EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Along with economic prosperity, the obvious side effects of globalization are
feeling of emptiness in spite of enjoying prosperity, corporate scandals, corporate
downsizing, searching for your own true identity, and breakdown of traditional
institutions. Increasing human beings crave for meaning at work life and expect
workplace to give stability in the unstable world.

Pushed by these needs, today’s leadership has to adopt new approaches to utilize
the potential of human resource for the benefit of individual employee and for the
welfare of the organization. Spirituality is going to bring such capabilities. Though
spirituality in the life of human beings is generations old, it is being revisited with
lot of conviction and confidence in the commercial arena.

Work life has become so demanding, fast paced, stressful, ambiguous and chaotic
due to our lifestyle that we are forced to seek Value-based answers and ways of
achieving personal stability within. We have come to realize that our inner wisdom
is the only source that will sustain our adaptation and stability in the long run.
More specifically, it has to do with how we define ourselves, view the world, relate
to others, and make ethical/ moral decisions. Introduction of spirituality in an
organization culture will help employees desire, to integrate personal life values
with professional life.

Of late there has been a surge of interest in the field of Spirituality in management.
Many contend that it is but a formalization of what till now were isolated, personal
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experiences that had helped the employees remain "centred" even earlier. And
today it is but natural fallout of the increasing de-personalization of the work-
place. It may perhaps provide a modicum of enduring value in these troubled
times. To that extent it is only a re-claiming of the facet of personality long lost
sight of in the pursuit of the profit-objective.

Spirituality is associated with the spirit (soul) it is concerned with the realization of
the self as a soul i.e. being soul conscious, empowering, purifying and emerging
the qualities ( Values and virtues) and powers of the soul so as to enlighten the self
(soul), through connecting to the supreme source of power, the Almighty Supreme
Soul.

The necessity for spirituality has intensified because of the pressures of today’s
workplace in terms of:

• Personal Stability – surviving/adapting to the chaotically changing

workplace.
• Balancing Work/Personal Life – revisiting what's important to us and
reprioritizing our life activities (based upon spirituality sourced values).
• Greater Performance – need for continuous learning driven from an inner
passion.
• Work as Meaning – given today's workplace pressures, employees are
asking, "What's meaningful work for me?"
• Work Force Reduction – an increasing need to do more in less time.
• Humanistic Organizational Cultures – the connection (or disconnection)
between an individual's personal values and the organization's practiced
values.

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 • Self-Management – the need to solve our own problems through greater
empowerment and creativity.

In order to compensate for the loss of job security and the continuing need for
high-performing employees, today’s productive and profitable workplaces require
organizational cultures that integrate humanistic core values with core business
policies, decisions, functions, and behaviors; cultures that support the physical,
mental, and spiritual well-being of its employees.

Here is where Value-based Management comes in to picture. Value management is

distinct from other management approaches in way that it is simultaneously
includes attributes which are not normally found together. It brings together within
a single management system. Alignment of business vision, goals, strategies,
policies and practice has always been the key to the effectiveness and success of
organizations. Customers, employees, suppliers, stakeholders and other
constituencies may all hold differing views of what represents value. The aim of
management is to reconcile these differences and enable the organization to
achieve the greatest progress towards its stated goals. The way the organization
conducts itself its culture, vision and mission all are governed by its values.

If we view companies from a broader perspective, we would see that spirituality

inspire a new way of doing business, the basic spiritual values in management are
Honesty/Integrity, trustworthy, Cooperation, Respect, Patience, Responsibility,
Flexibility and Unity.

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 MANAGEMENT
What is management?

One of the most important human activities is managing. Ever since people began
forming groups to accomplish aims they could not achieve as individuals,
managing has been essential to ensure the coordination of individual efforts. There
is a need for management in each and every activity and action undertaken by us so
that it is done smoothly and fruitfully. Such is the importance of management in
our lives.

DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT

Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment

in which individuals working together in groups efficiently accomplish selected
aims.

Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment for the

purpose of efficiently accomplishing selected aims. Managers carry out the
function of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Managing is an
essential activity at all organizational level; however, the managerial skills required
vary with organizational levels. The goal of all managers is to create surplus and to
be productive, that is to achieve favorable output-input ratio within a specific time
period with due consideration to quality.

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Managing as practice is art; organized knowledge about management is science.
The development of management theory involves the development of concepts,
principles and techniques.

There are many theories about management and each contributes something to our
knowledge of what managers do. Each approach has its own characteristics and
advantages as well as limitations. The operational or management process
approach draws on each school and systematically integrates them.

Functions of Management:
Many scholars and managers have found that the analysis of management is
facilitated by a useful and clear organization of knowledge. In studying
management, therefore, it is helpful to break it down into five managerial functions
Planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling- around which can be
organized knowledge that underlies those functions.

Planning:
Planning involves selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve
them; it requires decision making that is choosing from among alternative future
courses of action. Plan thus provides a rational approach to pre-selected objectives.
It can also be put this way planning is the management function regarding defining
goals for future organizational performance and to decide the resource utilization
in line with end achievements. planning is an intellectually demanding process.

It bridges the gap from where we are to where we want to go. It makes possible for
things to occur which would not otherwise happen.
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Organizing:
Organizing is a function of management related to assigning tasks, grouping tasks
into departments or functional areas and allocating resources to these areas. People
working in an organization must have roles to play. The concept of role implies
that what people do has a definite purpose or objective. Organizing establishes
intentional structure of roles for people. It is intentional in the sense of making sure
that all the tasks necessary to accomplish goals are assigned to the people who can
do those best.

Staffing:
Staffing involves filling and keeping filled, the positions in the organization
structure. This is done by identifying work force requirements, inventorying the
people available and recruiting, selecting, placing, promoting, appraising ,planning
the career of, compensating and training or otherwise developing candidates and
current job holders to accomplish their tasks effectively and efficiently. This
function is carried out by the human resource management department.

Leading:
Leading is the function of management which includes the use of influence to
motivate employees, people to achieve the goals of the organization. Providing
effective leadership has become a significant management function today. It has to
do predominantly with the interpersonal aspects of managing.
All managers would agree that their most important problems arise from people,
their desires and

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attitudes, their behavior as individuals and in groups and that effective managers
also need to be effective leaders.

The ingredients of leadership are:

1. The ability to use power effectively and in a responsible manner.
2. The ability to comprehend that human beings have different motivation

forces at different times in different situations

3. The ability to inspire

4. The ability to act in a manner that will develop a climate conducive to

responding to and arousing motivation.

Controlling:
Controlling is the measure and correcting of activities of subordinates to ensure
that events conform to plan. It measures the performance against goals and plans,
shows where negative deviations exist and by putting in motion actions to correct
deviations. Control activities generally relate to the measurement of achievement.
The basic control process involves three steps;
1. Establishing standards
2. Measuring performance against these standards
3. Correcting variations from standards and plans.

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 SPIRITUALITY

Introduction:
The moment one hears the word spirituality, more often than not one perceives it to
be very difficult to take up and not for the ordinary man, one relates it with
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something which is to be in pursued in the later stage of the life usually known as
the Retirement Age.

Spirituality is in essence, knowing how to live. True spirituality is not a system of

worship or ritual but a positive attitude towards us and others which makes life a
joy rather than a struggle.
Spirituality simply refers to one’s rational beliefs in one’s own identity as a
metaphysical self which is basically different in nature from its body including
brain all its matter and forms,

Spirituality does not have a precise definition, however it can be said that
spirituality is associated with the spirit (soul) it is concerned with the realization
of the self as a soul i.e. being soul conscious, empowering, purifying and
emerging the qualities ( Values and virtues) and powers of the soul so as to
enlighten the self (soul), through connecting to the supreme source of power, the
Almighty Supreme Soul.

