Bhagavad Geeta & Organizational Behaviour

Shubhada Jambhekar

I thank whatever gods may be, For my unconquerable Soul.

(Lines from Invictus, a poem written by William Ernest Henley)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I extend my special thanks and gratitude towards all those who helped me with this project.

NIKHIL LANJEWAR: for his support. GAURAV GUPTA: for his guidance & ideas. ABHINEET SAXENA, ANANT NATH SHARMA: for their tips. ALKA BHISE, SHALAKA SUTAR : for sharing their knowledge.

Page 2

Table of Contents
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Objectives of Project............. Scope of Project.... Research Methodology Introduction... Findings. Conclusion......... Suggestions/Recommendation.. Annexure.. Bibliography...... 4 6 7 8 14 25 26 27 28

Page 3

Objectives of Project
The Bhagavad Geeta is a part of the magnanimous Hindu epic - Mahabharat. One of the most widely read & followed texts, Bhagavad Geeta is considered as a very sacred book by Hindu believers. But the most appealing thing about this book is that it is not restricted, to only a set of people; there is something in it for everyone. The reason being that, it is not a story of a demigod, it is also not about principles which are applicable only in certain era. Bhagavad Geeta is universal, it is applicable in all eras, it can be read by all kinds of people believers/atheists, professionals/students, children/adults, etc. Every person can have a different interpretation of the Geetas verses- that is the beauty of it. Geeta is about how to live life in the ideal way; it does not talk about superstitions or myths; it provides logical ways to succeed in life despite the difficulties one faces. Some might call it a self-help book, but that would be belittling its true worth. Reading the Bhagavad Geeta with an open mind can be a life changing experience; it can make individuals think about more serious things what is our objective in life, how to take better decisions, how to be a better person, etc. It can make them reflect on their past decisions & make them comprehend their real worth. Organizational Behaviour is a very important science in the field of Human Resources. OB is a study of human behaviour in organizations. It is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups & structure have on behaviour within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organizations effectives. This science is a combination of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology & other behavioural sciences. The objective of OB is to analyze the behaviour of individuals in organizational settings & take relevant steps to make them work better for the organization & also derive satisfaction from the same. The prime objective of this project is to interpret Geeta in terms of Organizational Behaviour. Employees today face huge amount of stress trying to balance their work life & personal life. Individuals turn to a form of faith when confronted with obstacles. The objective of this project is to provide a more scientific approach to the principles of Geeta so that HR managers can inculcate these in employees in a more logical & understandable way. Geeta & OB, both are about ethics, attitudes, values, conflicts, politics, leadership, stress, motivation, learning,
Page 4

communication & so on. Through this project I have attempted to understand & apply the principles of Geeta for employee effectiveness in organizations, by using a very scientific approach, hence making it usable for employees as well as managers. This project is made to derive better ways of working & being successful in teams & organizations. This project is my interpretation of Geeta in scientific or behavioural terms. It is highly probable that other individuals might not agree to my interpretations since Geeta can be interpreted in innumerable ways.

Page 5

Scope of Project
This project uses the verses of Bhagavad Geeta & Organizational Behaviour concepts. This project encompasses: Intrapersonal Behaviour: Intrapersonal Conflict Attitude towards work Ethics Perception Learning Motivation Job Satisfaction Stress Management

Interpersonal Behaviour Leadership Assertive Communication

These concepts have been discussed further in the project; they can be used in organizations for promoting integrity & working with ethics & motivation among employees.

Page 6

Research Methodology
This project utilized secondary method of research. It involved reading from books & internet sources & interpreting them in various ways. The verses were studied from the following books: Bhagavad Gita As It Is by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Bhagavad Gita by Sri Swami Sivananda

For a background study of war settings following book was used: Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata by Devdutt Pattanaik

For Organizational Behaviour concepts the following books were studied: Organisational Behaviour by K. Aswathappa Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

After reading these books & interpreting them in behavioural terms, the verses of Geeta applicable in Organizational settings were selected & they were explained in terms of Organizational Behaviour.

Page 7

Introduction
The discourse of Bhagavad Geeta took place just before the onset of war, between the Kauravas the hundred sons of Dhrithrashtra & Pandavas the five sons of Pandu. Duryodhan, the eldest son of Dhrithrashtra, refused to give the kingdom of Pandavas back to them, after they returned from their exile. After trying various ways of negotiation, in fact, even reducing their demand to land enough to drive a pin, Duryodhan arrogantly refused. Due to the unethical behaviour of Duryodhan & depriving his cousins of what belonged to them, the war between the cousins was inevitable. Before the war, Arjun, the third Pandav asked Krishna, his good friend & charioteer to position the chariot from where he can see his opponents. After seeing all his friends & family members as his opponents, he was filled with sorrow & compassion & refused to fight. We will now discuss the Foundations of Arjuns behaviour as introduction.

