02 Philosophy of Management M S IDRUS 2006

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Philosophy of Managementformerly Reason in Practice

http://www.managementphilosophers.com/About%20Reason%20in%20Practice.htm

Philosophy of Management is published three times a year. It offers an independent, refereed forum for philosophers,theorists and management practitioners to apply philosophical scrutiny to management theory and practice. It seeks todefine and develop the field of philosophy of management and is directed to philosophers working in all traditions.

ScopeThe journal focuses on central philosophical issues of management in theory and practice including:

Presuppositions of management including theories of nature, human nature, rationality, knowledge, legitimacyand rights

Core concepts in management such as leader, vision, organisation, stakeholder, motivation, value,effectiveness, wor Representations of management in different media and managerial myths Management methodologies, for instance decision-making, control, organisation design The use of philosophical techniques and skills in management practice such as dialogue, enquiry, conceptual

analysis The application of philosophical disciplines to issues facing managers including organisational purpose,

performance measurement, the status of ethics, employee privacy, limitations on the right to manage

BUSA 6100 History and Philosophy of Management Fall 2004itc.gsw.edu/faculty/aparks/MGNT6100.htmGeorgia Southwestern State University

Americus, Georgia, 31709 USA

INSTRUCTOR: C. Alan Parks, D.B.A.; Office: ADM 200; e-mail:[email protected]: 928-1380 Web page: www.gsw.edu/~aparks

TEXT: Wren, Daniel:THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENTTHOUGHT, 4th ed.

Goldratt, Eliyahu and Cox, Jeff:THE GOAL

WHERE: Business/History Room 208

Course Description/Prerequisites

BUSA 6100. History And Philosophy of Management. A review of the history ofthe development of the philosophy and practice of managing people in

organizations and organized activity. Emphasis is upon independent research and

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in-depth discussions of texts and projects. Prerequisite: Graduate standing..

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this class is to provide the graduate management student with anoverview of the development of management philosophy. With this backgroundthe student will be able to develop a personal philosophy grounded in history butwith knowledge of the need for continuing education and revision in anenvironment of rapidly changing business conditions.

General Requirements

This class is a reading and discussion seminar. Class will be used for orientationand a final recap of the material. Each student will be expected to explore some

facet of management through the lens of history, to write a report of this research.The assignments should demonstrate thorough knowledge of the material.Assignments include completion of the discussion questions and submission of a

book report on The Goal, and a research paper. This course is primarily WEB CTbased (on-line).Specific Requirements/Assignments:

Reading Assignments (Wren book)Reading Assignment: The Goal

Attendance at the two on-campus meetings in Business/History 208 is required(10% of grade). Each student will access the Web CT course and complete thediscussion questions related to the Wren book in the "Content Modules" section,and submit via e-mail to the Instructor (50% of grade). Each student will readThe Goal and summarize the key points in brief paper (5 pages double-spaced,15% of grade); we will discuss in class. Each student will prepare and present aresearch paper based upon a topic or person covered in the course (7 -10 pagesdouble spaced in APA style; 25% of grade). Check this site for a sample paperdone by the instructor (no need to add graphics as done on the web site):http://www.westga.edu/~bquest/2001/women.htm

Students must read the material scheduled for each class and submit assignmentsby the dates as indicated below:

August 28, 2004: Class meets 8:30 A.M. till 10:00 A.M. Business/History 208.Course overview. Web CT instructions.September 10, 2004: Submit Content Module 1 assignment.September 24, 2004: Submit Content Module 2 assignment.October 8, 2004: Submit Content Module 3 assignment.October 22, 2004: Submit Content Module 4 assignment.

November 5, 2004: Submit report on The Goal

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November 20, 2004: Class meets 8:30 A.M. till 10:00 A.M. Submit researchpapers (bring to class); discuss research papers, recap of course materials.

Attendance

Attendance at scheduled class meetings and participation in class discussions isexpected (10% of grade).

Saturday, August 28, 2004: Overview and instructions.Saturday, November 20, 2004: Re-cap of course, submit research papers in

person.

Every effort will be made to conduct class on the dates indicated. In the event ofcircumstances beyond the control of the Instructor, the November 20 classmeeting may be re-scheduled. Advance notice will be given.

Honor Code

All work submitted for this course must be the students own work. It can be usedonly to satisfy the requirements of this course unless prior faculty approval isobtained. The penalties for violations will follow the guidelines in the UniversityBulletin.

Grading

The final course grade will be determined by the following:

Research paper: 25%

Discussion Questions 50%

Report on The Goal 15%

Class meetings/Participation 10%

Grading Scale:

90-100 points = A

80-89 points = B

70-79 points = C

60-69 points = D

< 60 points = F

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EXAMPLES OF PHILOSOPHY OFMANAGEMENTSome examples of successful "philosophy of management" in action:

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/28609695/m/353003025731

quote:In her Capable Management interview Martha Nussbaum offers a concept of the citizen manager andexplains what her central ideas mean for management. She argues that the managers job is not justabout making employees feel good and argues for an account of human flourishing linked not to meresatisfaction but to ten central human capabilities that ought to be non-negotiable in a decent society.Managers, she urges, need also to be informed citizens of the world, passionately committed, buildingemotionally healthy workplaces, creating conditions in which people can function well and guided bya decent set of ethical goals.

quote:Brian Donohue draws on work experience in insurance to explain how healthy, vibrant organisationsdiffer from those in decline. In Ethical Enquiry and Organisational Pathology he defines the differencethrough a model of decision making with paradigms of integrity, exoneration and manipulation.Decision-makers in failing organisations abandon integrity, transparency and an overt shared purpose infavour of self-protection.

quote:Why ethical codes fail to deliver is the concern of consultants Andrew Bartlett and David Seth Preston.Not Nice, Not in Control suggests the problem arises from self-deception about the effectiveness,

neutrality and true role of management. Conventional approaches to business ethics fail to address theseissues, they argue, and they describe how self-deceiving employees and managers come to identify theethical with the effective and thus merely support the status quo.

quote:Taking employee empowerment seriously, Erik Odvar Eriksen draws on the discourse theory of JrgenHabermas. He suggests how organisations can equip people to reach rational and legitimate decisions inforums that promote open communication and the equal treatment of all involved. Decision Making byCommunicative Design explains how a good enough procedure can achieve decisions that meet theethical test of democratic legitimacy as well as the pragmatic one of effectiveness.

These ideas are being put into action, and those who will benefit the most will be the employees and theconsumer, since ethical conduct by companies empowering employees will have a definite positiveimpact on consumers and their turn from consumers to prosumers.Also, so much for the idea that current day philosophers need to don a bear and abstract themselvesfrom the pragmatism inherent to the business world:

quote:"Esa Saarinen has broken new ground for philosophy in the corporate world and work life at large. Hehas been a key driver in establishing philosophy as a recognized force in the context of modern Finnishmanagement thinking. Serving as a lecturer and a coach for Finnish companies and organisations forover a decade, Saarinen has become a leading figure in the field of mental coaching and philosophy oflife in Finland. Saarinen has worked extensively with Nokia since 1995."