In spiritual parlance Spiritual knowledge is figuratively known as the Third eye or

Divine eye, it is also known as holy wisdom or divine intellect. It gives man a
different set of morals and social values that makes a man a much better Human
being. Spiritual Knowledge neither negates the existence of the world nor does it
ask a person to run away from problems are to have a merely passive attitude but
rather it advises man to apply spiritual solutions to them. It explains the problems,
provides us with opportunities to develop our inner faculties ie mind, intellect and
actions and to refurbish our divine potentials.

What does the word "spiritual" mean?

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That which is spiritual:

• Comes from one’s inner self.

• Benefits self and others.
• Creates alignment of purpose/people.
• Comes with surety (validated by the heart).
• Creates inner meaning and motivation about work.
• Creates inner peace in one’s self; centeredness.
• Is a natural desire to help others grow, learn, and succeed.
• Respects and values individual and group dignity.

In the recent times there has been an increasing surge for pursuing Spirituality and
leading a spiritual lifestyle. It has also been seen that there are a number of
spiritual originations have mushroomed in our country itself. There are Some
Renowned Spiritual institutes they are:
 Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwarya Vishwa Vidhyalaya also known as Brahma
Kumaris World Spiritual University. It focuses on Practicing Easy Raja Yoga in
daily life.
 Art of living foundation
 Chinmayanand Mission.
 Ramakrishna Mission.

A little about these organizations:

Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwarya Vishwa Vidhyalaya:
The institution Prajapita Brahmakumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya was
formally established In October 1937. Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya
Vishwa Vidyalaya, (Brahma Kumaris in short) is a unique Vishwa Vidyalaya
(university) and a well known spiritual Value-based educational institution.

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Through its teachings, the institution has gained global acceptance and unique
international recognition. The institution believes in the parenthood of God and the
brotherhood of man and is open to the people of the entire globe irrespective of
their caste, creed, age and social, economic or political status.

In order to achieve the goal of establishing a new world order in which there is
honesty, sincerity, goodwill and high civic sense, these institutions facilitate people
to have a clear vision of their goal and also respective role in the world drama.
They give them a clear world view and also knowledge of their own identity. They
also teach theory and practice of Raja yoga Meditation so that man’s mind
becomes free from tension, bias, prejudices, hypocrisy, jealousy, hatred, greed, ego
and such other negative tendencies that cause conflict in the society and degrade
the person himself. It gives special guidance for the effort of inculcating moral
values and divine virtues in the self and enables a person to experience deep peace
and bliss through Meditation and Spiritual Wisdom.

The emphasis of Brahma Kumaris is on promoting the qualities of humanism,

tolerance and never-ending enthusiasm for spreading the knowledge of truth in
every sphere of life. The institution recognizes the intrinsic spirituality and
goodness of every human being and helps people rediscover that goodness
themselves within, encouraging and facilitating the development of spiritual
awareness, attitudes, behavior and skills through a process of lifelong learning. The
institution's purpose is to share the vision of a world where people live in harmony
with others and to strengthen individual awareness of the dignity and inherent
worth of every human being.

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The institution imparts knowledge and experience that enable a person to face the
problems of life in a calm, composed and confident manner and to stand like a rock
in the midst of strong storms of circumstances. Only such a person can lead a life
of inner satisfaction and kindle in others stable faith in goodness and only such a
person brings honor to his nation. It firmly believes that education should be for
practical life and not merely for a vocation or a profession or job. The education
imparted here, though visibly spiritual in content, is a happy blend of ethics,
practical psychology, metaphysics or philosophy, the gist of world history and
culture, sociology, political science and, in fact, many other subjects.

As an international institution, the Brahma Kumaris offers people of all

backgrounds an opportunity to learn meditation and deepen their understanding of
universal principles and innate values through a variety of educational
programmes, courses and learning resources.

The Art of living foundation:

Established in 1982, The Art of Living Foundation is an educational and

humanitarian foundation, registered in the US as a tax-exempt and nonprofit
organization. It is not a religious organization, but as one adhering to the basic
spiritual principles of love, kindness and unconditional service to the world. It

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carries out numerous charitable, educational and humanitarian programs
throughout the world on the basis of donations.

All the activities of the foundation are based on the saying of its founder teacher
Sri Sri Ravishankar—"a truly religious person will be secular in nature. Secular
means one who thinks all human beings are his or her own."

The Art of Living works in special consultative status with the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN, and as such it has accredited representatives
at the UN in New York, Geneva and Vienna. It also works in formal consultation
with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Chinmaya Mission.

In December 1951 in Pune, India, the great saint, Swami Chinmayananda delivered
his first public address on Vedanta. That was the start of the dynamic 'Chinmaya
Movement', which aimed at spreading the man-making knowledge of Vedanta to
all corners of India and the world. Chinmaya Mission was formed in 1953 by
devotees of Swami Chinmayananda to give organizational structure and
cohesiveness to the work and the activities being initiated by Swami
Chinmayananda.

Over the years, Chinmaya Mission grew into a worldwide organization. Today, it
is involved in:

· Spreading the sublime knowledge of Vedanta - Vedanta is the core of Hindu

philosophy. In fact, it is a universal science of life. A science which is relevant to
all people everywhere, whatever their faith. An understanding of Vedanta would
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inspire people to understand their own faith (whichever it may be) better.
Therefore, although Chinmaya Mission is a Hindu spiritual organization, it does
not seek to change or convert anyone's beliefs. Chinmaya Mission's stated mission
is: "to provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and
the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness, enabling them to become
positive contributors to society".

· Re-invigorating Indian culture - Chinmaya Mission is also involved in re-

invigorating Indian culture in general. The Mission has forums for different age
groups and for professionals, with each forum engaged in understanding and
promoting Indian culture and spirituality. The Mission also organizes and promotes
Indian music, dance, drama, art and literature. It also runs many temples, carries
out research into Indian scriptures, traditions, rituals and languages, and has a
vibrant publications division so that spiritual and cultural books, periodicals, audio
tapes, video tapes and photographs may reach as many people as possible.

· Doing extensive social service - Chinmaya Mission is also actively involved in

social services focusing especially on disadvantaged and underprivileged people.
Hundreds of thousands of people benefit from the Mission's schools, colleges,
hospitals, diagnostic centres, old age homes and rural village development projects.
"To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time is
our religion." This is the Mission's motto.

Ramakrishna Mission

The Ramakrishna Mission is an association founded by Sri Ramakrishna's chief

disciple and religious leader, Swami Vivekananda on May 1, 1897. The Mission
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carries on missionary and philanthropic work in conjunction with householders
(Grihastha) disciples.

The Mission is a registered Society laying emphyasis on rendering welfare services

undertaken with a spiritual outlook. The service activities are rendered looking
upon all as veritable manifestation of the Divine. The Motto of the organisation is
Atmano Mokshartham Jagad-hitaya Cha. Translated from Sanskrit it means "For
one's own salvation, and for the good of the world."

Ideal : For the liberation of one’s own Self and for the good of the World.

Motto: Renunciation & Service and Harmony of religions.

Method: Work as worship.

Activities

Monastic training of young men who have decided to join the Ramakrishna

Order and dedicate themselves to self-realization and propagation of the universal

principles of Vedanta. Service to humanity according to the needs of the society, in
conjunction with lay disciples and workers

Spirituality Vs Religion

Many times spirituality is taken as a synonym to Religion, but in the real sense it
has nothing to do with religion. Spirituality is a widely defined term which
correlates with the spirit that is the inner being .Religion however has an
institutional connotation. It means practicing rituals, adhering to dogma, and
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attending services etc. Religion has its respective ideas and practices and notion
that are subjected to a particular clique of people following that religion. Religion
has boundaries and limits, where as spirituality is universal, it is beyond any caste,
creed, religion or race.