Foundations of Arjuns Behaviour

Personal Factors Abilities Emotional Intelligence Arjuns Behaviour Psychological Factors Personality Perception Attitudes Values Learning

Environmental Factors Social norms & cultural values Ethics & social responsibility Political

Organizational Systems & Resources Leadership

Fig 1: Foundations of Arjuns Behaviour Out of the various factors which affect an individuals behaviour, the factors that affected Arjuns behaviour are mentioned in the above figure. Lets look at each in detail.

Page 8

I.

Personal Factors a. Abilities: Arjun was an accomplished archer. In fact, he was termed the Best Archer of those times. With an expertise in all techniques, Arjun was extremely ambitious & confident. He was very goal-oriented & proactive. He had overcome all forms of laziness which is clear by the title Gudakesha (= one who conquers sleep). He was also addressed as Purusha-rishabha (= best among men). His abilities made him extremely powerful. During different crisis situations, he had proved that he was very adaptable & intelligent to tackle. b. Emotional Intelligence: Emotional Intelligence helps monitor & shape ones own individual responses & those of others. Emotional Management is a huge part of EI which means ensuring that the persons emotions (joy, love or anger) do not overwhelm him or her & that they are appropriate to the situation. Capacity to weigh up emotional aspects of values & attitudes when confronting problems & making decisions is important to channelize emotions especially during crisis situations. Arjun was a kshatriya (= men who rule & protect their masses). In crisis situations where his skills were required, he had outperformed. Tatraapashyat sthitaan paarthah pitrin atha pitaamahaan; Aachaaryaan maatulaan bhraatrun putraan pautraan sakheemstathaa. Shvashuraan suhridashchaiva senayorubhayorapi During the war of Mahabharat, Arjun saw within the midst of both parties - his fathers, grandfathers, uncles, teachers, brothers, grandsons, friends, also his fathersin-law & well wishers. He lost control over his mind. He was overwhelmed with compassion & felt sorrow about killing his own family members & well-wishers. He failed at Emotional Management. Bhagavad Geeta was hence a form of enlightenment for Arjun to learn Emotional attainment, self-awareness & fight the battle like a kshatriya.

II.

Psychological Factors a. Personality: The major contributors that shaped Arjuns personality were environment, contribution from the family and situational considerations. i. Environment: Arjun grew up in an environment where he was well aware of the duties of a Kshatriya. The culture had seen some modifications, Bheeshm swore celibacy though his duty was to get married and have children who would carry on his responsibility later; Dronacharya a Brahmin guru who became a warrior. The environment was, in all, undergoing certain major political changes. He lived in an environment where there was an apparent competition and ego clashes between the Pandav brothers and Kaurav brothers as well as people taking either sides; yet they always gave preference to family. For example: when Jayadhrat tried to kidnap Draupadi during their
Page 9

exile, the law was to kill such a man, instead Yudishthir decided to leave him with a punishment. The reason was that Jayadhrat was the husband of their sister and they did not want her to become a widow. Thus, family was always given prime importance. ii. Contribution from family: The major contributors to Arjuns personality were his mother Kunti, his brothers Yudishthir, Bheem, Nakul, Sehdev and his guru Dronacharya. Apart from them, Bheeshm, Kaurav cousins, Dhritarashtra & Gandhari also played significant roles in shaping his personality. iii. Situational considerations: The factors related to personality discussed above build overtime but the role of situations cannot be ignored. Certain situations are more relevant than others in influencing personality. According to Lee Sechrest, situations seem to differ substantially in the constraints they impose on behaviour. Arjuns example is a classic case where in every other crisis, he rose to the occasion, but the situation he faced during the great war of Mahabharat made him behave in a way completely opposite to what he was conditioned. It was a war after all, but it was of epic proportions; he faced his cousins, friends, relatives in a situation where the opposite side would either win or die. b. Perception: Perception is an important input in individual behaviour. Perception involves deciding which information to notice, how to categorize this information & how to interpret it within the framework of our knowledge. Bhagavad Geeta is all about changing perceptions. Na chaitad vidmah kataran no gareeyo Yadwaa jayema yadi vaa no jayeyuh; Yaan eva hatwaa na jijeevishaamas Tevasthitaah pramukhe dhaartaraashtraah. When Arjun asked Krishna to take his chariot from where he could see the opponent army, the first thing Arjun saw was his close relatives, friends & well-wishers. He became confused- should he fight like a kshatriya? Or should he quit the battle since he was facing his own family & friends? He found the situation very uncertain because firstly, victory was not guaranteed. Also, in either case, he felt that he would lose i.e. if they win the battle, they would lose their family & if they lose the battle, they would lose their kingdom & face dejection throughout their life. Perceptual organization becomes difficult when there are confusing stimuli in the external environment. When we look at an ambiguous figure, it confuses us, because

