The Relevance of Spirituality and Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Education: Insights from Classical Indian Wisdom

Abstract

In this technology-driven Digital Age, Management Education is primarily engaged in development of skills and techno-economic competence of students with dominant thrust on sharpening their rational faculties and quantitative ability. Deeper questions and nobler qualittative issues like Spirituality, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethics are naturally assigned low priority in the rush for money, career, fame, power and position both at the individual and organizational levels. The present paper engages in a Qualitative Research by conducting Focus group Interviews among Participants (students) at the Undergraduate level who had taken up Management Education. After content analysis of the responses the authors highlight their observations on the existing gaps in prevailing management education leading to failure of the present system in charging the students with a deeper Meaning of Work and a higher Purpose of Life. The paper then delves into exploration in pertinent tenets of Classical Indian Wisdom (Upanishads or Vedanta and the Bhagavadgita) to enrich the spectrum of Management education with insights on Humanistic Philosophy, Holistic Learning, Enlightened CSR and Ethics, and Inspirational Leadership towards creating a better and more humane future for modern organizations.

Introduction

It’s a story of a little prince who meets an air pilot (the author) forced to land in the Sahara Desert. For the pilot, he was like a “god’s messenger”, sent just for him, to give him the strength and the courage to fight for life, for the place was without any inhabitants. He developed a deep bond of friendship with the little one who came from a different planet. The little prince shared with him stories and attributes of different people whom he met at different planets. One such person was the red faced man who counted numbers from morning till night and was deeply satisfied with it. He was a man who had never seen the stars twinkling at night nor smelled a beautiful flower nor loved anyone. The little prince commented, “He was not a man but a mushroom.” (Antoine De Saint Exupery 2005).

So the question arises that in the twenty-first century are we going to train and impart such knowledge to the young minds, minds of tomorrow’s leaders that their growth and development is confined within a narrow space just like a mush room? Are we going to impart such knowledge that their mind set is curtailed and constrained to only financial parameters? Management is presently under intense scrutiny and criticism for its simplistic objective of enhancing shareholders’ wealth, and for lacking the ability of integrating plurality, inclusivity, and ethical conduct (Sur 2017). It is time for us, as researchers, academicians, and administrators to think beyond the domain of financial parameters and take proactive initiatives. A lot of research is going on in the areas of values, ethics, spirituality and CSR, but the question still remains, have we been successful enough to bring about that change? In this paper we would therefore try to observe in the Indian context, the business students current attitudes/perspectives on the areas of spirituality and CSR and their observations with regard to inclusion of such areas in the management curriculum because these are the students who will in future become business leaders. With the inclusion of the introduction above, the paper has been organized into seven sections. Section 2 deals with review of literature. Section 3 outlines the insights from Classical Indian Wisdom relevant to our context. Section four states the objectives. Section 5 deals with methods, data collection and methodology. Section 6 delves into analysis and observations. Section 7 spells out the concluding remarks and Section 8 deals with scope of future research and limitations.

Literature Review

Spirituality

Over a decade or so, we have witnessed a growing interest in the role of spirituality within traditional management discourse and research. Management academics understand the spiritual perspective of work (Quatro 2004; Weber 1958; Nichols 1994). Humanistic (positive) psychology and integral psychology which emphasizes searching for such strengths that enable human goodness and resilience (Fredrickson and Losada 2005) has received great attention in the recent years in the field of management academics. There are several studies on the impact of spirituality on the business organization (Nur 2003;Colving 2006; Dent et al. 2005;Bromet et al. 1990; Jurkiewicz and Giacalone 2004; Marques et al. 2005; Jurkiewicz and Giacalone 2004; Zohar and Marshall 2000;Wakhlu 2000) which is gaining increasing importance in the corporate world. We also have various prominent business leaders, who are thoroughly driven by spiritual values. Spirituality helps in transformative leadership and creativity like Janice Marturano of General Mills and Bill George of Medtronics Inc. (Bhattacharjee et al. 2016).

Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR is the internal obligation of each business entity to account for the way its activities impact the economic, social and environmental dimensions of its environs and to ensure thatthere is no harm to all the stakeholders involved and there is generation of equitable and sustainable benefits. If we study the evolution phase of corporate social responsibility globally we would come across certain distinct time periods and each of such time periods had added to or enriched the concept of CSR through the valuable researches carried on by various eminent researchers.