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It is useful for me to think of management as separate from, but overlapping with, leadership. Thingsand time can be managed, but with people its more like leadership. To be efficient and/or effectiveboth management and leadership must be done with a firm, and often reaffirmed, grasp of a visionbroken down into goals within which management and leadership can operate. If we begin with no"map" it doesn't really matter what road we take or how fast we get there. So, we must have a map.

Given the vision and goals, management of things comes into play through processes such as gatheringcritical information, planning, implementing, maintaining, tracking, evaluating, weeding out, modifyingand even junking and starting over. The main point is to control resources (not for the sake of control)but so those resources can best be of service in working toward the goals and in turn to approach thevision.

Things to consider:

Philosophy and philosophising in the everyday world of work: its uses for organisations andindividuals

Notions of criticality in thinking within and about management

Ethical issues for organisations and managers as individuals including work, careers, identity

and meaning Management education: how can and do philosophy, philosophising and philosophers

contribute?

Epistemology of management: issues surrounding knowledge, learning, expertise, rationality,emotions, strategic thinking, decision making

Political issues in management: corporate governance and responsibilities; stakeholders andshareholders; justice, democracy and representation at work; the applicability of politicalconcepts to managed organisations

The history of management ideas, their development and philosophical origins

The impact of philosophy and philosophising on management theory, practice andeffectiveness

Specific philosophers and their contribution - actual or potential - to management theory andpractice

African, Asian, Indian, Latin American and other non-western philosophical approaches tomanagement

Feminist contributions to management theory and practice

Understanding and managing processes of change: what can philosophical thinking tell usabout why so many management change initiatives fail and why some succeed?

I consider that building a better workplace so that employees are empowered to surge to their potentialscan only be beneficial to themselves, the company, the production line, and most importantly, theconsumer or prosumer (at this point the aim is for every consumer to become a prosumer via the ethicsof honest marketing).

I can see no wrong in incorporating a healthy dosage of philosophy during the decision making processand the previous planning to reach to that instance.

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http://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Philosophy+of+management

Philosophy of management

Scope

For general works on management or management techniques. Classspecific techniques at the appropriate part of the classification

Narrower

Behavioural theories of management

Classical theories of management

Corporate strategy

Knowledge management

Management development

Management organisation structure

Management personnel

Managerial activities

Managerial qualities

Project management

Related

Management science

Synonyms

Preferred term: Management

Administration

Management techniquesManagement theory

Techniques of management

Theory of management

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY / THEORYhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Branches.htm

The discipline of philosophy is divided into several branches, sub-disciplines orfields, each devoted to a particular object of knowledge (e.g. the arts, religion,etc.). Please find below links to the most important ones.

There is a useful Map of the Main Branches of Philosophyprovided by thedepartment of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

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http://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Philosophy+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/main.asp?id=AA&term=Philosophy+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAC&term=Behavioural+theories+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAB&term=Classical+theories+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AD&term=Corporate+strategyhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AK&term=Knowledge+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AC&term=Management+developmenthttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAE&term=Management+organisation+structurehttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AB&term=Management+personnelhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AE&term=Managerial+activitieshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AF&term=Managerial+qualitieshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AH&term=Project+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=SA&term=Management+sciencehttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Administrationhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Management+techniqueshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Management+theoryhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Techniques+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Theory+of+managementhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Branches.htmhttp://www.philosophy.ed.ac.uk/study_html/vade_mecum/sections/section1/branches.htmhttp://www.philosophy.ed.ac.uk/study_html/vade_mecum/sections/section1/branches.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Branches.htmhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Theory+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Techniques+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Management+theoryhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Management+techniqueshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Administrationhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=SA&term=Management+sciencehttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AH&term=Project+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AF&term=Managerial+qualitieshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AE&term=Managerial+activitieshttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AB&term=Management+personnelhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAE&term=Management+organisation+structurehttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AC&term=Management+developmenthttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AK&term=Knowledge+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AD&term=Corporate+strategyhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAB&term=Classical+theories+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AAC&term=Behavioural+theories+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/main.asp?id=AA&term=Philosophy+of+managementhttp://conceptspace.london.edu/textview.asp?id=AA&term=Philosophy+of+management


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Aesthetics / Critical TheoryPhilosophy of Culture / Cultural TheoryPhilosophy of EconomicsPhilosophy of Education

Philosophy of the EnvironmentEpistemology / Theory of KnowledgeEthics / Value TheoryPhilosophy of Gender: see Feminist Philosophy / TheoryPhilosophy of GeographyPhilosophy of History / HistoriographyPhilosophy of Information TechnologyPhilosophy of Language / Linguistic Theory / Rhetorical TheoryLogic / Philosophy of Logic / Argumentation TheoryPhilosophy of ManagementPhilosophy of Mathematics

Metaphilosophy / MetatheoryMetaphysicsPhilosophy / Theories of MindPhilosophy of Race / Critical Race TheoryPhilosophy / Theories of ReligionPhilosophy of SciencePhilosophy / Theories of the SelfPhilosophy / Theories of SexualitySocial and Political Philosophy / TheoryPhilosophy of SportPhilosophy of Technology

THE MANSIS PHILOSOPHYBASIC BELIEFS ABOUT THE PROCESS OF

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT:

HTTP://WWW.MANSIS.COM/MANSPHIL.HTM

[1] The successful delivery of almost all significant human endeavors depends on theeffective management of human resources.

[2] Because people management is so crucial, it should be an organization's leadershipresponsibility to ensure all employees are managed properly, humanely, fairly,consistently and forthrightly, promoting dignity and respect.

[3] The most effective and efficient way for the leadership to control this process is bysystematizing the process, and then to manage the system. The quality of anorganization's people management practices cannot be left to luck of the draw or up tothe preferences or inclinations of individual managers.

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http://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Aesthetics/Aesthetics.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Culture/Culture.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Epistemology/Epistemology.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Ethics/Ethics.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Feminist/Feminist.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/History/History.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Language/Language.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Logic/Logic.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Metaphilosophy/Metaphilosophy.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Metaphysics/Metaphysics.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Mind/Mind.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Race/Race.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Religion/Religion.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Science/Science.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Self/Self.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Sexuality/Sexuality.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/SocioPolitical/SocioPolitical.htmhttp://www.mansis.com/mansphil.htmhttp://www.mansis.com/mansphil.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/SocioPolitical/SocioPolitical.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Sexuality/Sexuality.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Self/Self.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Science/Science.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Religion/Religion.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Race/Race.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Mind/Mind.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Metaphysics/Metaphysics.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Metaphilosophy/Metaphilosophy.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Logic/Logic.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Language/Language.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/History/History.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Feminist/Feminist.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Ethics/Ethics.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Epistemology/Epistemology.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Culture/Culture.htmhttp://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/branches/Aesthetics/Aesthetics.htm


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[4] Not all, but many organizational problems including poor management andsupervision, unacceptable employee performance, difficulties or failures to implementchange, and low morale can be traced to a deficiency in the fundamental structure of theorganization. In short, what is often missing is a system to control how people aremanaged!