Page 10

it looks different from different angles. (E.g.: the duck/rabbit figure) The situation that Arjun faced was very ambiguous for him. Attibution Theory (Co-variation Model of Attribution): Attribution Theory seeks to explain why people behave the way they do. H. H. Kelleys Covariation model is an attribution theory in which people make causal references to why people behave in a certain way. The covariation principle states that, "an effect is attributed to the one of its possible causes with which, over time, it covaries". The three causes which behaviour is attributed to are Person (actor), Object (action) and Context (situation), and attribution is made based on three criteria: Consensus, Distinctiveness and Consistency. Going by this model, Person = Arjun; Object = battle; Context = battle of Mahabharat. Lets define Arjuns behaviour as per this model: i. Did all kshatriyas in the battlefield behave like Arjun? Answer: No => Low Consensus ii. Did Arjun behave in this way in this particular battle? Answer: Yes =.> High Distinctiveness iii. Did Arjun behave in this way every time he faced crisis situations? Answer: No => Low Consistency
Attribution Information Pattern Consensus Distinctiveness Consistency High High High Object Low Low High Person Low High Low Context Table 1: Attribution Information Pattern table (Covariation Model)

Low consensus, high distinctiveness & low consistency imply that the context was responsible for Arjuns behaviour. He faced such a unique situation first time in his life. c. Attitudes: To study the attitude of Arjun, lets use the ABC Model. In ABC Model, Affect, Behaviour & Cognition form the components of attitude.
STIMULI Reason for war Magnitude of war Leadership style Probable outcomes of war Beliefs & Values I am a Kshatriya, I should fight. Killing brothers, friends & relatives is wrong. I am confused what is right?

COGNITION

AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

Feelings & Emotions

Intended behaviour I will not fight the war. Table 2: Components of Arjuns Attitude using ABC Model Page 11

To thoroughly assess a persons attitude, one must assess all three components associated to it i.e. Affect, Behaviour & Cognition. The above figure comprehends the unusual behaviour of Arjun. d. Values: Values are general beliefs about life while attitudes are directed towards specific objects, people or events. There are two types of values: terminal & instrumental. i. Terminal Values: These are desired states of existence that we think are worth striving for. For example, beauty, equality, wisdom & a comfortable life are some terminal values. An individuals terminal values finally differentiate him from another individual. ii. Instrumental Values: These are desirable modes of behaviour that help us reach the objectives of terminal values. For example, being polite, courageous, logical, self-controlled & ambitious. In case of Arjun, instrumental values were mostly in place owing to his able education & family environment. Arjuns instrumental values were strong in most crises. Even in the war of Mahabharat, his instrumental values were intact. Through Bhagavad Geeta, Krishna modified Arjuns terminal values. What is the war for? Why should Arjun fight even against his kin? Bhagavad Geeta aims at modifying individuals terminal values. Desirable instrumental values for a better life are generally overt but are our terminal values justified? What is our purpose in life? e. Learning: Operant Conditioning can be used to explain the Learning pattern of Arjun. Operant Conditioning refers to the process of that our behaviour produces certain consequences & how we behave in the future depends on what those consequences are. If our actions have desirable or pleasant effects, then we will be more likely to repeat them in the future while if our actions have undesirable or unpleasant effects, we are less likely to repeat them in the future. All through his life, Arjuns valiant archery techniques resulted in his victory & fame. He was conditioned to fight with all his efforts when it came to competitions or wars. In the war of Mahabharat, he realized that the results were undesirable in all possible cases. III. Organizational Systems & Resources Leadership: Leadership is interpersonal influence, exercised in a situation and directed the activities of a group towards a shared goal. The leader figures in Mahabharat were

Page 12

Bhishm the most experienced & oldest in age, Yudishthir as the eldest Pandav & Krishna a natural leader. Throughout Arjuns life, he was led by one of these three men but the influence of Krishna was most impactful. There is a huge difference between a leader & a manager. A leader sets a direction, thus creating a vision. He aligns the people to the vision. He motivates people by emphasizing on values & makes them prepared to face obstacles. This is a step ahead of what manager does his role is mainly planning, implementing, directing, and organizing. Krishna led Arjun when he had completely fallen apart, he influenced him by enlightening him about the purpose of life, and he set a direction. He challenged the status quo. He was not a king, not a boss, his relationship with Arjun was that of a friend; a good leader is assertive he leads his people in a friendly yet forthright manner. IV. Environmental Factors These have been discussed in II. a. i.