The first time period of 1920–1950s concentrated on the social responsibilities of businessmen which was quite evident from some of the works worth noting like Chester Barnard’s “The Functions of the Executive” (Barnard 1938), J. M. Clark’s “Social Control of Business” (Clark 1939) and Theodore Kreps’s “Measurement of the Social Performance of Business” (Kreps 1940), to point out just a few. In the second time period of 1950s Corporate Social Responsibility as a concept started taking shape. Most scholars point to Howard Bowen’s “Social Responsibilities of the Businessmen” (Bowen 1953) as the first attempt to theorize the relationship between companies and society (Carroll 1999; Preston and Post 1975; Wartick and Cochran 1985). For him CSR “refers to the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society” (Bowen 1953). The decade of 1960s ‘marked a significant growth in attempts to formalize or more accurately, state what corporate social responsibility means.’ (Carroll 1999). He suggested that some of the most prominent writers during that time were Keith Davis, Joseph W McGuire, William C Frederick and Clarence C Walton. The concept of business ethics to corporate social responsibility was introduced during this era. The time period of 1970s was an era of enlightened self-interest. A breakthrough in conceptual development was observed during this period when a new study on corporate social responsibility was commissioned by the Committee for Economic Development. The Committee described corporate social responsibility as being ‘related to products, jobs and economic growth; related to societal expectations; and related to activities aimed at improving the social environment of the firm’ (US Committee for Economic Development in Wheeler et al. 2003). There was enthusiasm and research in the field of corporate social responsibility in the 1970s (Ackerman 1973; Fitch 1976; Murray Jr 1976). The era of 1980s paved way for the development of complementary themes to CSR. A prominent development in terms of corporate social responsibility was the global debate on sustainable development that emerged in this decade. (Tilbury and Wortman 2004; World Commission on Environment and Development 1987).The era of 1990s was that of imbibing the concept of CSR in the field of strategic management. Corporate Social Performance (CSP), stakeholder-theory, business ethics theory and corporate citizenship were the major themes that took center stage in the 1990s (Carroll 1999). Corporate social responsibility advanced with more practical applications in mind by strategic management scholars such as Philip Kotler, Nancy Lee, Michael Porter, Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Stuart Hart. In the twenty first century the theoretical contributions to the concept and meaning of CSR had given way to empirical research on the topic and a splintering of interests away from CSR into related topics such as stakeholder theory, business ethics, sustainability and corporate citizenship. The most optimistic perspective during this era was depicted well by D. Lydenberg (2005) in his book “Corporations and the Public Interest: Guiding the Invisible Hand.”Lydenberg saw CSR as ‘a major secular development, driven by a long-term reevaluation of the role of corporations in society’.

From the Indian perspective we observe that the Vedantic(Upanishadic) philosophy with its strong focus on morality and community involvement partly explains corporate India’s tradition of prolific philanthropy and ‘do-good’ approaches (Mohan 2001). It also encompasses the essence of modern day corporate social responsibility that is ‘prosperity for all’ and ‘in harmony with nature’. Gandhi’s theory of social trusteeship which believes in ‘prosperity for all’ can be considered as a basis to all the corporate social responsibility practices that we observe in modern India. If we look at the development of CSR in India, we find that it can be divided into four main phases. The first phase was an era where charity and philanthropy were the main pillars of CSR. The pioneers of industrialization in the nineteenth century in India were a few families such as the Tata, Birla, Bajaj, Lalbhai, Sarabhai, Godrej, Shriram, Singhania, Modi, Naidu, Mahindra and Annamali, who were strongly devoted to philanthropically motivated CSR (Mohan 2001). Arora and Puranik (2004) observed that “The early pioneers of industry in India were leaders in the economic, as also in the social fields”.

The second phase of Indian CSR (1914–1960) was characterized by the country’s struggle for independence and influenced fundamentally by Gandhi’s theory of Trusteeship. Trusts for schools and colleges, training and scientific institutes were established by businesses, especially well-established family businesses (Mohan 2001). Many of the upcoming and prominent business leaders contributed to the causes of social reforms, poverty alleviation, women empowerment and caste systems (Sundar 2000). After independence in 1947, the overall socio-political goal focused on building a solid industrial base while nurturing the Indian cultural traditions. The third phase (1960–80) has been described as an “era of command and control” (Arora and Puranik 2004).During this phase businesses were asked and expected to play their part as responsible corporate citizens, and the call went out for regular stakeholder dialogues, social accountability and transparency (Mohan 2001). In the fourth phase (1980 until the present) Indian companies shed their traditional philanthropic engagement and, to some extent, integrated CSR into a sustainable business strategy, partly adopting the multi-stakeholder approach mainly due to economic liberalization in 1991 and greater levels of privatization. At present we find that CSR and its reporting in India which was voluntary till 2013, has been made mandatory as per section 135 of the Companies Act of 2013, perhaps the only country in the world to do so.