[5] Criticisms against "hierarchy" and the so-called "command and control" approach tomanagement are generally unfair and a clich. Like the "straw man" argument, thesecriticisms are often based on extreme examples of improper usage of hierarchy and"command and control" or a misunderstanding of both.

The Mansis Approach to Client Service

Mansis is a company of professionals in human resource management. Our expertise isin the diagnosis and treatment of problems or dysfunctions in the operation oforganizations, especially related to the leadership and management of people. Ourapproach is to diagnose problems (symptoms) and either prescribe and implement

treatment in the form of action plans, systems and training, or refer to others morequalified in the problem areas.

We are management professionals whose Mission is to improve the performance andsuccess of small and medium-sized organizations. We do this through deliveringmanagement education programs; and working with organizational leaders to implementsimple, practical skills and processes for managing their organizations.

Applied Behavioral Management

Our principal focus is on behavior; specifically helping management to influence thebehavior of their employees. We give low priority to direct attempts to change orinfluence employee attitudes or personality. A manager has the right to insist on aparticular pattern of behavior in the business, but little right to demand (and less ability tomeasure) particular attitudes or personality types. More often, performance problemsstart when management is unclear about what they want their employees to do.

We are essentially "applied scientists." Our research and development strengths are intranslating academic research into practical techniques for the manager to use "in thefield." Accordingly, we promote simplicity, clarity and practicality. Too often, managementtexts and fads are about theoretical concepts and models, which are stimulating andthought-provoking but very difficult to apply in the everyday work world. Mansissuccessfully bridges the gap between academia and the manager's day to day

challenges.

Detachment is an enlightened philosophy of managementSimon Londo n11/19/2005

http://www.financialexpress-bd.com/index3.asp?cnd=11/20/2005&section_id=16&newsid=7192&spcl=yes

Management gurus started waxing lyrical about "value webs" and "businessecosystems" in the early 1990s. During the dotcom bubble these ideasbecame achingly fashionable. Silicon Valley superstars such as Cisco, thenetworking equipment company, showed it was possible to grow at an

astonishing rate by outsourcing just about everything. The way Cisco

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managed its army of business partners became the stuff of myriad casestudies and cover stories.When the dotcom bubble burst, such fancy notions fell out of favour.Executives hunkered down with copies of Jim Collin's Good to Great or Larry

Bossidy's Execution, determined to get back to basics. This was not a bad

thing. Many companies had lost sight of fundamentals. It was time for acounter-revolution.Back in 2005, however, the language of the go-go 1990s is making acomeback. The reason is that while growth is again at the top of themanagement agenda for most CEOs, competition is intense, pricing powerelusive and demand in most industries growing at only a modest pace. So

thinking laterally about how to grow is a necessity. This means exploring"business model innovation", "demand innovation", "value webs" and so on.

Welcome back to the future.A few weeks ago in this column I waxed lyrical about what I dubbed "radicaldelegation", the way successful companies are loosening command-and-control mechanisms to harness the energies of employees, customers and

suppliers. Recently I received a copy ofLet Go To Grow by Linda Sanford, asenior vice-president at IBM, and co-author Dave Taylor.I hesitate to recommend the book because, notwithstanding the fact that the

publisher is Addison-Wesley, a corporate cousin of the FT, it is among themost badly written volumes in the dismal management genre."Letting go means following these management principles," advise Sanfordand Taylor. "Componentize your business. Integrate your components end toend. Expand your growth space through collaboration. Liberate your coststructures."The sad thing is that IBM people really do talk like this. Just read a fewspeeches by Sam "business process transformation services" Palmisano, BigBlue's chief executive. However, readers brave enough to hack through the

tangled prose of Let Go To Grow will find plentiful current examples of the1990s approach.Consider, for example, the story of TAL Apparel, a Hong Kong-based clothingmanufacturer. For years, TAL was just another supplier, sending bulk ordersof shirts to the warehouses of JC Penney, the US department store group,where its goods would often sit for weeks or months before being sold atheavily discounted prices.The breakthrough came when the retailer agreed to let TAL deliver shirts

direct to its stores, reducing the amount of inventory in the system. When thiswent well, TAL persuaded JC Penney to share point of sale data, so themanufacturer could forecast how many shirts would be needed by each storeeach week. TAL next took on some design work, using its factories to test-

market new styles before deciding with the retailer whether to go for a fulllaunch.As Sanford and Taylor tell it, the collaborative relationship has beensuccessful for both sides. TAL is now the world's largest shirt maker. JCPenney makes decent money on merchandise that was previously a low-

margin commodity. This happened -- and here's the punchline -- only becausethe retailer was willing to let go, share information and delegateresponsibility.Other examples include dotcom darlings Amazon and eBay, which haveturned themselves into platforms upon which customers can build successfulbusinesses, and Procter & Gamble, the "old economy" company now aiming tounearth half its new product innovations from outside its research and

development labs.The Let Go To Grow approach is not the only way to win, of course. One of

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the most striking differences between Lenovo, China's largest personalcomputer company and the PC operations of IBM, which it acquired in May, isthe degree of integration and control exercised by each side.IBM's PC business, as you might expect, exhibits many Let Go To Grow

characteristics, with assembly and testing outsourced to contract

manufacturers and service and support handled remotely by IBM GlobalServices. Lenovo, in contrast, is highly integrated. Its headquarters campus insuburban Beijing includes not only offices but also an assembly line, a callcentre and an automated warehouse running on software written by thecompany itself.I cannot say that either approach is inherently better. There may be good

reasons for keeping operations in-house. Note that Dell, which had beenkicking sand in the face of IBM's PC division for years, like Lenovo, owns its

own assembly plants. Unusually, Dell PCs for the US market are alsoassembled in the US, close to the customer.The hard part is deciding which parts of the value-creation process to controland which parts to delegate. Forward-thinking companies recognise that

finding the right balance can be a source of competitive advantage. They alsoknow that developing the flexible management approach required to workcooperatively with others is an absolute prerequisite in this interconnected,

globalised, outsourced world.'Let Go To Grew: Escaping The Commodity Trap', by Linda Sanford and DaveTaylor, Addison -- Wesley Professional, December 2005.

Philosophy of Managementby Lionel B. Dyckhttp://www.lbdsoftware.com/Lionels_Philosophy_of_Management.htm

1. Availability and Customer service come first.

2. Problems will be resolved as quickly and accurately aspossible.

3. We will not place blame, we will solve problemstogether.

4. My team must be successful for me to be successful.

5. I will do what I can to make my team successful,including education and opportunities for promotion.

6. I will respect my team as I expect respect in return.

7. I will always be honest with my team and I expecthonesty in return.

8. I will set clear priorities.

9. I will always be available to my team, and when Imotherwise occupied I will make every effort to get back

to my team as soon as is possible.

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10. I will reward my team when appropriate in public, andwill correct when appropriate in private.