Through an introduction on Arjuns personality, we understand the various aspects of what forms the base of an individuals personality & what are the reasons behind his reactions to crisis situations. Arjuns personality is in many ways a representation of employees working in organizations, their mindset in various situations & their reactions.

Page 13

Findings
After discussing the foundations of Arjuns behaviour, let us come to the core of this project. The principles of Bhagavad Geeta in terms of Organizational Behaviour:1. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Observing the Armies: Verses 27 to 30
Taan sameekshya sa kaunteyah sarvaan bandhoon avasthitaan. Kripayaa parayaavishto visheedannidam abraveet; Arjuna Uvaacha: Drishtwemam swajanam krishna yuyutsum samupasthitam. Seedanti mama gaatraani mukham cha parishushyati; Vepathushcha shareere me romaharshashcha jaayate. Gaandeevam sramsate hastaat twak chaiva paridahyate; Na cha shaknomyavasthaatum bhramateeva cha me manah. Nimittaani cha pashyaami vipareetaani keshava; When Arjun saw all these different grades of friends & relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion & spoke thus. Arjun said, My dear Krishna, seeing my friends & relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering & my mouth drying up. My whole body is trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, & my skin is burning. I am unable to stand any longer. I am forgetting myself & my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, Krishna.

Table 3: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Observing the Armies: 27 to 30

Arjun, a great warrior, felt sudden compassion after seeing his friends & relatives as opponents. He panicked, he felt confused about what is right. His mind was full of conflict. Conflict is inevitable whether it is an individuals personal life or professional life. We face situations where taking decisions becomes difficult. When an employee suffers from IntraIndividual Conflict, their decision-making, prioritizing ability & productivity reduces. IntraIndividual Conflict refers to conflict within an individual. Intra-Individual Conflict arises due to various reasons- frustration, numerous roles which demand equal attention but it is not always possible to devote, goals having both negative & positive aspects, cognitive dissonances. Intra-Individual Conflict arises in most walks of life where an individual has to make a decision which is apparently right but there are too many conditions to weigh. Classic cases are individuals working in positions of law & justice or positions which require taking harsh decisions for teams or employees which are ethically right but might put the individual into bad light. For example, a manager is notified about an employee performing badly even after giving many chances. The employee also happens to be a very good personal friend of the manager. The
Page 14

manager now has to take a tough decision but he is faced with conflict about the right thing to do. 2. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 6
Na chaitad vidmah kataran no gareeyo Yadwaa jayema yadi vaa no jayeyuh; Yaan eva hatwaa na jijeevishaamas Tevasthitaah pramukhe dhaartaraashtraah. (Arjun said) Nor do we know which is better conquering them or being conquered by them. If we killed the Kauravas, we should not care to live. Yet they are now standing before us on the battlefield.

Table 4: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 6 Arjun is faced by the classic Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict, a type of Intra-Individual Conflict. This occurs when an individual is forced to choose between two mutually exclusive goals, each of which possesses unattractive qualities. Faced with avoidance-avoidance conflict, most people will vacillate between the two options, without resolving the conflict; but there are also some people who will attempt to leave the conflict situation. Theoretically, a person might escape avoidance-avoidance conflict by running from it altogether. For example, a manager has only two options either lay off some employees or suffer losses for the company. For him results of both situations are undesirable, laying off would reduce the companys goodwill & he would lose his friends while if he does not lay the employees off, the company would suffer terrible losses. In such a situation, he would ideally like someone else to take the action i.e. he himself would avoid the situation.

Fig 2: Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict

Page 15

Arjun saw undesirable results in both cases i.e. victory or defeat. If they defeated the Kauravas, then that would imply the death of his blood relatives & friends fighting against them; Arjun could not accept that their victory would be at the cost of the death of family members. If the Kauravas defeated them, then begging would be their only means of living, since they did not have any kingdom of their own. He therefore, decided to quit the situation altogether. 3. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verses 14, 15
Maatraasparshaastu kaunteya sheetoshnasukhaduhkhadaah; Aagamaapaayinonityaas taamstitikshaswa bhaarata. Yam hi na vyathayantyete purusham purusharshabha; Samaduhkha sukham dheeram somritatwaaya kalpate. (Krishna said) Arjun, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness & distress & their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance & disappearance of winter & summer seasons. They arise from sense perception. One must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. The person who is not disturbed by happiness & distress & is steady in both is certainly fit for liberation.