BLISS SOUL
CONSICIOUS

UNIVERSAL
EMPOWERMENT

SPIRITUALITY

ETHICS EQUALITY

ETERNITY VALUES

Element of Spirituality

RITUALS BELIEFS

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RELIGION 17
 DOGMA SCRIPTURES

PRACTICES

Elements of Religion

Spirituality bears the vision of Equality, Eternity, Ethics, Dignity, Values, Virtues
and Self- Empowerment in all individuals. It is not restricted to inherent practices
and rituals but endeavors to explore the self, your innate qualities, values, strengths
and ultimately the Almighty Supreme Being.

To have a healthy mind, it is important to feed the mind with positive and elevated
thoughts so as to strengthen the mind. A healthy mind can work wonders the
examples are ample take for instance the Father of our Nation Mahatma Gandhi,
Swami Vivekananda, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa etc whose principles were
honesty and truthfulness , generosity , Good wishes for all beings, non-violence,
purity , humility , selflessness etc which are the foundations of spirituality . So
even though these great souls may not have lead towards the path of spirituality
they have practiced it .And that is the reason why they are known as great people
and role models.

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The practice of spirituality in daily life educes a peaceful mind, positive thoughts,
Harmony, Good wishes for others and encourages an optimistic approach to life. It
helps in the all round development of an individual into a Good human being in the
true sense.

Thus spirituality is an absolute approach towards life whereas Religion is a relative

and subjective approach.

We get to see many systems of yoga in the spiritual pursuit. Let us examine each of
them;

 Bhakti Yoga

 Gyan Yoga

 Hatha Yoga

 Sanyas Yoga

 Karma Yoga

 Raja Yoga

Bhakti Yoga:
This is the yoga of devotional love. It is for those who, through loving worship
wish to unite themselves with God, a particular deity, prophet or saint or guru.
It is the path of devotion which includes practice of rituals and dogmas.

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Gyan Yoga:
This is the yoga of knowledge and is for those who are attempting salvation
through the study of the sacred books of wisdom. Scriptural scholars and spiritual
intellectuals could be considered Gyani Yogis.

Hatha Yoga:
This is the Yoga that uses force and discipline in an attempt to unify the energies
of the body with those of the consciousness through physical postures and
breathing exercises.

Sanyas Yoga:
Those who renounce society and their families and led a life of solitude and
contemplation removed form the normal worldly ways are called sanyas yogis.

Karma Yogis:
Some think that one only has to perform the normal chore and duties of life in a
spirit of dedication to God are considered to be Karma Yogis.

Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga is the essence of all the yogas. This is because it is the unification of all
the yogas. Raja Yoga combines a meditation practice with knowledge that brings a
spiritual perspective into reality. Meditation courses are not based on a regime of

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physical postures but rather an insight into the workings of the mind, intellect and
subconscious.

Since Raja yoga has its origin in India, there is a misconception that it is a sect of
Hinduism. The truth is that Raja yoga is not a religion instead it is a spiritual
science which has universal application. No doubt, it gives a deep religious
experience in the sense that it enables the self of Atman to be linked with
Paramataman i.e. the supreme soul, but the method is scientific and is based on
rational understanding.

‘Yoga’ in Sanskrit Means ‘Union’ and ‘Raja’ means The ‘Highest’. Hence Raja
yoga means the union of the self with the highest soul or Supreme Being. The
word ‘Raja’ also mean the ‘King or Ruler’, since the mind is the Ruler of the
physical organs, so union of the mind with God who has the highest attributes is
called as Raja yoga. It signifies the link between the soul and the Supreme Soul
through which the soul becomes the controller of its own mind, Intellect and
Sanskaras and consequently the physical Body.

The Bases of Raja yoga:

 Soul Consciousness
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 God consciousness
 Meditation

Soul consciousness:
Soul consciousness entail being in the state of the awareness and realization of the
self as a Soul which is distinct from the Body. This awareness must be constant,
while performing actions and in our daily course of action. It should be instilled in
our lifestyle also.

Soul consciousness is the foundation of spirituality. It is the Seed, which when

nurtured germinates into fruitful results of Bliss, Harmony, Happiness,
contentment etc.

Here we shall see a brief distinction between Soul consciousness and Body
consciousness;

In Body consciousness In Soul Consciousness

I perceive myself to be the Body I perceive myself to be a soul

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 I have no control over my I am the controller of my senses,
senses And I am able to practice
Self-control.

I am Relaxed and Peaceful

I am tensed and weary
I am free from all vices.
I am entangled in the vices of
Anger, Greed, Ego, Attachment
toward physical possessions,
Desires and fear.
I consider all as souls. Appreciate
I complain about others, hurt each one’s qualities and have a
Feeling and emotions. I have Positive attitude towards life.
Negative feelings
I am contented
I am discontented
The have a clear understanding
I see a distorted past and have of the Present, Past and Future.
no clear aim for the future

God Consciousness:
Raja Yoga helps to establish a relationship with God. It pertains with the
conditioning of thoughts towards the Almighty, Supreme Being who is the ultimate
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source of spiritual energy. Through the regular Practice of Raja Yoga one
experiences positivity in one’s thoughts, Actions, words and attitude.

Meditation

One of the most important elements of spirituality is the practice of Meditation.

Here comes a vast array of meditation technique one of them being Raja yoga
Meditation which is the simplest and widely practiced.

As a plant grows in soil and requires water and air for its growth, so do the values
grow in spirituality and they are nourished and strengthened by Raja yoga. Raja
yoga weeds out the negativity from the mind and protects values from pests and
insects that come in the form of evil tendencies.

One would not have much difficulty in appreciating the benefits of the practice of
Raja yoga in the Development of the self but one would find it rather difficult at
least initially to understand how Raja yoga can be help in attaining success in
management. The reason for this is that there have been many misconceptions
about Yoga including Raja yoga. One of these misconceptions about Yoga is that it
gives a person an attitude of passivity or that a yogi takes flight I face of problems.
This misconception prevails because of the existence of some fake yogis and
practitioners.

The real Yoga;

 Prepares us to face the toughest problem of life with resoluteness of spirit and
steadfastness in moral principles.
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 It fills the practitioners mind with zeal and enthusiasm.
 It gives us the spirit to fight a non violent struggle against all adversities.
 It equips us with mental and spiritual tools that enable us to work efficiently
and excellently and yet be free from distress.

Benefits of Meditation:

When one fixes one’s mind in mental affirmation of considering oneself as a soul,
one feels that one is at a better level of consciousness. One experiences calmness
and peacefulness and has an exhilarating feeling of lightness. One also has the
feeling on enhancement or activation of one’s spiritual and moral powers. When
one rises from this state of stability and tranquility, one feels a great inner upsurge
of self-confidence, enthusiasm, noble thoughts and benevolence.

There being a qualitative difference between what one used to experience in one’s
day to day life earlier and this higher meditation experience and it spills over
influencing the rest of the day. When one goes into one’s daily routine after some
experience of meditation with a natural smile on one’s face, love in one’s eyes and
sincerer in one’s mind people feel a subtle change in this practioner for now he is
more loving, cooperative, honest, sincere and more efficient . He has now certain
abiding principles and has the spirit of service. He has goodwill for all. Jealousy,
anger, greed, wasteful and negative thoughts are reduced in intensity, longevity
and range and the mood is better and stable and the level of anxiety, fear and
tension has come down

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

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Who am I? Is indeed a very old question but it is as relevant today as it was when it
was first raised. This question was perhaps one of the earliest questions that gave
rise to various systems of philosophical reflections, contemplations and
metaphysics. Man wanted to solve the mystery of his own existence and worked to
solve the riddle of his own real identity. He wanted to know where from he had
come and why he was here.