11. I expect to be notified of any problems reaching severity

2 or severity 1 status as soon as possible and to bekept informed of the progress in problem identificationand resolution.

12. I expect to be notified of any severity 3 or 4 problemsthat have the potential to reach severity 2 or 1 level assoon as possible.

13. I expect my team to make appropriaterecommendations for additional resources to resolveproblems. When in doubt escalate.

14. I will be open to suggestions and criticisms from mypeers and my team, as the only way to improve is toknow what needs improving. In return I will provide thesame feedback to my team in a private and respectfulmanner.

15. My team knows their job and I will not micro managethem. I expect my team to let me know when they needadditional skill training and/or resources to do their job.

16. My team should enjoy what they are doing and if theyare not then I will work with them to change thingswhere possible. This may include additional training ormore challenging job assignments that might lead to apromotion or a position in another group.

ENGINEER/SCIENTIST AS A MANAGERhttp://thecenter.utk.edu/programs/engineer-scientist-as-manager.html

OverviewThe program presents the fundamental tools for effectively supervising theactivities of others. The emphasis is on sharpening and enlarging administrativeskills and on better understanding of organizational behavior. Management basicsare given and then each of the concepts are applied to the unique environment ofengineering and scientific management. Extensive opportunity to exchange ideasand assess problems offers the participants the means for stimulating fresh

thinking, enlarging their point of view and expanding their capacity to perform.

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Participant ProfileThe engineer/scientist making the transition from technical responsibilities tomanager will find this program specifically designed for their professional

development. It will also benefit the manager who does not have substantialexperience managing professional technical employees.

Objectives To enhance management skills involved in leading individuals, groups and

organizations. To increase awareness of the need to accept responsibility for and

continuously improve the organization's operations. To develop leadership effectiveness and an understanding of managerial and

professional values. To identify the special problems of technical organizations and learn to work

with them effectively. To encourage an understanding of group dynamics and decision making

techniques.

Methods of InstructionPracticality and results are stressed rather than theory. Management cases takenfrom real-life situations in engineering and scientific organizations are used alongwith decision exercises and films to provide maximum involvement by

participants.

FacultyH. Dudley Dewhirst andGary B. Roberts are the instructors for this program. Dr.Dewhirst is a professor at The University of Tennessee. His specialization is in themanagement of technical employees. Dr. Roberts is a professor of strategicmanagement and entrepreneurship at Kennesaw State University. He serves as aconsultant to several organizations and has published articles on business policyand management history.

Special FeaturesThe program is designed to insure the active involvement of all participants. It hasno more than 25 participants meeting in facilities specifically designed for thistype of group-interaction program. The class size is limited in order to insureinteraction with faculty and fellow participants.

This program, like all Center for Executive Education open enrollment programs,is available as a customized, in-house program for organizations.

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Course FocusFour themes permeate the Engineer/Scientist as a Managerprogram.

Theme I: Developing a Philosophy of Management Grounded inReality.Participants are challenged to examine their "Philosophy of Management. "Everyone has such a philosophy, but, like ones philosophy of life, it is rarelyexplicitly examined. The way a manager leads, communicates, develops and uses

power and influence, manages subordinates, peers and bosses, depends largely onthis philosophy of management. If new ideas, change and renewed enthusiasm forthe managerial role are to result, participants need to explore, probe and questiontheir philosophy.

Throughout the course, we tell it like it is. We deal with the reality of life as amanager with several initial sessions describing and exploring the playing field.Why is the field characterized by brevity, variety and fragmentation? What does ittake to get promoted? What basic motives or orientations lead to a successfulmanagerial career? How is that orientation different from that of successfultechnical professionals.

Participants will benefit by:

Becoming more comfortable with their managerial role.

Understanding how to succeed as a manager. Learning how to deal effectively with the classic conflicts between managers

and technical professionals.

Theme II: Dealing with Classic Management Issues.The classic management challenges of leadership, motivation, and performanceappraisal and coaching are central to the program. We use discussion, role playsand decision exercises to bring excitement and reality to these topics. We also usea leadership exercise developed explicitly for engineers and scientists to exploredelegation decisions in a variety of situations. This allows us to provide individual

feedback on leadership to each participant. We present methods of enhancingperformance by making heroes of those you lead.


Learning a leadership model that calls for flexibility in different situations. Using their own experience to develop an approach to motivation. Receiving feedback on their own leadership/delegation style. Practicing performance coaching. Learning the keys to developing highly motivated, strongly committed

employees.

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Theme III: Managing Teams and Networks.Groups and teams are becoming more important as organizations increasingly turnto flatter, more cross functional organization designs and greater use of teams.

Working with teams places demands on managers to develop power and influenceto successfully manage relationships with others in organizations whosecooperation is needed.

We examine what makes groups cohesive and explore the development of normswhich influence how well groups and teams perform. We work on themanagement of problem solving groups. The benefits of well managed groupdecisions and the potential pitfalls of inappropriately used and poorly manageddecisions are explored.


Developing a clear understanding of what makes groups and teams effective. Learn how to manage problem solving groups. Practice team decision making and receive feedback on team skills. Learn how to avoid the ever present dangers of group think and "trips to

Abilene". Developing methods to better manage relationships with peers and bosses.

Theme IV: Focus on Special Problems in Managing Scientists andEngineers.Managing professionals presents some critical issues for the manager. Young

professionals finish school and come to organizations believing they are ready todo great things. Initial assignments and early treatment are important predictors oftheir long term success. Yet these are mismanaged more often than not. Inaddition, mature professionals who have reached a career plateau are the

backbone of most technology based organizations. We use cases to explore waysto help young professionals through their inevitable period of adjustment and tocreate a challenging and motivating climate for the plateaued professional.

To assure that participants develop ways to manage problems they face in their

home organizations, we ask that they (individually or in small groups) prepare ashort case for the class to discuss. Participant cases provide lively discussion andhelp participants learn from their peers in the course.


Understanding the "period of adjustment" that new engineers and scientistsexperience and develop ways to quickly develop newcomers into contributors.

Learn how to keep plateaued employees productive. Develop ways to enhance creativity and innovation. Working on issues of importance in their own organization.

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ContactFor more information about Engineer/Scientist as a Manager, please contact:

Debra GalaherProgram CoordinatorCenter for Executive EducationCollege of Business AdministrationThe University of Tennessee702 Stokely Management CenterKnoxville, TN 37996-0575

Bric WheelerAssociate DirectorCenter for Executive EducationCollege of Business AdministrationThe University of Tennessee702 Stokely Management CenterKnoxville, TN 37996-0575

Phone (865) 974-5001FAX (865) 974-4989

E-mail [email protected]

Engineer/Scientist as a Manager V ital StatisticsLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeDuration: One Week2006 Dates:

September 18-22

Tuition: $4,300 (Price includes meals & lodging.) Program fees are subject tochange.

All classes are held in the executive classrooms of the Center for ExecutiveEducation. Accommodations are single rooms at a nearby hotel.