Table 5: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 14, 15 Krishna explained Arjun about the ideal perspective towards obstacles. In personal life as well as work life, obstacles are a part of the process. Projects suffer setbacks due to various factors. The teams & managers should try to avoid setbacks as far as possible to take projects to success. Obstacles are inevitable, for example, unavailability of resources, team conflicts, bad quality of work, etc; these obstacles can create setbacks if they are not tackled intelligently. The attitude of team & manager should be tolerant. They should not get discouraged by obstacles & concentrate towards solving the problems & taking the project towards successful completion. At the same time, success should not make teams or employees over-confident. This kind of thinking is indeed all about perception. Perception can change how we look at situations & tackle them. 4. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verses 31 to 33
Swadharmam api chaavekshya na vikampitum arhasi; Dharmyaaddhi yuddhaacchreyonyat kshatriyasya na vidyate. Yadricchayaa chopapannam swargadwaaram apaavritam; Sukhinah kshatriyaah paartha labhante yuddham eedrisham. Atha chettwam imam dharmyam samgraamam na karishyasi; (Krishna said) Considering your specific duty as a Kshatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles & so there is no need for hesitation. Happy are the Kshatriyas to whom such fighting opportunities come unsought, opening for them doors of heavenly planets. If however, you do not perform your religious duty of fighting, then

Page 16

Tatah swadharmam keertim cha hitwaa paapam avaapsyasi.

you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties & thus lose your reputation as a fighter.

Table 6: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 31 to 33 Krishna guided Arjun to not fear if he was fighting for principles & ethics. Performing the duty, as per prescribed principles regardless of all conditions, is of prime importance. If employees perform their tasks & justify their role in an organization or team, their efforts will surely be recognized & rewarded. While if they do not perform their tasks, they will bear negative results. Self-control is necessary to have integrity & sticking to ethics even if the result would be undesirable; it is necessary to control the hesitations in mind. Here, Geeta speaks about Trustworthiness & Conscientiousness. These qualities are a corollary to Self-control; they imply maintaining Integrity & taking responsibility for personal performance. People, with the quality of trustworthiness, act in an ethical manner & take principled decisions even if they are tough & unpopular. People, with the quality of conscientiousness, are dutiful; they are highly committed & keep their promises. 5. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 38
Sukhaduhkhe same kritwaa laabhaalaabhau jayaajayau; Tato yuddhaaya yujyaswa naivam paapamavaapsyasi. (Krishna said) Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat & by doing so you shall never incur sin.

Table 7: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 38 Krishna enlightens Arjun about the true motivation to fight. Every employee has a different source of motivation or motivator. According to the Motivation-Hygiene Theory, job satisfaction is affected by motivators & job dissatisfaction by hygiene factors. Motivators include: achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement or growth while hygiene factors include: company policy & administration, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, salary, status & security. To achieve motivation for employees, managers should cope with both motivators & hygiene factors. According to Bhagavad Geeta, for doing a job, the motivation should be the job or the work itself & nothing else. Because by doing so, justice will be done to the job. An employee should give 100% efforts without the expectation of success or failure & do his job.

Page 17

6. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verses 40, 41

Nehaabhikramanaashosti pratyavaayo na vidyate; Swalpam apyasya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat. Vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhir ekeha kurunandana; Bahushaakhaa hyanantaashcha buddhayovyavasaayinaam. (Krishna said) In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, & a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, & their aim is one. The intelligence of those who are irresolute is manybranched.

Table 8: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 40, 41 How can the approach explained previously help in focusing on the tasks? Today employees have to multitask & face Role Conflict & Role Overload, focusing on a task at hand at a given point of time is very difficult & employees are constantly worried about completion of their tasks. With work itself as the motivator for work, employees can concentrate completely on the task at hand, without anxiety for future results. Natural human tendency is to worry about the success or failure of ongoing endeavours which leads to stress, health problems & eventually leads to failure or breakdown. Working for the sake of work only & thus avoiding all fears & anxieities can be used as a base for Cognitive Restructuring. Cognitive Restructuring is a process which involves removal of irrational thought processes & replacing them with rational thinking. Following the thought process as prescribed in Geeta would not cause any loss & would avoid fear, anxiety & stress. This logical approach also helps individuals to be resolute & focused. Those who are filled with anxiety cannot concentrate & will have multiple thoughtprocesses running in their minds thereby hindering their productivity. 7. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 47
Karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana; Maa karmaphalahetur bhoor maa te sangostwakarmani. (Krishna said) You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, & never be attached to not doing your duty.

Table 9: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 47 Should the success or failure of a project be taken personally? There have been cases of suicides when employees take failures personally especially when the superior slams the responsibility of a failure on the employee. According to Bhagavad Geeta, an individual should put his full potential in completion of a task, but he should be free from its results. If it is a success, it should be accepted with humility while if its a failure, it should not be taken personally. Also, it is the
Page 18

duty of every individual to complete assigned tasks & responsibilities; he should not escape from doing his duty. Projects, organizations & economies suffer when employees do not fulfill their prescribed roles & responsibilities. 8. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 60
Yatato hyapi kaunteya purushasya vipashchitah; Indriyaani pramaatheeni haranti prasabham manah. (Krishna said) The senses are so strong & impetuous, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavouring to control them.