Human Being is the greatest wonder of God’s creations. There is nothing

comparable to the Human in this world. It is said that the Human Mind is the most
powerful thing on Earth and indeed it is. The human mind has created
unimaginable creations, has achieved all that was only dreamt of, added all the
luxury and comfort to life. This all was first conceived in the mind before putting it
in to action. It is the minds play that brings about all the Action in the world.

What then the toys of men?

Something is missing.
We’ve classified and categorized,
Labels and fables.
We move faster than the lions,
Cut through the skies above,
Dive deeply in the ocean,
But we’ve forgotten how to love.
What then the dreams of men?
Something is missing.
Planning and negotiating,
Breaking ideals..

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 We have built the tallest buildings.
Sent up missions to the stars.
Every one tries to be a success.
But we’ve forgotten who we are.
What then the works of men?
Something is missing.
- Anonymous

Illustration:
There is one very interesting analogy which states Soul is to Body as Person is to
House. This may seem to be simple but when taken in spiritual context, it has great
significance. Just as a person is the owner of the house and the things in it
similarly, the Soul is the owner of the body and all its components. However, today
the situation is just the opposite. The soul has become a slave to the body and its
possessions. This is the key cause for the degradation of the soul, its powers and
virtues.

The basic logic of Indian philosophy asserts that the human body is an assemblage
of organs etc. which are for a specific use and not for its own sake but for the
purpose of its user. A person who thinks, feels and acts makes use of the body like
a house, fitted with windows, doors, Ventilation, Sanitary conveniences etc. So
there must be an inmate in the body who uses or works with this mechanism.

The Indian Philosophy calls this inmate The Atman- the Self. It is this one who
uses the first person pronoun I in the singular form for itself. The very word body
or ‘Deha’ points to the separate identity of someone whose body or deha it is. The

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self is called ‘Dehi’. As the Driver of the car is separate from the car so also the
self, Dehi or Atman has a separate identity. The body is material or physical where
as the soul is non physical, it is metaphysical.

We all know that car has the motor power as the driver has the motive power, the
intent, the will, the purpose or the goal for it is the driver who gives the car a
direction according to his goal and uses it at his will with the intent or purpose of
going somewhere. So also the soul or the Atman has intent, purpose, goal, will or
motive and directs the body or decides when, how, where and why to use what part
of it.

Aspects of the self:

There are two aspects of the self
1. The Innate self or the Real Self
2. The Acquired self or Physical.

The innate self is also known as the soul, Atman, Spirit, which is the essence and
store house of all values. It has three main faculties through which it functions or
performs all the mental activities i.e. The Mind, The intellect and The Sub-
consciousness.

The Acquired self or the physical self is whatever one has acquired after coming in
contact with the Body i.e. Ego, Role Image, Possessions, beliefs, relationships etc.
We are so conscious of the acquired self that all our actions and resources are
concentrated around physical development. Hence, the developing the real human
resource is neglected, due to lack of awareness of our innate potential.

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 Organs

Cell Human Body Blood

Bones
Tissues

Components of the Human Body

In deep meditation one can perceive the soul as an infinitesimal point of non-
physical light surrounded by an oval shape aura. The soul is not an invisible or
ethereal duplicate of the physical body. The soul –energy which manifests as
thoughts, feelings etc has no physical size, and for this simple reason, it is eternal.
Something which has no physical size cannot be destroyed. It is mentioned in the
Bhagvat Gita that the soul cannot be burnt by fire, washed by water or destroyed
by any element. It is an imperishable and eternal being.

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 Soul

Subconsciou
Mind s
Intellect

Components of the Human Soul

When the soul is in the body it manifests as three faculties. Although each faculty
has been given a separate name, it is actually the same energy, the soul functioning
on three different levels simultaneously . These are the Mind, Intellect and
Subconscious or Sanskaras.

Mind Intellect Subconscious

Thought Will Power Tendencies,
Power Evaluates, Habits,
Imagines, Discriminates, Personality
Thinks, feels Reasons, Decides Traits, Talents
and forms and understands and Memories
Ideas

Mind:

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The mind is the thinking faculty of the soul. The mind is constantly occupied by
various thoughts. It is the mind that imagines, thinks and forms ideas. The thought
process is the basis of all emotion, desires and sensations. It is the mind that
experiences the variations of moods. The mind does not have the understanding of
what is right or wrong hence, the mind generates both Good and Bad, Positive and
negative thoughts. The mind is the faculty of the metaphysical and should not be
confused with the heart or even the brain.

Intellect:

Intellect is used to assess the thoughts .This is the faculty of understanding and
decision making which stands out as the most crucial faculties of the three. With
the deepening and broadening of the intellect understanding and realization of
knowledge becomes natural and the power to decide and reason becomes clear. It
is the intellect which remembers, discriminates, judges, makes decisions. In order
to increase the efficiency and productivity of the intellect so that one takes the right
decisions, one has to have a peaceful and calm mind because it is only when the
mind is in the state of peacefulness and calmness that it can project thoughts that
are precise. This in turn improves the accuracy and efficiency of the intellect. This
state of peaceful ness can be attained by first having the knowledge of the innate
self as infinitesimal point of non-physical light and through the practice of
meditation.

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Subconscious:

Subconscious or Sanskaras as it is called in Sanskrit and the records of the souls

past actions. Sanskaras can take the form of habits, personality traits, and
behaviour. Every action as an experience either creates a Sanskara or reinforces an
old one. This is how a habit begins. The Sanskaras are the basis of a soul’s
individuality.

Illustration:
Consider a situation where a particular manager has the tendency to indulge in
malpractices and manipulation in managing the organizations activities. So, if this
particular manager indulges to such actions regularly it becomes his Sanskara or
habit.

SPIRITUALITY AND MANAGEMENT

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In the recent past globalization has been a buzzword in most of the corporate
houses. Looking dispassionately it is becoming imminent that globalization cannot
be stopped in the world economy. This throws new challenges in managing the
projects, people, production and market places. This need is pushing the leadership
to adopt new approaches to utilize the time, human resources and the potential of
the workforce. Many researchers in the field of Human Resources Development
have found that spirituality is going to bring in such capabilities as the
globalization process demands. Though spirituality in the life of human being is
generations-old, it is being revisited with lot of conviction and confidence. We
observe off and on that many successful leaders of the corporate ascribe the
success of that organization to their people and not to themselves.

The modern paradigm is characterized by rigid attitudes and beliefs about others
and practices in the organizations, establishments of specific rules and procedures,
a resistance to change, a tendency to rely only on logic and reason and to scorn
intuition and any display of emotion, a scarcity belief, the use of win-lose methods
in conflict, the use of power and politics to maintain a power base, and a difficulty
in delegation of power. Organizations that are based in the modern paradigm
utilize more inflexible bureaucratic structures and a top-down chain of command.
Communication is through formal channels and formal policy and procedure
manuals.

The spiritual paradigm is characterized by openness to change, employee and

managers having a sense of purpose and meaning, an appreciation of being
connected to the organization as a whole, a greater likelihood to trust others, a
valuing of intuition and emotion in decision making, and use of win-win methods

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in conflicts. Organizations based in a spiritual paradigm are generally flatter in
structure and there is a greater cooperation and collaboration between individual
units of the organization- Biberman & witty 1997

Spirituality is about bringing out a quality that is already present in the human
beings and not about bringing/ teaching something which isn’t there. Spirituality is
not only job satisfaction, it is beyond. However spirituality from organizations
point of view emphasizes on unity, coherence, open communication, honesty,
integrity and respect and a balance in both the individual and organizational life
and job satisfaction comes from these exhibited patterns.