Related CoursesExecutive Development ProgramProject Management: Beyond the Techniques

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http://www.york.ac.uk/management/research/

ResearchResearch SeminarsWorking Paper SeriesResearchThe Department has an active research programme that embraces the sociologicaland technological aspects of the subject and links to the highly rated research inother applied science, social science and humanities departments at York. York'snewest academic department is undergoing an ambitious programme of expansionand we are now seeking to develop a leading research profile at national andinternational levels.

Current InterestsThe department is organised around four subject groups; Accounting and Finance;Management Systems; Organisational Theory and Human Resource Management;Public Sector Management, Strategy and International Business. There are alsotwo interdisciplinary research programmes, Critical Management and CorporateGovernance. Details of specific research activities under these headings are listed

below.

Accounting and FinanceProf J.S. Toms, Head of Department, Chair of Board of Examiners

Dr D.M. Higgins, Reader in Managerial Economics and Business HistoryMs K. Haynes, Lecturer in Accounting and FinanceDr S. Verma, Lecturer in Accounting and FinanceMr S. Bos, Graduate Teaching Assistant

The group's research embraces a wide range of accounting and finance-basedtopics, ranging from critical accounting to applied and corporate finance,employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It engages with thecorporate governance agenda through specialised projects including the socialanalysis of risk and the analysis of risk using market and cost-based fundamentals.Research embraces historical aspects of corporate governance and performance,

particularly UK and US economic performance and long run performance in

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textiles and the origins and evolution of the market for corporate control. Othersinclude the relationship between strategy, governance and financial performance,governance and corporate social responsibility, including social andenvironmental accounting. The group engages with the critical management

agenda through specialised projects including critical accounting, embracingMarxist and post-modern perspectives, the international development ofaccounting and the accounting profession, including gender issues and accountingin NGOs.

Organisation Theory and Human Resource ManagementProf S. Linstead, Chair in Critical ManagementProf A. Pendleton, Chair in Human Resource ManagementDr A. Pullen, Senior Lecturer in Critical ManagementDr L. Perriton, Senior Lecturer in Management Studies

Dr M. Wood, Senior Lecturer in Social Theory and OrganisationDr B. Kewell, Lecturer in Organisational BehaviourDr R. McMurray, Lecturer in Organisational BehaviourMs N. Proctor, Graduate Teaching AssistantMs J. Ward, Graduate Teaching Assistant

Specialist areas include : employee share ownership plans ; the relationshipsbetween finance, corporate governance ; and human resource management; theimpact of public ownership and privatisation on industrial relations ; managementdevelopment; gender and management, with reference to women's businessgroups and political lobbying, organisational identity, sexuality, feminist and post-feminist theory; change and innovation management in the public sector area ofhealth care; the production and consumption of organisational knowledge;management and leadership in relation to issues of identity and difference; digitaltechnologies and the perceived acceleration of events in contemporary life;organisation theory, social theory and philosophy; aesthetic approaches toorganisation, including the use of music and song as a form of ethnographicrepresentation; language-based approaches to organisation; qualitative methods,ethnography and culture; globalisation and post-colonialism; the ontology and

practice of play especially in organisational and social intervention; (dys-)functionof multi-organisational partnerships/collaborations; the interplay of reformation

and change with organising identity and new methods for research on multi-organisational partnerships.

Management SystemsDr L. Baxter, Senior Lecturer in Management SystemsMr P. Clark, Lecturer in Management SystemsDr K. Fernandes, 40th Anniversary Research Lecturer in ManagementDr A. Ishizaka, Lecturer in ManagementMr C. Okike, Lecturer in Management SystemsMs C. Lee, Graduate Research Assistant

Mr S. Shah, KTP Associate in E-business Management

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The group name is designed to convey staff interests in management systems as awhole, encompassing both the human and the technical for example the supplychain, the enterprise, the performance and the computing systems involved inoperating organisations. Specialisms include critical approaches to performance

improvement , logistics, supply chain management, including collaborativeproduct commerce in extended enterprises, decision support systems, simulation,and evolutionary methods in organisational change management; interactivesituation modelling in knowledge intensive domains, focusing on the dynamics ofsuch systems combining the principles of ethnography and cognitive science;collaborative product commerce in extended enterprises with reference to CPCfederated architectures within dynamic enterprises to infuse technologicalcapabilities and marketplace innovation within core business processes.

Public Sector ManagementProf M. Beck, Chair in Public Sector ManagementMs L. Matykiewicz, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector ManagementDr J. Ramsden, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector ManagementMr P. Warwick, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector ManagementMs L. Young, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector Management

The research of this group focuses on governance, organisational cultures andperformance in the public sector. Specific areas of interest include public privatepartnership and procurement in the health and education sectors, h ealth policyreform, clinical governance and quality/safety improvements. The research of thegroup currently has a strong international and comparative dimension with a focuson members of the European Union, future accession states as well as other EastEuropean Countries.

Research programmesOur research programmes are inter-disciplinary, critical and policy relevant. Thecritical approach is a generic intellectual agenda. It therefore ranges fromhistorical and political economy perspectives to critical theory, the philosophy ofmanagement and beyond.

Critical Management Studies Research ProgrammeThe research conducted by this interdisciplinary group engages withcontemporary management phenomena and organisational problems throughinterpretive, critical, and constructive research. W orking with ideas from

philosophy, social theory, economics, sociology, theology and business studies, specific areas of interest include the philosophy of organisation; the perceivedacceleration of societal and organisational change in the public and private sector;alternative forms of organisation; organisation and politics; critical accounting,including Marxist and historical perspectives; critical approaches to change andinnovation management in the public sector area of health care ; organisational,

managerial and professional identity; post-modern theory and thought;

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management learning and critical management pedagogy, narrative and discourseanalysis and critical approaches to gender and management and organisation. Therecently formedGender and Management Research Unitis part of the CriticalManagement Research Group.

Governance Research ProgrammeThe research conducted by this interdisciplinary group engages with the policyagenda in critical and complementary fashion to the CMS group. Like the CMSgroup, its membership is drawn from all the core subject groups. The group'scritical approach is informed in part by historical analysis, including the role

played by accounting in corporate governance and accountability processes. Otherhistorical perspectives include; the development of brands and their relation to thecompetitive process and competitive advantage; the application of e volutionarymethods to organisational change management, hypothesising relationships

among organisational characteristics based on principles of phylogenetic analysis;the history of development and training within organisations and the role ofwomen's business networks in furthering the equality agenda. We are alsointerested in the relationship between corporate governance and labourmanagement. The newly formedCorporate Governance and Business HistoryResearch Unitis part of the Governance Research Group. Another major strand ofthe group's activities is concerned with governance and management in the PublicSector, comprising perspectives relating to performance, risk and accountability.Many contexts are included, most significantly regulated organisations,international perspectives and the Health Service, including organisation andservice delivery, and the critical analysis of Public Enquiries and public sectormanagement failures. The newly formedGovernance and Public SectorManagement Research Unitis part of the Governance Research Group.