Table 10: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 60 Even individuals with rational thinking can be carried away by senses, especially during crisis situation; scientific studies have proved this. The prefrontal area is the place of working memory, which is vital for comprehension & understanding, planning & decision making. When the amygdala i.e. brains emotional memory, signals panic to the brain, a hormone known as CRF is released followed by stress hormones like Cortisol. Cortisol makes heart rate shoot up so that blood is directed from brains higher cognitive centers to sites required for emergency mobilization. Less important body functions slow down & body is prepared to fight or run. Thus, Cortisol enforces the primitive strategy for survival heightening the senses, dulling the mind & doing what the brain generally does, i.e. freezing into panic. 9. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 67
Indriyaanaam hi charataam yanmanonuvidheeyate; Tadasya harati prajnaam vaayur naavam ivaambhasi. (Krishna said) As a strong mind sweeps away a boat of water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a mans intelligence.

Table 11: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 67 Cortisol takes away energy resources from working memory, i.e. the intellect & shunts them to the senses. Hence, when Cortisol levels are high, people make more mistakes, are highly distracted & cannot remember well. Irrelevant & illogical thought processes are natural in this state & processing information becomes very difficult. This is exactly what happened with Arjun. When individuals are under the control of impulse, agitation & emotions, their ability to think & work suffers something that is very common at workplaces.

Page 19

10. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: Verse 68

Tasmaad yasya mahaabaaho nigriheetaani sarvashah; Indriyaaneendriyaarthebhyas tasya prajnaa pratishthitaa. (Krishna said) Therefore, one whose senses are restrained from their objects is certainly of steady intelligence.

Table 12: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 68 Thereby, in situations where we are under high stress, emotional self-regulation helps. Emotional self-regulation includes bringing down distress, intentionally eliciting emotions even the unpleasant ones. This is highly applicable in situations like stressful meetings or when someone has to break bad news to his team or family or being friendly even to non-cooperating customers. Emotional self-control is not overcontrol i.e. individuals should not stifle their feelings especially strong ones. In contrast, Emotional Competence means individuals have a choice of how they want to express their feelings. To achieve Emotional Competence, Self-awareness needs to be achieved first. Individuals with Emotional Competence are people of steady intelligence, since they can reason & make better decisions even during high stress situations. 11. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: Verse 8
Niyatam kuru karma twam karma jyaayo hyakarmanah; Shareerayaatraapi cha te na prasiddhyed akarmanah. (Krishna said) Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than not working. One cannot even maintain ones physical body without work.

Table 13: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: 8 Initially, Bhagavad Geeta preaches working with proper focus & later explains the disadvantages of escaping from work or duties. Stress & Burnout is not only caused by work overload but also by less or no work. Less or no work for long periods of time can cause a sense of worthlessness & has a number of physical, emotional, mental & behavioural effects. 12. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: Verses 20, 21
Karmanaiva hi samsiddhim aasthitaa janakaadayah; Lokasangraham evaapi sampashyan kartum arhasi. Yadyad aacharati shreshthas tattadevetaro janah; Sa yat pramaanam kurute lokas tad (Krishna said) Kings such as Janak attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating people in general, you should perform your work. Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, the whole world

Page 20

anuvartate.

pursues.

Table 14: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: 20, 21 When a sincere & dutiful leader heads an organization or team, he creates an example for others to follow. Being a leader means doing the right things& creating an influence on others through his actions. Leaders build trust by displaying reliability & authenticity; they are organized & cautious in their work. 13. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Three Modes of Material Nature: Verse 17
Sattwaat sanjaayate jnaanam rajaso lobha eva cha; Pramaadamohau tamaso bhavatojnaanameva cha. (Krishna said) From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops, from the mode of passion, greed develops; & from the mode of ignorance develop foolishness, madness & illusion.

Table 15: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Three Modes of Material Nature: 17 A continuous state of Learning is essential for individuals, since it enlightens individuals about what their strengths & talents are. Being ignorant & complacent leads to delusion & foolishness; it stops the growth of an individual. According to Maslows Need Hierarchy Theory, human needs in descending order of their priority are Physiological Needs, Security, Affiliation, Esteem and Self-Actualization. If all prior four level needs are satisfied, the need for self-actualization comes to fore. Maslow characterized Self-Actualization as the desire to become everything that one is capable of becoming. Self-actualization brings real satisfaction. In an organization, self-actualization can mean excelling in the specified job role by gaining maximum experience & knowledge about the field; applying knowledge to improve organizational processes; creating environment for other employees to develop, etc. Individuals should aspire for self-actualization; job-security, appraisals will automatically follow. People with both humble as well as rich backgrounds who are successful in their fields have shown that the need for self-actualization can make a huge difference. For example, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Verghese Kurien, J. R. D. Tata, Narayan Murthy, etc. 14. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: Verses 1 to 3
Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha: Abhayam sattwasamshuddhih jnaanayogavyavasthitih; Daanam damashcha yajnashcha swaadhyaayastapa (Krishna said) Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga & knowledge, alms-giving, selfcontrol, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity, straightforwardness, harmlessness, truth, absence of