Spirituality should not be misunderstood as participative management. While some

exhibit behavioral patterns like respecting the skills and abilities of their
employees, trusting the employees etc are qualities common to both, spirituality in
organization extends beyond relationships at work and helps the employees to
achieve salvation through work by which the goals of the organization is also
achieved. Put differently spirituality helps employees to realize that they have
achieved the goals of their life. According to Desiree uhrich, mid-life soul
searching, corporate downsizing, quest for stability in unstable world, inclination
towards holistic living, global spiritual renaissance and corporate social
responsibility movement, change in organizational structure and individual
spiritual needs (personal meaning in life and workplace) are some of the reasons
for embracing this concept.

Traditional organizations place emphasis on form and function. In contrast to this,

organizations operating under this paradigm of spirituality place emphasis on

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spiritual energy flow, shared visions and aligning employee-values with
organizations values.

Dorothy Marcic in her article human spirit: An imperative for organization opines
that some of the management related word like vision, empowerment,
accountability, commitment and customer orientation remain as words and mostly
we do not know how to achieve them. Many leaders agree that treating employees
decently yields better results, but often fail to implement it and the reason is that
‘our structure has not caught up with our consciousnesses. Organizations have five
dimensions Material (building, equipments etc), Intellectual (collective intelligence
of employees), volitional (desire to improve, change demands, willingness) and
spiritual (transcending the material man). Most of the organizations focus on
material, intellectual and some attention to volitional change but ignore emotional
and spiritual dimension. The resulting lack of balance almost guarantees only
limited success at best and often failures.

Spiritual principles relate to our inner self, our soul, the part of us that transcends
“material men”. Our spiritual nature craves purpose in life. It is the part of us that
deals with love, kindness, generosity, understanding, forgiveness, peace and
harmony.

It is now commonly said that the work of a business Executive, Manager or a top
Administrator is such that it leads to ailments such as High Blood Pressure,
Diabetes, peptic ulcer or at least tension and stress so that he develops a
dependence on sleeping pills and alcohol to free himself from worries that weigh
heavily on his mind and drain all his energy. At the end of the day he feels

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fatigued. It is thought that the nature of the managerial or administrative work is
such that these psycho-physical troubles will naturally come up. It is believed that
since a manager is under various kinds of pressure and has to keep many deadlines
and has to take instant decisions, he must have some stress in the process. But this
is a wrong belief. Spiritual knowledge and Raja yoga meditation enables a person
to feel relaxed, to be more efficient and less fatigued.

Managers show increasing interest in integrating spirituality and management and

this integration offers managers a source of enduring meaning in turbulent times.
Their interest is important because for many, integrating spirituality and work
brings profound meaning to their jobs as managers. It brings their deepest values to
bear on their work and so offers a promise of equally deep fulfillment. Managers
committed to spirituality share some similar concerns.

Now let us analyze the work Management;

MAN+AGE+MEN+ T

When we talk of Management our thoughts are focused on the concepts of

managing Men, Money, Materials and Machines. It is always seen that in doing
so we often tend to forget the ‘Man’ within and therefore it is said that Man comes
before Men.

There are a few questions that each one of us must ask ourselves

• How effectively can I manage myself?

• If I do not know how to manage myself how can I manage others?

Application of spirituality in management means:

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• Preparation of the state of mind so as to be receptive of the knowledge
available, developing the skills and motivation required to do one’s job
effectively.
• To weed out all negative tendencies and develop positive attitudes.
• Develop the ability to cope with pressures of modern management.

Self management:

Self management is an integral part of Indian philosophy. It implies that the

manager should first manage his own self. The manager has to mange himself also

Along with other responsibilities which leads to emotional maturity and balanced
mind. In other words self management implies the management of reactions
towards anything in oneself. It is suggested that through regular meditation, one
can get inner strength to manage oneself. One can mange others only when he can
mange himself effectively.

Spirituality at work place (Economic times 8/8)

How does one introduce spirituality in one’s work arena? How does one be
spiritual in a materialistic world? This question arises out of a common

misunderstanding that there are two lives we live; a materialistic and spiritual one.
Human beings are not so compartmentalized. In fact there are no two worlds to
inhabit. Spirituality is not so much a matter of where one is but what thoughts one
entertains. Bringing spirituality to the workplace is bringing divine thoughts to the

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work place. We are materialistic when we believe and act as if life is all about
gaining material success. To earn money for me and my family is the mission of
life. A spiritual person is one with a greater vision. He may be doing exactly the
same work but he conceives a higher ideal, a broader perspective. He dedicates his
life to the attainment of something beyond himself. His attention is more than
himself and his family. Higher ideal is something which encompasses a wider
circle of identification. It can be organization, the industry, the economy, the
country. A peon may conceive of this but an MD may not. Whoever can work
something higher than his pay packet is working for a higher cause.

Such work generates huge energy. One feels motivated and enthused to do the
work. Hence the work becomes highly productive without taxing oneself. If one
examines the life of anyone thus engaged, one finds they are most cheerful and
hardworking. They are peaceful, they achieve more. See Mahatma Gandhi or
Mother Teresa. Their life stands testimony to the power of working for a higher
cause. Working for the higher does not necessitate our leaving whatever we are
doing and doing social work. It requires our continuing to do what we do but
changing what we think. The same work done for the welfare for all is spiritual.
The same work done for the self is materialistic. When I can do the same work for
the cause of enlightenment or self-realization, this work attains the highest divinity.
It gives joy to one’s heart, prosperity in one’s life and above all, unfolds the
divinity inherent within.

Spirituality in organizations:

There seems today to be a spiritual reawaking of organizations around the world.

Harman and Hormann (1990) discuss fundamental fact about us that we are
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spiritual beings inhabiting a spiritual universe and that denying this is an error
condemning any social structure to failure. If so, we are operating in a world based
on spiritual principles and laws as well as the more familiar physical principles and
laws. The consequences of violating physical laws are swift ands clear. But
spiritual laws are different. They are easier to ignore at least in the short term for
the consequences are not always quick, and it may also be less obvious. But,
clearly if I as an organization lie and cheat, people sooner of later will stop trusting
me and I shall suffer the unpleasant consequences of being regarded with
suspicion. If I am unkind or unjust, people will eventually turn their back over me.

The companies that violate spiritual laws may suffer in the long run through
alienation of it workers, dissatisfaction of its customers and the loss of community
respect. Companies that follow spiritual principles and are competent, on the other
hand will be long term leaders. Companies adopt codes of conduct and statements
of values for similar reasons i.e. to increase the firm’s prosperity.

What are the key Elements of the spiritual in Organizations? Although definitions
of ‘spiritual’ may vary, there is a general consensus amongst writers on what this
looks like when applied to organizations and also to leadership.

Some of the major elements that are common to most are an emphasis on:

1. Vision and values

2. Service and love for others
3. Empowering others
4. Courage to overcome fears

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5. Changing from within

World class organizations are discovering that their continued success depends on
creating organistaions based on unity, justice, integrity, respect and service. For
decades we have denied the importance of these virtues in our organizational lives
and have developed a more material view of man, one that ignores the deeper issue
of seeking meaning of life and work. These are issues that organizations can no
longer afford to disregard. These are the new management virtues. These new
management virtues form the foundation of characteristics making up the new
management paradigm.

Through trial and error, world wide companies are discovering the effectiveness of
the new management virtues of unity, respect, justice , trustworthiness and
integrity.