Research AreasAccounting and Finance

Organisation Theory and Human Resource Management

Management Systems

Public Sector Management

Research programmes

Critical Management Studies Research Programme

Governance Research Programme

Research Opportunities

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Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita and

the Philosophy of M anagementby M.P. Bhattathiri

http://www.sellingsalesmanship.com/gita.html

Article by M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner, Govt. ofKerala.Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to controlthe mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna.

PrefaceOne of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gitawhich isconsidered to be the first revelations from God. The management lessons in thisholy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh Yogiand the spiritual philosophy by Theophosical Society. Maharishi calls theBhagavad Gitathe essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practicallife. It provides all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the

highest possible level. Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life thatspeak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. Arjuna got mentally depressedwhen he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. (Mental health has becomea major international public health concern now). To motivate him the BhagavadGitais preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as acounseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting . It has got allthe management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome anycrisis situation. The Bhagavad Gitacan be experienced as a powerful catalyst fortransformation. Bhagavad Gitameans song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. TheHoly Gitahas become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life.In the days of doubt this divine book will support all spiritual search. This divinebook will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner

process. Then, life in the world can become a real education - dynamic, full andjoyful - no matter what the circumstance. May the wisdom of lovingconsciousness ever guide us on our journey. What makes the Holy Gitaapractical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect withour deepest intangible essence and we must learn to participate in the battle oflife with right knowledge.

Mind can be one's friend or enemy. Mind is the cause for both bondage andliberation. The word 'mind' is derived from man to think, and the word 'man' isderived from the word manu(sanskrit word for man).

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"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing thewanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of thematerial energy."

There is no theory to be internalized and applied in this psychology. Ancientpractices spontaneously induce what each person needs as the individual andthe universal coincide. The work proceeds through intellectual knowledge of theplaying field (jnana yoga), emotional devotion to the ideal (bhakti yoga) and rightaction that includes both feeling and knowledge (karma yoga). With ongoingpurification we approach wisdom. The Bhagavad Gitais a message addressed toeach and every human individual to help him or her to solve the vexing problemof overcoming the present and progressing towards a bright future. Within itseighteen chapters is revealed a human drama. This is the experience ofeveryone in this world, the drama of the ascent of man from a state of utterdejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to a state of perfectunderstanding, clarity, renewed strength and triumph.

IntroductionManagement has become a part and parcel of everyday life, be it at home, in theoffice or factory, and in Government. In all organizations, where a group ofhuman beings assemble for a common purpose, management principles comeinto play through the management of resources, finance and planning, priorities,policies and practice. Management is a systematic way of carrying out activitiesin any field of human effort.

Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make theirweaknesses irrelevant, says the Management Guru Peter Drucker. It createsharmony in working together - equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals andachievements, plans and performance, products and markets. It resolvessituations of scarcity, be they in the physical, technical or human fields, throughmaximum utilization with the minimum available processes to achieve the goal.Lack of management causes disorder, confusion, wastage, delay, destructionand even depression. Managing men, money and materials in the best possibleway, according to circumstances and environment, is the most important andessential factor for a successful management.

Management guidelines from the Bhagavad GitaThere is an important distinction between effectiveness and efficiency inmanaging.

Effectiveness is doing the right things.Efficiency is doing things right.The general principles of effective management can be applied in every field, thedifferences being more in application than in principle. The Manager's functionscan be summed up as:

Forming a visionPlanning the strategy to realise the vision.Cultivating the art of leadership.

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Establishing institutional excellence.Building an innovative organisation.Developing human resources.Building teams and teamwork.Delegation, motivation, and communication.Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps when calledfor.

Thus, management is a process of aligning people and getting them committed towork for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in search of excellence.

The critical question in all managers minds is how to be effective in their job. Theanswer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad Gita, whichrepeatedly proclaims that you must try to manage yourself. The reason is thatunless a manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he or she willbe merely a face in the crowd.

Old truths in a new contextThe Bhagavad Gita, written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on allmanagerial techniques leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state ofaffairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity, absence of motivationand so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today and probably inenterprises in many other countries.

The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership, motivation,excellence in work, achieving goals, giving work meaning, decision making and

planning, are all discussed in the Bhagavad Gita. There is one major difference.While Western management thought too often deals with problems at material,external and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad Gitatackles the issues from thegrass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking of man is improved,it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results.

The management philosophy emanating from the West, is based on the lure ofmaterialism and on a perennial thirst for profit, irrespective of the quality of themeans adopted to achieve that goal. This phenomenon has its source in theabundant wealth of the West and so 'management by materialism' has caught thefancy of all the countries the world over, India being no exception to this trend.My country, India, has been in the forefront in importing these ideas mainly

because of its centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers, which has inculcatedin us a feeling that anything Western is good and anything Indian is inferior.

The result is that, while huge funds have been invested in building temples ofmodem management education, no perceptible changes are visible in theimprovement of the general quality of life - although the standards of living of afew has gone up. The same old struggles in almost all sectors of the economy -criminality in institutions, social violence, exploitation and other vices - are seendeep in the body politic.

The source of the problem

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The reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far to seek. The Western idea ofmanagement centres on making the worker (and the manager) more efficient andmore productive. Companies offer workers more to work more, produce more,sell more and to stick to the organisation without looking for alternatives. The soleaim of extracting better and more work from the worker is to improve the bottom-line of the enterprise. The worker has become a hireable commodity, which canbe used, replaced and discarded at will.

Thus, workers have been reduced to the state of a mercantile product. In such astate, it should come as no surprise to us that workers start using strikes(gheraos) sit-ins, (dharnas) go-slows, work-to-rule etc. to get maximum benefit forthemselves from the organisations. Society-at-large is damaged. Thus we reacha situation in which management and workers become separate andcontradictory entities with conflicting interests. There is no common goal orunderstanding. This, predictably, leads to suspicion, friction, disillusion andmistrust, with managers and workers at cross purposes. The absence of human

values and erosion of human touch in the organizational structure has resulted ina crisis of confidence.

Western management philosophy may have created prosperity for some peoplesome of the time at least - but it has failed in the aim of ensuring betterment ofindividual life and social welfare. It has remained by and large a soulless edificeand an oasis of plenty for a few in the midst of poor quality of life for many.

Hence, there is an urgent need to re-examine prevailing management disciplines- their objectives, scope and content. Management should be redefined tounderline the development of the worker as a person, as a human being, and notas a mere wage-earner. With this changed perspective, management canbecome an instrument in the process of social, and indeed national,development.

Now let us re-examine some of the modern management concepts in the light ofthe Bhagavad Gitawhich is a primer of management-by-values.

Utilization of available resourcesThe first lesson of management science is to choose wisely and utilise scarceresources optimally. During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War,Duryodhana chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri

Krishna's wisdom for his support. This episode gives us a clue as to the nature ofthe effective manager - the former chose numbers, the latter, wisdom.

Attitudes towards workThree stone-cutters were engaged in erecting a temple. An HRD Consultantasked them what they were doing. The response of the three workers to thisinnocent-looking question is illuminating.