Interconnectedness between Spirituality and CSR

Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), the spiritual ambassador of India in the West and the Founder leader of Ramakrishna Math and mission had pointed out that the world can be good and pure if our lives are good and pure therefore purification of one’s own self is essential. He had stated that unless we begin to see God within, we will never see God without. Again, unless we see God in the hearts of all beings, we will never see God inside ourselves. To serve the less fortunate is a sacred duty of all human beings. This is the basis of spirituality and the bedrock of what we refer to as social responsibility.

Limited studies have been conducted in the fields of spirituality and CSR but such studies have indicated that spirituality has a positive relationship with CSR (Poulton and Barnes 2012). Giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2003) surveyed US companies in relation to their attitudes on CSR (Kolodinsky et al. 2010). This survey indicated spirituality as an important predictor of individual opinions, in deciding whether particular business practices were ethical or not. In Astin and Astin 2004, Astin and Astin surveyed the spiritual development of “college career students” and noted that half of them associated themselves with helpfulness, compassion, generosity, kindness, forgiveness and empathy and charitable contribution. Though there has been a significant development in the field of CSR, most of the efforts made on the part of the companies are now regarded as “failed system” (Smith and Singer Daniel 2012) due to lack of spirituality at all levels of organization. Literatures suggest that very less thought is employed in determining what is right and wrong and absence of such thoughtful reflections will impact good decision making in a strong way (Hollenberg 2008).

Insights from Classical Indian WISOM

In this paper we shall now delve into explorations in Indian Classical Wisdom in our search for Alternative paradigms in Management Education.

Exploration in Indian Classical Wisdom– The Rationale

The pertinent question that naturally comes is that why should we engage in exploration of sources of classical Indian wisdom like the Upanishads (or the Vedanta) or the Bhagavad Gita (The Divine Song) that date back a few millennia in time to seek light and direction for some of the critical issues facing modern management that belong very much to the twenty-first Century? It may be stated in response that classical Indian wisdom was essentially called ‘Sanatan’ meaning that its relevance and significance transcends the boundaries of space and time. It is ever present in its scope and application. The sages of the Upanishads had given to the humanity at large world over the clarion call: ‘Srinvantuvishweamritasyaputrah’ (Listen O Children of Immortality all over the world!). Thus though the wisdom had originated in India its appeal was not limited only to the Indian milieu. It had a universal appeal. Hence it may still be useful to explore these precious thoughts to find the guiding light for us in management education and come up with some authentic response to our critical modern day problems in business or otherwise.

In his masterwork, ‘The Scientific Outlook’, Bertrand Russell (2009) writes: “A new moral outlook is called for in which submission to the powers of nature is replaced by respect for what is best in man.” Swami Ranganathananda (2006) affirms that this ‘respect for what is best in man’ and the science to realize the same has been developed in the Upanishads ages ago in India in the science of the inner world of the human being.

The mode of transmission of knowledge in most of the Upanishads took place very much like a learning situation through conversation between the Master and the Disciples, the Teacher and the Students, often by way of questions and answers. The span and scope of such knowledge began from the gross physical and material plane but also reached the highest plane of quest in our existence and consciousness. However there is a fundamental difference between these dialogues and the usual intellectual discussion that we often experience in academic institutions today. All the dialogues and questions in the Upanishads had a higher purpose behind them like quest for meaning of work or purpose of life. It was not just a cerebral exercise for the display of intellectual acrobatics. The Upanishadic conversation may be located in any particular arena of life but the scope of the answer would always include the bigger picture, the deeper realms of our existence and the higher states of our consciousness beyond the limits of ordinary sense perception. Thus it does not offer quick-fix, made easy, short term answers to our pressing problems in life and work that need deeper analysis, subtler treatment and not just a package of palliative solutions that scratch the surface at the level of the symptoms while the real problem recedes afar.

To begin with if we take a deep look at the clarion call of the sages of the Upanishads as stated above, they present to us a model of man that is pitched at a much higher level of our consciousness than the usual models of the human being as we come across in dominant techno-economic paradigm of modern business scenario. The ancient seers had not treated us merely as a ‘techno-economic’ entity or a ‘rational animal’ or even a ‘social animal’. They offered to the world an ennobling concept of the human being as ‘Children of Immortality’, an Imperishable Supreme Consciousness embodied within a psycho-physical entity, far beyond the limits of our mortal existence. This charges our entire life and work with meaning and purpose compelling us to realize this Divine Self in this present life through all our thoughts, words and deeds. Swami Vivekananda, the modern Indian seer who had spread the message of the Vedanta in the East and the West alike also gave us his inimitable thundering call to achieve this purpose of life in these words: “Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached.”