Page 21

aarjavam. Ahimsaa satyamakrodhas tyaagah shaantirapaishunam; Dayaa bhooteshvaloluptwam maardavam hreerachaapalam. Tejah kshamaa dhritih shauchamadroho naatimaanitaa; Bhavanti sampadam daiveem abhijaatasya bhaarata.

anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards beings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of pride, absence of hatred these belong to one born in divine state.

Table 16: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: 1 to 3 Qualities such as fearlessness, self-control & straightforwardness are a prelude to being assertive. Assertiveness is highly valued today in organizations since it helps in resolving conflicts & also maintains a positive environment despite presence of disagreements & difference in opinions. Absence of anger, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion, vigour, are all a part of Emotional Intelligence which is the most important thing to succeed in organization. Emotional Intelligence comprises five elements self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, empathy & adeptness in relationships. Individuals with high IQ fail when they are not emotionally intelligent & do not know how to tackle difficult situations & how to maintain a healthy relationship with peers & customers. 15. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: Verse 4
Dambho darpobhimaanashcha krodhah paarushyameva cha; Ajnaanam chaabhijaatasya paartha sampadamaasureem. (Krishna said) Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness & ignorance these qualities belong to those in demoniac nature.

Table 17: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: 4 Employees with arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness & complacence are highly detrimental to the growth of organization since they ruin the environment in organization. Such individuals should be immediately brought under control. It is the responsibility of managers to observe their employees & discourage such behaviour. Team work collapses if such behaviour persists & finally projects suffer. 16. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divisions of Faith: Verse 15
Anudwegakaram vaakyam satyam priyahitam cha yat; Swaadhyaayaabhyasanam chaiva vaangmayam tapa uchyate (Krishna said) Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial & not agitating to others, & also regularly reciting Vedic literature.

Table 18: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divisions of Faith: 15

Page 22

Assertiveness is being able to express feelings constructively; it means being open with others & ourselves about our needs. Geeta encourages speech which is truthful, yet pleasing & beneficial. Every day, employees face situations where they have to be strict or break bad news or express difference in opinions or face arrogant customers. But this can be done in a polite way, to come to a win-win conclusion. Assertiveness techniques are very powerful in resolving conflicts & reducing negative political activity in teams & organizations. According to John Powell - "The genius of communication is the ability to be both totally honest and totally kind at the same time." 17. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: Verse 30
Pravrittim cha nivrittim cha karyaakaarye bhayaabhaye; Bandhammoksham cha yaa vetti buddhih saa paartha saattwikee. (Krishna said) That understanding by which one knows what ought to be done & what ought not to be done, what is to be feared & what is not to be feared, what is binding & what is liberating, is in the mode of goodness.

Table 19: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 30 What ought to be done & what ought not to be done; what is binding; what is not to be feared the understanding of all these is the base for good decision making. Decision making is a problem-solving process. Hence, it is either a reasoning or an emotional process which can be rational or irrational. Whether it is an employee or a manager, good decision making is an essential requirement to get the best solution for problem. Knowledge of all possible options & conditions, prescribed rules to adhere & ethics help an individual to take right decisions. 18. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: Verse 33
Dhrityaa yayaa dhaarayate manah praanendriyakriyaah; Yogenaavyabhichaarinyaa dhritih saa paartha saattwikee. (Krishna said) That determination which is unbreakable, which is sustained with steadfastness by Yoga practice & which thus, controls the activities of the mind, life & senses, is determination in the mode of goodness.

Table 20: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 33 Public speaking, customer handling, team work, appraisal meetings, etc. all these require tremendous amount of Self-control. This area of Emotional Intelligence, which once mastered, can have beneficial effects on professional as well as personal life. Determination is the key to

Page 23

self-control. Professions with high amount of stress, for example, military personnel, police personnel, sportspersons, need great determination to achieve self-control. People with Self-control as competence, manage distressing emotions & impulsive feelings well. They stay calm & composed even in trying situations. They have immense clarity & focus even under pressure. 19. Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: Verse 73
Arjuna Uvaacha: Nashto mohah smritirlabdhaa twatprasaadaanmayaachyuta; Sthitosmi gata sandehah karishye vachanam tava. (Arjun said) My dear Krishna, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by your mercy. I am now firm & free from doubt & am prepared to act according to your instructions.