A few examples of organistaions lead by spiritual values are

Wipro Spectramind, a Wipro subsidiary and among the top three BPO companies
in India, clears many misconceptions that the ITES industry carries on its back.
According to S Varadarajan, vice president of talent engagement and development
at Wipro Spectramind—it’s all a matter of perspective. It is very important to
ensure that the flock is kept together. For this, the company works by a set of
values or operating principles, which forms the basic fabric of Wipro
Spectramind,” explains Varad-arajan. This has helped in maintaining the
organization as an integrated whole. The values laid down in the company’s
preamble are ‘Integrity and Honesty’, ‘Teamwork’, ‘Respect and Dignity’, ‘Fun’,
‘Customer Centricity’, ‘Innovation and Excellence’. Having a strong set of values

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also helped in smooth integration of the Spectramind work culture and philosophy
into Wipro.

The Aditya Birla Group is India's first truly multinational corporation. Global in
vision, rooted in Indian values, the Group is driven by a performance ethic pegged
on value creation for its multiple stakeholders. A value-based, caring corporate
citizen, the Aditya Birla Group inherently believes in the trusteeship concept of
management. Part of the Group’s profits is ploughed back into meaningful welfare-
driven initiatives that make a qualitative difference to the lives of marginalized
people.

Infosys believes, a company's value system is the guiding light in its hours of
darkness. It builds confidence, peace of mind, and enhances enthusiasm during
tough times. The importance you attach to your value system is reflected in the
cost you are willing to incur for your beliefs and convictions. It was said by Mr.
Narayan Murthy “At Infosys, we have stood firm whenever our value system was
tested. We knew that talking short cuts that compromise our values would be
detrimental. One of my strongest beliefs is that corporations have an important
duty to contribute to society. No corporation can sustain its progress unless it
makes a difference to its context".

Delta Airlines was able to reduce erosion of trust during a major restructuring by
improving and increasing communication (Richardson and Denton 1996). Delta set
up a special, toll free telephone number to handle questions from employees and
update information on the changes. The airline received more than six thousand

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calls from the very beginning. A similar program at another company going
through a merger helped enhance trust and job satisfaction within three months.

Benefits to Organizations that Integrate spirituality:

In organizations that foster spirituality management recognizes that while

developing human resources will contribute ultimately to profit, workers are to be
valued and affirmed because that is how the organization operates; that is its
philosophy. In order to fully understand the idea of spirituality and work, an
attitude toward employees must be that are ‘spiritual’ beings who are holders of
truth, integrity and unique and individual gifts’ (Craigie, p.1999).

However, greater profit is a byproduct of integrating spirituality into the

workplace. In addition to that more kindness, fairness, democratic principles and
power sharing can be attributed to boost up the spirits of the employees.
Employees are empowered, and they thus contribute to the strength of the
organization and a renewed competitive energy. If employees are encouraged to
become more conscious of their ‘highest’ self and are made aware of the purpose
of life and work both material and spiritual organizational effectiveness is
enhanced.

VALUE-BASED MANAGEMENT
Today’s work life has become so demanding, fast paced, stressful, ambiguous and
chaotic due to our lifestyle that we are forced to seek Value-based answers and
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ways of achieving personal stability within. We have come to realize that our inner
wisdom is the only source that will sustain our adaptation and stability in the long
run. More specifically, it has to do with how we define ourselves, view the world,
relate to others, and make ethical/ moral decisions. Introduction of spirituality in an
organization culture will help employees desire, to integrate personal life values
with professional life.

What is Value-Based Management?

Value management is distinct from other management approaches in way that it is

simultaneously includes attributes which are not normally found together. It brings
together within a single management system. Alignment of business vision, goals,
strategies, policies and practice has always been the key to the effectiveness and
success of organizations. Customers, employees, suppliers, stakeholders and other
constituencies may all hold differing views of what represents value. The aim of
management is to reconcile these differences and enable the organization to
achieve the greatest progress towards its stated goals. The way the organization
conducts itself its culture, vision and mission all are governed by its values.

The effort it puts into achieving excellence is governed by its values that is
experienced both by employees and customers.

There are six phases to developing a Value-based corporate culture

 Assessment:

Determine the company’s position on its values culture and figure out what the
values need to be.

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 Improve initiatives:

To develop improvement initiatives that tightly align to the strategies developed

means that they must contain measures and outcomes that link directly to the
measures and outcomes stated in the strategy. To do this, management must look
inward to its knowledge workers for solutions. This requires that management to
communicate its strategies and objectives. It requires management to view the
organization in terms of how its processes function and to pose challenges to cross
functional groups that represent those processes.

Illustration:

Take the example of a car manufacturer who might have a strategy to improve
customer satisfaction with its cars by building cars with low price, high mileage,
good design, 5 years warranty etc. the management than organize a team of
knowledge workers to purpose ways to achieve the goal. The team would comprise
collectively and explore how to reduce material weight, streamline production, and
develop engines that to achieve the goal.

All organizations have implicit values, yet few have taken the trouble to make
them explicit. Aligning Values with the management practice is the essential
component.

 Program development:

Once the company determines where it stands on its selected values, it decides how
to make progress towards them. Create a code of conduct that represents the ethical
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values established during assessment. Keep the code precise, based directly on the
selected values. Establish a training plan for getting the required information to
everyone working with the company.

Employees are not the only one’s to introduce to the new effort. Do not forget
about vendors and contracted staff, though the company may introduce them to the
program after its successful internal launch. Each of these other stakeholders needs
training based on their role in the business.

 Program Implementation:

Communicating the program effectively throughout the organization is an

essential to a successful program. Communicating the program frequently is
another important success factor. Distribute the “Code of Conduct” and train
people so they understand it. Verify that all levels of staff are getting the desired
message. Establish an anonymous reporting system to raise questions about the
values and any suspected lapse. If the company is successful with investigations,
several things can happen. First, giving each incident the appropriate investigation
will establish the credibility of the program.

 Re-assessment and Modification

After the initial implementation of the program’s major elements, review if

again. Find out the communications effective in getting the right message to all
levels of staff.

Evaluation- This process is more comprehensive than the re-assessment. It comes

on a less frequent basis, usually annually. Consider adding questions about the

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ethic s program to your annual employee questionnaire. This will not only help the
evacuation process but can also moderate the costs of gathering such information.
Re-evaluating the program and keeping it relevant are essential to its continued
health. Remember that ethics are about people and how they interact. The program
is about building a culture that supports sound decision-making based on respect
for all stakeholders. That asset is a way to draw concerned parties into the
company culture and create an environment where they all can be productive.

Recent happenings about accounting practices, conflicts of interest, document

shredding and retaliation against employees in companies heighten interest in
spiritual values.

Spiritual Age:

We have moved from the industrial age to the information age which is based on
knowledge to the spiritual age which is based on wisdom. Wisdom is a way of
being – an in-depth understanding, empathy, compassion for the human experience
at work is not about finding purpose and meaning in our job, but finding it in
ourselves.

Spiritual Values:

The root for value is valor, which means strength. Values are sources of strength
because they give people the power to take action. Values are deep and emotional
and often difficult to change. Values are the essence of any organization and
philosophy for achieving success. Values provide employees with a sense of
common direction and guidelines for day to day behavior. The first step in creating

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an atmosphere of common commitment is to invite the hearts and minds of
employees to join the purpose of the organization. Shared missions, values and
vision bring people together. They unite and provide the link between diverse
people and activities. People who share values or vision are more likely to take
responsibility; they are more likely to challenge the limits of convention. Values
provide guidance.

