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Kautilya's Arthashastra — to management. Key ideas: work is worship, nishkama karma (action without attachment to results), yogah karmasu kaushalam (excellence in action), sarva loka hitam (welfare of all) and atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya cha (one's own liberation and the world's welfare). Relevance: reduces stress and greed, builds ethical leadership and teamwork, and balances material and spiritual goals.

• Brain stilling: quieting the mind through meditation so it becomes calm and clear — leading to better decisions and creativity.
• Total quality mind: a mind free from negative emotions, with purity of thought, that produces quality work naturally — the inner basis of total quality management.
• Intuition: insight that comes from a still mind rather than step-by-step reasoning; valuable in complex decisions.

Professional ethos is the set of values and standards that guide a profession. A code of ethics is a written statement of an organisation's values and expected conduct (honesty, confidentiality, conflict of interest, fair dealing). Foundational human values: freedom (to choose responsibly), creativity, love and compassion, and wisdom — the basis of a humane workplace.