Let us know try to relate the significance of the messages of the Upanishads with some of the critical issues and vital aspects of modern management education like values, ethics, conflict between materialism and spirituality, binary logic and linear thinking, holistic framework of learning and enlightened CSR to make our work meaningful, our life purposeful and our organizations charged with spirit of service for humanity at large.

Towards a Comprehensive Life-World View

What is ‘Spirit’ or spirituality? The Latin root ‘Spiritus’ connotes breath or the vital life force, the ‘elan vital’. Spirit essentially refers to the vital flow of awakened human consciousness that infuses life into any endeavour that may otherwise appear mundane or mechanical. Spirit breathes the fire of meaning and purpose into our actions and enlivens our experience of the world. It also stimulates our faculties, pushes us to the edge so that we are compelled to challenge our assumptions and frameworks of understanding through critical self-enquiry and introspection.

The earliest of the Upanishads, Ishopanishad dispels the doubts and contradictions that keep bothering many of the modern minds worldwide – should we pursue the path of acquisition of material knowledge or the journey to spiritual wisdom through realization of the Self? Should we plunge into a Life of Action or immerse ourselves in a Life of Meditation? The Upanishad is very clear in its dictum and guidance. The keynote for success or rather perfection in life lies in the spirit of harmony, an approach of balance between these two paths through simultaneous pursuit of both, one enriching the other covering the entire spectrum of reality in a comprehensive Life-World view. (Swami Chinmayananda 2011) This will be discussed in details later in Section 3.4.

Limitations of Linear Thinking and Binary Logic

But the modern mind often fails to grasp this all-encompassing approach to spirituality as it often gets caught in the trap of linear thinking and misses out certain colours and flavour that also matter quite significantly in life (Mukherjee 2008). Another serious limitation in our thinking today is the domineering influence of binary logic that can be traced to a digital way of interpreting the multilayered reality. We tend to see and understand the world in a bipolar mode – one or zero, good or bad, black or white. Because of this tendency to adopt a compartmentalized view of the life-world, we remain comfortable with the fallacious habit of labeling people and phenomena in terms of opposites from our self-created ‘boxes’, mental in origin. We fail to comprehend or appreciate that the fabric of life comes intertwined with a dynamic play of opposites. We miss out the kernel of Truth which often prevails in the twilight zone and is grey in color. Thus, in the work-space of modern organizations, effectiveness eludes us at a time when outcomes are unpredictable, human behavior and relationships are increasingly complex and dynamic, and change is the name of the game. Management of differences in human relationships and celebration of diversity in a multi-cultural context often remain a far cry. Recent emphasis on developing competencies like lateral thinking and ‘thinking out of the box’ among corporate executives are welcome trends but all this will need a radical transformation, a quantum leap in our world-view (Mukherjee 2008).It may be mentioned here that the ‘Advaita’ (or Unitary) nature of our consciousness as propounded in the Upanishads absorbs all dualities in the overarching canvas of a grand continuum of cosmic experience across space and time. Polarities or opposites exist in this scheme not as disparate fragments of reality but deeply interconnected in time, space and essence, against that backdrop.

Matter or Spirit? Ethics or Profits?

The wisdom of the ancient sages from their plane of Self-Realization presents to the world the notion of a Universal Consciousness (Isha) covering entire spectrum of reality from the micro to the macro, from the atom to the universe. This is the essence of the message of the Ishopanishad, the earliest of the Upanishads as mentioned earlier. This Upanishad has 18 ‘sloka’ or verses in which it extols the glory of this Universal Consciousness and resolves our conflicts and experience of dualities.

What is the nature of such conflicts? Let us take example from the business world. When there is a conflict between pursuit of profits and upholding ethics which way should we go? In a world where chasing numbers is given top priority what is the point of adherence to ethics that cannot be captured or explained in quantitative terms? MBA students or corporate executives who are conscientious thinkers are often confronted with these questions in the practical arena of work life especially when ethics and values do not have a place amidst numbers in the balance sheets when compared with profits, sales turnovers or ROI? And a decision has to be taken now on the spot! So the fire of youth which had a passion for values gets extinguished amidst the waves of the turmoil and turbulence of hard practicality.