"I am a poor man. I have to maintain my family. I am making a living here," saidthe first stone-cutter with a dejected face.

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"Well, I work because I want to show that I am the best stone-cutter in thecountry," said the second one with a sense of pride.

"Oh, I want to build the most beautiful temple in the country," said the third one

with a visionary gleam.

Their jobs were identical but their perspectives were different. What the Gitatellsus is to develop the visionary perspective in the work we do. It tells us to developa sense of larger vision in our work for the common good.

Work commitmentA popular verse of the Gitaadvises detachment from the fruits or results ofactions performed in the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to meanworking for the sake of work, generating excellence for its own sake. If we arealways calculating the date of promotion or the rate of commission before putting

in our efforts, then such work is not detached. It is not generating excellence forits own sake but working only for the extrinsic reward that may (or may not)result.

Working only with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means that the quality ofperformance of the current job or duty suffers - through mental agitation ofanxiety for the future. In fact, the way the world works means that events do notalways respond positively to our calculations and hence expected fruits may notalways be forthcoming. So, the Gitatells us not to mortgage present commitmentto an uncertain future.

Some people might argue that not seeking the business result of work andactions, makes one unaccountable. In fact, the Bhagavad Gitais full of advice onthe theory of cause and effect, making the doer responsible for theconsequences of his deeds. While advising detachment from the avarice ofselfish gains in discharging one's accepted duty, the Gitadoes not absolveanybody of the consequences arising from discharge of his or her responsibilities.

Thus the best means of effective performance management is the work itself.Attaining this state of mind (called nishkama karma) is the right attitude to workbecause it prevents the ego, the mind, from dissipation of attention throughspeculation on future gains or losses.

Motivation self and self-transcendenceIt has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower order needs ofworkers - adequate food, clothing and shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation.However, it is a common experience that the dissatisfaction of the clerk and ofthe Director is identical - only their scales and composition vary. It should be truethat once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied, the Director should havelittle problem in optimising his contribution to the organisation and society. Butmore often than not, it does not happen like that. (The eagle soars high butkeeps its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal below.) On the contrary, a lowlypaid schoolteacher, or a self-employed artisan, may well demonstrate higherlevels of self-actualization despite poorer satisfaction of their lower-order needs.

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This situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence propounded in theGita. Self-transcendence involves renouncing egoism, putting others beforeoneself, emphasising team work, dignity, co-operation, harmony and trust and,indeed potentially sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, the opposite ofMaslow.

Work must be done with detachment. It is the ego that spoils work and the egois the centerpiece of most theories of motivation. We need not merely a theory ofmotivation but a theory of inspiration.

The Great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941, known as "Gurudev")says working for love is freedom in action. A concept which is described asdisinterested work" in the Gitawhere Sri Krishna says, He who shares thewealth generated only after serving the people, through work done as a sacrificefor them, is freed from all sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth only forthemselves, eat sins that lead to frustration and failure.

Disinterested work finds expression in devotion, surrender and equipoise. Theformer two are psychological while the third is determination to keep the mindfree of the dualistic (usually taken to mean "materialistic") pulls of dailyexperiences. Detached involvement in work is the key to mental equanimity orthe state of nirdwanda. This attitude leads to a stage where the worker beginsto feel the presence of the Supreme Intelligence guiding the embodied individualintelligence. Such de-personified intelligence is best suited for those whosincerely believe in the supremacy of organizational goals as compared to narrowpersonal success and achievement.

Work cultureAn effective work culture is about vigorous and arduous efforts in pursuit of givenor chosen tasks. Sri Krishna elaborates on two types of work culture daivisampat or divine work culture and asuri sampat or demonic work culture.

Daivi work culture - involves fearlessness, purity, self-control, sacrifice,straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness, absence of fault-finding, absence ofgreed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride.

Asuri work culture - involves egoism, delusion, personal desires, improperperformance, work not oriented towards service.

Mere work ethic is not enough. The hardened criminal exhibits an excellent workethic. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned by ethics in work.

It is in this light that the counsel, yogah karmasu kausalam should beunderstood. Kausalam means skill or technique of work which is anindispensable component of a work ethic. Yogah is defined in the Gitaitself assamatvam yogah uchyate meaning an unchanging equipoise of mind(detachment.) Tilak tells us that acting with an equable mind is Yoga.

(Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1856-1920, the precursor of Gandhiji, hailed by the people

of India as "Lokmanya," was probably the most learned among the country's

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political leaders. For a description of the meanings of the word "Yoga," see foot ofthis page.)

By making the equable mind the bed-rock of all actions, the Gitaevolved the goal

of unification of work ethic with ethics in work, for without ethical process no mindcan attain an equipoise. The guru, Adi Sankara (born circa 800 AD), says that theskill necessary in the performance of one's duty is that of maintaining anevenness of mind in face of success and failure. The calm mind in the face offailure will lead to deeper introspection and see clearly where the process wentwrong so that corrective steps could be taken to avoid shortcomings in future.

The principle of reducing our attachment to personal gains from the work done isthe Gitas prescription for attaining equanimity. It has been held that this principleleads to lack of incentive for effort, striking at the very root of work ethic. To thecontrary, concentration on the task for its own sake leads to the achievement ofexcellence and indeed to the true mental happiness of the worker. Thus, while

commonplace theories of motivation may be said to lead us to the bondage orextrinsic rewards, the Gitas principle leads us to the intrinsic rewards of mental,and indeed moral, satisfaction.

Work resultsThe Gitafurther explains the theory of detachment from the extrinsic rewards ofwork in saying:

If the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire credit should not beappropriated by the doer alone.

If the result of sincere effort is a failure, then too the entire blame does not accrueto the doer.

The former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while the latter preventsexcessive despondency, de-motivation and self-pity. Thus both these dispositionssafeguard the doer against psychological vulnerability, the cause of the modemmanagers' companions of diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers.

Assimilation of the ideas of the Gitaleads us to the wider spectrum oflokasamgraha (general welfare) but there is also another dimension to the workethic - if the karmayoga (service) is blended with bhaktiyoga (devotion), then

the work itself becomes worship, a sevayoga" (service for its own sake.)

(This may sound a peculiarly religious idea but it has a wider application. It couldbe taken to mean doing something because it is worthwhile, to serve others, tomake the world a better place ed.)

Manager's mental healthSound mental health is the very goal of any human activity - more somanagement. Sound mental health is that state of mind which can maintain acalm, positive poise, or regain it when unsettled, in the midst of all the external

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vagaries of work life and social existence. Internal constancy and peace are thepre-requisites for a healthy stress-free mind.

Some of the impediments to sound mental health are:

Greed - for power, position, prestige and money.Envy - regarding others' achievements, success, rewards.Egotism - about one's own accomplishments.Suspicion, anger and frustration.Anguish through comparisons.