Spiritual value is a way of expressing more humanity and recognizes each persons
own beliefs. Traditional ways of achieving values do not provide the flexibility and
responsiveness necessary for a customer focused stance in a rapidly changing and
unpredictable environment. The development of an individual and building on
creativity will naturally require spiritual practice e in the process of achieving an
organizational goal. The rate at which an individual grows is mostly self-
determined. An organizational goal to deliver a product on time within budget may
force or inspire an employee to learn new skills and assume greater responsibility
in order to achieve that goal. In this sense, spiritual goals and organizational goals
are not only compatible, but mutually beneficial.

If we view companies from a broader perspective, we would see that spirituality

inspire a new way of doing business, the basic spiritual values in management are
Honesty/Integrity, trustworthy, Cooperation, Respect, Patience, Responsibility,
Flexibility and Unity.

Honesty/ Integrity:

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Honesty means that there are no contradictions or discrepancies in thoughts, word,
or actions. To be honest to one’s real self and task and inspire faith in others.
Honesty is never to misuse that which is given in trust.

Honesty is a clear conscience "before myself and before my fellow human beings."
Honesty is the awareness of what is right and appropriate in one’s role, one’s
behavior, and one relationship. With honesty, there is no hypocrisy or artificiality
which creates confusion and mistrust in the minds and lives of others. Honesty
makes for a life of integrity because the inner and outer selves are a mirror image
Honesty is to speak that which is thought and to do that which is spoken. There are
no contradictions or discrepancies in thoughts, words, or actions. Such integration
provides clarity and example to others. To have one form internally and another
form externally creates barriers and can cause damage. Honesty is as distinct as a
flawless diamond which can never remain hidden. The worth is visible in one’s
actions.

To be trusted and to trust provide the foundation and cohesion necessary for
untarnished relationships. It is also necessary to share with honesty the feelings and
motives of one another. When there is honesty and cleanliness, there is also
closeness. Without these principles, neither individuals nor societies can be
functional.

An honest person is one who aspires to follow the highest codes of conduct, who is
loyal to the benevolent and universal principles of life, and whose decisions are
based clearly on what is right and wrong. Such an individual maintains standards
which provide guidance and courage to understand and respect the subtle
connections of the world in relation to his or her life. An honest person appreciates
the interconnectedness of the natural world and does not misuse, abuse, or waste
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the wealth of resources provided for the well-being of humanity. An honest person
does not take for granted his or her own resources such as mind, body, wealth,
time, talents, or knowledge. Honesty means never to misuse that which is given in
trust. There would always be the concern that resources be used in a worthwhile
way - for the basic human,

Trustworthy:

Trustworthiness seems to be a thread running through business development. The

market system depends on trust- trust between customers and sellers, between
suppliers and manufacturers, between bankers and companies.

For example, if customers had no reason to believe that their purchases would be
of adequate quality and had no means of returning defective merchandise, imagine
their wariness in spending money on anything.

Similarly, if supplier were habitually paid late and sometimes less than the amount
due, they would demand cash on or even before making delivery, which would put
many factories in a difficult cash-flow situation.

Trust manifests itself on three levels:

1. Within the workers.

2. Among all workers and throughout the organization, leading to greater
accessibility and ;
3. Between the organization and the community in which it operates.

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Cooperation:

One who cooperates receives cooperation. The method to give cooperation is to

use the energy of the mind to create vibrations of good wishes and pure feelings for
others and for the task. By remaining detached, objective and influenced by
innermost values and not external circumstances, subtle cooperation in the form of
wisdom emerges.

Cooperation is one of the most important values needed in today’s organization set
up. Every department in an organization depends on the other for fulfilling its

needs for example the marketing department depends on the production

department so that it can fulfill the demand created in the market. Here,
cooperation takes a stand. Each department and personnel in the organization must
cooperate with each other so as to achieve the organizational objectives.

Cooperation requires recognizing the unique role of every individual while

maintaining a sincere and positive attitude. Positive thoughts within the self
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automatically and easily create the feeling of cooperation within the minds of
others. The method to give cooperation is to use the energy of the mind to create
vibrations of good wishes and pure feelings for the others and for the task. That
affects the atmosphere in a positive and subtle way. The collective vibrations of
such pure and subtle effort prepare the ground for open and profound deliberations
and a successful round of cooperation.

Patience:

Patience is a value or quality that is highly demanded in any work of life. No

success is possible without this quality. This quality develops will power. A patient
man always keeps his cool. He has a balanced mind. He is not afraid of failures
and difficulties. There is a very beautiful example that is relevant to patience, the
bees collect a drop of nectar from each flower patiently and store it in the honey
comb.

People today want quick results and in the process make innumerable mistakes.
They become careless and stressed out and lose all their energy just to get the end
result instantly. It’s a popular saying that ‘the fruits of patience are the sweetest.’

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Unity:

Unity is harmony within and among individuals in the group. Unity is sustained by
concentration energy and focusing thought, by accepting and appreciating the
value of the rich array of participants and the unique contribution each can make,
and by remaining loyal not only to one another but also to the task.

Unity is built from a shared vision, a cherished hope, an altruistic aim, or a cause
for the common good. Unity gives sustenance, strength, and courage to make the
impossible possible. Combining with determination and commitment, unity makes
the biggest task seem easy.

The stability of unity comes from the spirit of equality and oneness, the noble
values embodied in core universal principles. The greatness of unity is that
everyone is respected. Unity creates the experience of cooperation, increases zeal
and enthusiasm for the task, and makes the atmosphere powerful and enabling.

Unity manifests in team spirit. It is the feeling of oneness. Unity is the strength of
an organization.

Respect:
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To know one's own worth hand to honor the worth of others is the true way to earn
respect. Respect is an acknowledgement of the inherent worth and innate rights of
the individual and the collective. These must be recognized as the central focus to
draw from people a commitment to a higher purpose in life.

Respect begins within the individual. The original state of respect is based on
awareness of the self as a unique entity, a life force within, a spiritual being, a soul.
The elevated consciousness of knowing "who I am" arises from an authentic place
of pure worth. With such insight, there is faith in the self and wholeness and
completeness within. With self-realization, one experiences true self-respect.

Respect is an acknowledgment of the inherent worth and innate rights of the

individual and the collective. These must be recognized as the central focus to
draw from people a commitment to a higher purpose in life. International respect
and recognition for intellectual rights and originality of ideas must be observed
without discrimination. The eminence of life is present in everyone, and every
human being has a right to the joy of living with respect and dignity.

In an organization one must respect the fellow coworkers, subordinates, seniors,

shareholders, suppliers, customers etc. Respect must be reciprocal. One should
give and take respect. Respect their viewpoints, beliefs, physical abilities etc. along

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with respect comes acceptance which includes acceptance of inherent rights of
each person. Lack of respect and acceptance lead to conflicts and hostility.

Flexibility:

Flexibility can also be called as adaptability or adjustability. It includes the ability

to adapt to changing situations and allowing one’s own beliefs and habits to change
as needed. As our world changes at an ever rapid pace, we have to see trends and
prepare for them and change ourselves with it.

Flexibility is to learn about ourselves, our own strengths and weaknesses and then
work to operate from our strengths allowing others to help us with our weaknesses.
It is the ability to transform ourselves to best suit the environment and this should
be simple. A person is flexible only if he has an easy nature and not rigid.
Flexibility incorporates a change in shape and not nature. A very good example for
this is clay, because of the flexible nature of clay one can give it the desired shape
but the nature remains the same.

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Responsibility:

A responsible person fulfills the assigned duty by staying true to the aim. Duties
are carried out with integrity and a sense of purpose. Moral responsibility is to
accept what is required, to honor the role which has been entrusted, and to perform
conscientiously and to the best of one’s ability. The actor has been given the part.
He or she should be mindful of that and not wish to be somewhere or someone
else. Duties should be carried out with integrity and a sense of purpose.