Table 21: Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 73 Arjun is indebted to Krishna for guiding & enlightening him to do the right thing. The discourse of Bhagavad Geeta is also a lesson on Transformational Leadership. Krishnas role is that of a friend, guide & leader. He was able to enlighten & convince Arjun; he changed Arjuns perceptions so that Arjun could fulfill his duty. Transformational Leadership implies a process where an individual attempts to elevate his consciousness so that various conflicts & dualities begin at higher level of synthesis. The ultimate aim of this style of leadership is raising the level of human conduct & ethical aspirations of both leader & followers. The leader aims to elevate & inspire his followers to higher things in life. More transformational leaders in organizations & government is indeed the need of the hour. For country to grow, we need leaders who bring their followers on the track of ethics & make them perform better.

Page 24

Conclusion of Project
The following conclusions are obtained from this project: 1. Attitude: The attitude of team & manager should be tolerant. They should not get discouraged by obstacles & concentrate towards solving the problems & taking the project towards successful completion. 2. Ethics: Performing the duty, as per prescribed principles regardless of all conditions, is of prime importance. If employees perform their tasks & justify their role in an organization or team, their efforts will surely be recognized & rewarded. 3. Motivation: According to Bhagavad Geeta, for doing a job, the motivation should be the job or the work itself & nothing else. Because by doing so, justice will be done to the job. An employee should give 100% efforts without the expectation of success or failure & do his job. 4. Stress Management: Working for the sake of work only & thus avoiding all fears & anxieities can be used as a base for Cognitive Restructuring. 5. Self-Control: Emotional self-regulation includes bringing down distress, intentionally eliciting emotions even the unpleasant ones. Individuals with Emotional Competence are people of steady intelligence, since they can reason & make better decisions even during high stress situations. 6. Learning: A continuous state of Learning is essential for individuals, since it enlightens individuals about what their strengths & talents are. Being ignorant & complacent leads to delusion & foolishness; it stops the growth of an individual. 7. Emotional Intelligence: Absence of anger, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion, vigour, are all a part of Emotional Intelligence which is the most important thing to succeed in organization. Emotional Intelligence comprises five elements selfawareness, motivation, self-regulation, empathy & adeptness in relationships. 8. Communication: Assertiveness is being able to express feelings constructively; it means being open with others & ourselves about our needs. Geeta encourages speech which is truthful, yet pleasing & beneficial.

Page 25

9. Leadership: Transformational Leadership implies a process where an individual attempts to elevate his consciousness so that various conflicts & dualities begin at higher level of synthesis. The ultimate aim of this style of leadership is raising the level of human conduct & ethical aspirations of both leader & followers.

Suggestions/Recommendation
The principles prescribed in the Bhagavad Geeta for Organizational Behaviour are indeed very useful for all professionals. These can be inculcated in organizations via trainings sessions, knowledge sharing sessions or company forums. If these principles are rigorously imbibed by the employees, work culture will certainly undergo positive change. Treating an old scripture as too theoretical to apply is a common perception of many individuals. This project attempts to refute this perception by giving a scientific perspective to Geeta. This project has used limited verses of the Geeta though there is a huge scope for further expansion. Reading the complete Bhagavad Geeta is certainly encouraged & inputs by employees should be welcomed in training sessions or knowledge sharing sessions. This project can be easily understood by Human Resources personnel due to the use of Organizational Behaviour concepts. With some effort, all other professionals can also understand this project & apply its concepts.

Page 26

Annexure
Figures
Figure 1 2 Label Foundations of Arjuns Behaviour Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict Page 8 15

Tables
Table 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Label Attribution Information Pattern table (Covariation Model) Components of Arjuns Attitude using ABC Model Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Observing the Armies: 27 to 30 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 6 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 14, 15 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 31 to 33 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 38 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 40, 41 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 47 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 60 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 67 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Contents of the Geeta Summarized: 68 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: 8 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is Karma-Yoga: 20, 21 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Three Modes of Material Nature: 17 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: 1 to 3 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divine & Demoniac Natures: 4 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Divisions of Faith: 15 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 30 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 33 Bhagavad Geeta As It Is The Perfection of Renunciation: 73 Page 11 11 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24

Page 27

Bibliography
Books:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Jaya - An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata --- Devdutt Pattanaik Bhagavad Gita As It Is --- His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Bhagavad Gita --- Sri Swami Sivananda Organizational Behaviour --- K. Aswathappa Working with Emotional Intelligence --- Daniel Goleman

Websites:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariation_model 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_management#Substantive_Vs._Affective 3. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107024/chapters/Cognitive-Structures@-WhatThey-Are-and-Why-They-Matter.aspx 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_making

Page 28