The driving forces in today's businesses are speed and competition. There is adistinct danger that these forces cause erosion of the moral fibre, that in seekingthe end, one permits oneself immoral means - tax evasion, illegitimate financialholdings, being economical with the truth, deliberate oversight in the audit, too-clever financial reporting and so on. This phenomenon may be called as yayati

syndrome.

In the book, the Mahabharata, we come across a king by the name of Yayatiwho, in order to revel in the endless enjoyment of flesh, exchanged his old agewith the youth of his obliging youngest son for a thousand years. However, hefound the pursuit of sensual enjoyments ultimately unsatisfying and came back tohis son pleading him to take back his youth. This yayati syndrome shows theconflict between externally directed acquisitions (extrinsic motivation) and innervalue and conscience (intrinsic motivation.)

Management needs those who practise what they preachWhatever the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow, says SriKrishna in the Gita. The visionary leader must be a missionary, extremelypractical, intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams into reality. Thisdynamism and strength of a true leader flows from an inspired and spontaneousmotivation to help others. "I am the strength of those who are devoid of personaldesire and attachment. O Arjuna, I am the legitimate desire in those, who are notopposed to righteousness," says Sri Krishna in the 10th Chapter of the Gita.

In conclusionThe despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gitais typically human. Sri

Krishna, by sheer power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind from astate of inertia to one of righteous action, from the state of what the Frenchphilosophers call anomie or even alienation, to a state of self-confidence in theultimate victory of dharma (ethical action.)

When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishnareminded him of the purpose of his new-found spirit of intense action - not for hisown benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and desire, but for the good of many,with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions and of truth overuntruth.

Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures is, No doer of good everends in misery. Every action should produce results. Good action produces good

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results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore, always act well and berewarded.

My purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency,

dynamism and striving for excellence but to tune these ideals to India's holisticattitude of lokasangraha - for the welfare of many, for the good of many. Thereis indeed a moral dimension to business life. What we do in business is nodifferent, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means do notjustify the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake, is ultimately self-defeating.(Profit, said Matsushita-san in another tradition, is the reward of correctbehaviour. ed.)

A note on the word "yoga".Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning.The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things.

The technical meaning is a state of stability and peace and the means orpractices which lead to that state." The Bhagavad Gitauses the word with bothmeanings.

Let us go through what scholars say about Holy Gita."No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, inthe West, than the Bhagavad Gita. Translation of such a work demands not onlyknowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbalartistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. . . . The

Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic withfresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for thelabor that has lead to this illuminating work."

--Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of PhilosophyUniversity of Southern California

"The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religiouscivilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The presenttranslation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent livingimportance of the Gita."

--Thomas Merton, Theologian

"I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's scholarlyand authoritative edition ofBhagavad Gita. It is a most valuable work for thescholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well asa textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifullydone book."

--Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University

"As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author ofBhagavad GitaAs It Is

is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace

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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of theBhagavad Gitaholds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretationaccording to the principles of the Caitanya tradition."

--Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris

"I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by theBhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and ofgreat value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly trueof the BBT edition and translation of the Bhagavad Gita."

--Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion, Columbia University

"If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, there must be a kindof truth in the Bhagavad GitaAs It Is, since those who follow its teachings displaya joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary

people."

--Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology State University of New York,Buffalo

"There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on theGitaand devotion. Prabhupada's translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracyand religious insight."

--Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College

"The Bhagavad Gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet a common partof our cultural milieu. This is probably less because it is alien per se thanbecause we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative commentary upon itthat Swami Bhaktivedanta has here provided, a commentary written from not onlya scholar's but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's point of view."

--Denise Levertov, Poet

"The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thoughthave been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new andliving interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased ourunderstanding manyfold."

--Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South Asian Languages andCivilization University of Chicago

"The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiPrabhupada. Although Bhagavad Gitahas been translated many times,Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with his commentary."

--Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and Director ofLibraries Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California

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"Srila Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France, where many hopeto become familiar with traditional Indian thought, beyond the commercial East-West hodgepodge that has arisen since the time Europeans first penetratedIndia. Whether the reader be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not, a reading ofthe Bhagavad-gita As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this will be thefirst contact with the true India, the ancient India, the eternal India."

--Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences Institute of PoliticalStudies, Paris, France

"As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me much grief to see somany of my fellow countrymen coming to the West in the role of gurus andspiritual leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see the publication ofBhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will helpto stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus' and 'yogis' and willgive an opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of Oriental

culture."

--Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Center for Oriental Studies, TheUniversity of Mexico

"The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive one, of the summariesand systematic spiritual statements of the perennial philosophy ever to have beendone."

--Aldous Huxley

"It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don'tknow whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad Gita, its daringmethod of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen anyother work on the Gitawith such an important voice and style. . . . It will occupy asignificant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long timeto come."

--Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University

"I can say that in the Bhagavad GitaAs It Is I have found explanations andanswers to questions I had always posed regarding the interpretations of thissacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly admire. If the aesceticism and

ideal of the apostles which form the message of the Bhagavad GitaAs It Is weremore widespread and more respected, the world in which we live would betransformed into a better, more fraternal place."

--Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire, Catholic University of Paris

"When I read the Bhagavad Gitaand reflect about how God created this universeeverything else seems so superfluous."

--Albert Einstein

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"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I seenot one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad Gitaand find a verse tocomfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelmingsorrow. Those who meditate on the Gitawill derive fresh joy and new meaningsfrom it every day."

--Mahatma Gandhi

"In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonalphilosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, in comparison with which our modern worldand its literature seem puny and trivial."

--Henry David Thoreau

"The Bhagavad Gitahas a profound influence on the spirit of mankind by itsdevotion to God which is manifested by actions."

--Dr. Albert Schweitzer

"The Bhagavad Gitais a true scripture of the human race a living creation ratherthan a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for everycivilization."

--Sri Aurobindo

"The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in bygone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in

which it states 'behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant.' Thiscorrelation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 ofBhagavad Gita."

--Carl Jung

"The Bhagavad Gitadeals essentially with the spiritual foundation of humanexistence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations and duties of life; yetkeeping in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of the universe."

--Prime Minister Nehru

"The marvel of the Bhagavad Gitais its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdomwhich enables philosophy to blossom into religion."

--Herman Hesse

"I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was the first of books; it wasas if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene,consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate hadpondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad Gitawith fullunderstanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it."

--Rudolph Steiner

"From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad Gitaall the goals of human existencebecome fulfilled. Bhagavad Gitais the manifest quintessence of all the teachingsof the Vedic scriptures."

--Adi Shankara

"The Bhagavad Gitais the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution ofendowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensivesummaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value issubject not only to India but to all of humanity."

--Aldous Huxley

"The Bhagavad Gitawas spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science ofdevotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The SupremeLord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating is relieve theworld of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed tospiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to beperpetually within reach of all humanity."

--Ramanuja

"The Bhagavad Gitais not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophyand theSrimad Bhagavatamwhich fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which istransmigation of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter ofBhagavad Gitaonemay think that they are advised to engage in warfare. When the second chapterhas been read it can be clearly understood that knowledge and the soul

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