Responsible individuals work in collaboration. That is true for all tasks and
especially important in areas which affect the lives of others. Responsible
individuals operate on two premises:

1) That all participants have something worthwhile to offer, and

2) That the situation requires a cooperative rather than a competitive environment.

Responsible people do not fall into the traps of inferiority or superiority; they
recognize that the optimum outcome cannot depend on one person, one group, or
one nation alone.

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Responsibility is managing time and resources to bring maximum benefit while
accommodating necessary change. Decisions in the consciousness of being
responsible for social or global welfare encourage actions which are performed in a
selfless way. In taking responsibility for others’ rights, a budget of all assets -
mental, physical, and spiritual - needs to be devised. That includes taking into
account accumulated and available resources and their efficient and equitable use.
Inattention, carelessness, corruption, greed, or lack of judgment result not only in
some people or areas receiving nothing, some not enough, and others too much,
but also in the unnecessary loss of human lives and natural resources.

LEADERSHIP – in spiritual context

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Leadership is often the key to the success or failure of organization in all contexts
whether business, religious groups, Military, academic institutions etc.

People everywhere are starving for leadership... starving to connect with leaders
who are believable, trustworthy, and capable of actualizing constructive changes,
who can transform the character of organizations and curtail the exploitation of
people and natural resources, inequalities of educational and economic access, and
stress from an impossible pursuit of happiness through unlimited desires and
acquisitiveness

In order to be a successful manager, one has to be an effective leader. The

difference between a manager and a leader is that the manager stays at the back
and pushes people into the system, while a leader stands in the front and pulls the
people along with him. The manager administrates and maintains, while a leader
innovates and develops. The manager relies on system and counts on control while
a leader relies on people and counts on their trust. As such the manager enables
things to be done right, while a leader does the right things through inspiration.

Hence, the organizational world demands leader’s not just managers. Who is a true
leader? Somebody has beautifully defined a leader as “one who never reacts, but
observes, understands, analyses and then acts decisively.”

The 6 C’s perfectly describe an ideal leader. A leader is a cool and calm person.
He would not lose his patience. This reduces confusion and he possesses a clear
vision that is a clear understanding of what he is doing and why and how is he

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going to do it. This enables him to be confident and therefore has a high level of
commitment and while performing he becomes highly creative in his ways. This
is how he becomes a source of inspiration.

Peter Drucker stated that leaders should lead not only through knowledge and skill
but through courage, responsibility, and integrity." (Drucker, The Principles of
Management, 1955)

Character impacts the leader’s effectiveness with both vision and people. Character
expands our horizons to include the interests of those beyond ourselves; thus it can
illumine knowledge and convert it into wiser and more compelling visions.
Character also creates resonance between the leader and others; by this the leader
moves beyond "compliance" and inspires inner commitment. A true leader inspires
people to take the initiative, based on their own intrinsic values, to implement a
noble vision.

True leaders must inspire courage, integrity, trust, and personal brilliance in their
colleagues. Their leadership must be based on their personal character, and must
build integrity and character throughout the organization.

When we exercise leadership based on spiritual values, we build the character and
reputation required for growth.

The innate powers that an efficient and effective leader must possess are;

The Power to Accommodate:

It is the ability to adjust to the other person or situation, with the consciousness of
creating benefit from each opportunity. It provides the ability of not being affected
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by negativity. It taps the wisdom to perceive exactly what a person or situation
requires. A leader has the ability to adapt or the power to accommodate. Flexibility
and the ability to adapt is the strength that helps the leader to reach his goals. A
river finds its way through the landscape and reaches the ocean despite many
obstacles along the way. In the same way, flexibility in a leader is the ability to
adjust to many different personalities and situations he or she faces in the process
of reaching his /her goal. The more flexible the leader , the better will be his
capability to accept pressure. A leader needs to have the maturity as to where to
adapt and when to adapt.

The Power to Discern:

This helps in distinguishing the real truth from the apparent truth, between things
of temporary value and those of eternal value. This power helps to identify the
fault lines and illusions. This ability is absolutely crucial for a leader who is taking
decisions for so many others to follow. If he lacks discerning power and chooses
the wrong path, the consequences may be hard hit. Discerning power means that
you build up a very good assessment system. Knowledge and wisdom enable one
to take accurate decisions

The Power to Face or Tolerate:

All the uncertainties, complexities and contradictions require lot of tolerance. A

leader has a high level of tolerance. Tolerance is the ability to work in very
demanding situations, where there is a lot of turbulence and high pressure.

A leader has to handle many different situations simultaneously and to accept

considerable feedback. He has to take major decisions and take responsibility of
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those decisions. Tolerance means to give one’s best up to the very end. It gives the
courage and confidence to deal with any situation or person. Challenges are rather
perceived as steppingstones to learn deeper lessons of life. The leader has to have
the power to face as he carries the main responsibility. The implication of decision
making is to take up the responsibility.

The Power to Judge:

One of the major tasks of a manager is decision making. He is constantly in

situations where he has to judge . Discrimination for correct decisions is like
correct investigation for right judgment. A manager has to make judgments at
many instances for which he should have a good eye for discerning between the
right and wrong, benefit and loss. This helps to assess any situation accurately
with clarity and precision, with a detached, impartial and fair approach.

The Power to Pack-up:

This is the ability to set aside all wasteful thoughts so there is lightness and
freedom from burdens and worries. Though there may be many responsibilities, we
cease to equate them with worry. By going deep into the self, our preoccupations
with limited external activities are packed up for that period.

The Power to withdraw:

It is the power to detach the mind from the negative situation while maintaining
full awareness. To withdraw this way allows us to observe the scene with n
objective perspective.

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 CONCLUSION
Any company that successfully integrates performance and responsibility will
thrive, when management is firmly grounded in spiritual principles, business skills
are applied with excellence, and people strive to apply high values to its products,
its communications, and internal management practices – then the brands of that
company take on an allure to anyone interested in high integrity. That reputation
will return multiple dividends in terms of greater investment, greater growth, and
greater talent. And we all gain greater confidence in the power of love and
character to provide for our material as well as spiritual well-being.

Success stories of organizations operating on the principles of spirituality are

fundamentally about hope. With so much that is negative around us, it is tempting
to say that organizations are so lacking in spirituality that we might as well
abandon all attempts to move in that direction. But the experiences of these leading
companies demonstrate that hopelessness is unwarranted. Love and virtue carry
their own rewards as we manage in accordance with spiritual law. Love virtue and
spiritual law can help us see the essential nobility of others and the beauty and
meaning of thing otherwise invisible and intangible.

Thus it can be concluded that spirituality indeed has an important role to play in
our personal and professional lives. Spirituality changes our attitude to wars life
and our work. Thus bringing wellbeing to our lives, organization, society and the
world as a whole. We can anticipate that all organizations realize the criticality of
spirituality in management and help us to evolve a and lead a meaningful life.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reference Books/ Magazines:

Development of the self- B K Jagdish Chander

Do you know your real self? – B K Jagdish Chander

Applied spiritual knowledge- B K Jagdish Chander

Self Managing Leadership- B K Usha

Living values- published by Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University

New Beginnings- Ken O’Donnell

Spirituality in the work place- edited by C Vijayahndra Kumar, Kanugovi Sreenath

Essentials of management- Harold Kootz , Heinz Weirich

BMA Review magazine –November- December 2004

Websites:

www.spiritualityatworkplace.com

www.bkwsu.com

www.viveka.org

www.adityabirla.com

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www.expressitpeople.com

infotech.indiatimes.com

valuebased.rediffblogs.com

www.artofliving.org

www.chinmayamission.com

www.ramakrishna.org

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