The wisdom of the Ishopanishad is pertinent here to set the priorities right by raising a more fundamental issue or question by clearly distinguishing the two pursuits – Knowledge of Matter (Avidya) for material progress and development and Knowledge of Spirit (‘Vidya’). Unless there is clarity on this deeper issue there will always remain the confusion regarding our priorities in life and work.

The issue has been dealt upfront and the priority set forth in the 9th verse of the Ishopanishad. It clearly states that those who pursue the Knowledge of Matter (‘Avidya’) to the exclusion of the Knowledge of Spirit (‘Vidya’)the Knowledge of Matter (‘Avidya’) to the exclusion of the Knowledge of the Spirit (‘Vidya’), their lives are going to end up in darkness. But the next line of the verse is more pronounced in its articulation that those who pursue Knowledge of Spirit (‘Vidya’)then their lives are going to end up in deeper darkness. This comes as a blow to those who with superficial knowledge label Indian wisdom and philosophy as other worldly that it despises the material world. The Ishopanishad sets the priority very clear that on the strong foundation of material knowledge one can aspire to build a lofty spiritual superstructure. In Bold and clear was the powerful message of Swami Vivekananda: “Religion is not for the empty stomach.”

The Ishopanishad goes ahead further to offer us a principle for experiencing fulfillment in our life. Often we ask the question, till when should we pursue material knowledge and when should we take the plunge into spiritual pursuit? The underlying belief here is that one sequentially follows after the completion of the other. In the 11th verse it pronounces in no uncertain terms that it is by simultaneous pursuit of Knowledge of matter (‘Avidya’) and Spirit (‘Vidya’) that one can lead a life of fulfillment. While the former comes of help to cross the barrier of death in the phenomenal world of Matter, the latter transports us to the realm of Immortality by the awakening of Spiritual wisdom in us. At a practical level surmounting the barrier of death implies the absence of any fear or insecurity even in the face of any material loss while the experience of Immortality is our ability to reside and float in the ever flowing and glowing Spirit within us by residing in constant contact with us I-Consciousness that rules over the material domain and remains unperturbed amidst all turbulences and vicissitudes. At the pinnacle of such Consciousness Sri Aurobindo had pronounced that Matter divides, Spirit unites.

We now return to our original dilemma – ethics or profits? The source of such dichotomy is the present mode of binary thinking which sees and experience the world as dualities or opposites like day and night, darkness and light, good and evil, black and white. The problem is that our ever flowing I-Consciousness gets stuck at one end of the entire spectrum like the trajectory of a pendulum perceives the world from that single vantage point whereas the Ishopanishad inspires us to experience life in fullness through harmonious pursuit and thereby reconciliation of dualities or opposites. Thus the pursuit of profits as in numbers and the upholding of values as in principles have to be simultaneous engagements along the quantitative as well as the qualitative domains of our business activity together contributing towards a better and richer quality of work-life.

A Holistic Framework of Learning –System-View of Life

It may be worthwhile here to explore the Principle and processes of learning as elaborated in the Taittiriya Upanishad (Gambhirananda, 1958a, b). It has also been mentioned earlier that knowledge is transmitted in the Upanishads in the mode of conversations. It may be compared to a classroom scenario in modern education system where active presence and intense involvement of the teacher and the students create the context and ambience for knowledge dissemination and process of learning. This will help us in deriving pertinent leadership lessonsin the context of the contents, delivery and methodology of imparting knowledge to the people in modern organizations to liberate modern management education from the compartmentalization syndrome towards holistic knowledge creation and its effective dissemination.

Taittiriya Upanishad teaches the leader how to present a system view of life and the universe. It unfolds the entire spectrum of the phenomenal world from the micro to the macro, from the self to the universe, covering five layers in the form of concentric spherical sheaths (‘kosha’) of our existence that have been progressively discussed in this Upanishad through which the consciousness of the learner evolves under the guidance of the Teacher to reach the all-encompassing experience of fullness of the self and the universe.

These five concentric sheaths (Pancha Kosha) as depicted in this Upanishad are given below along with their implications for modern organizations:

• 1. Annamaya Kosha(Sheath of Matter) – This refers to the gross physical body of the individual and the material universe. Its counterpart in the organization is the land, the buildings, plants and physical infrastructure.

• 2. Pranamaya Kosha (Vital Sheath) – This constitutes the life giving vital force of the individual essential for our survival and movement and also the field of energy (gravitational, electromagnetic etc.) that flows in the natural universe for its sustainability. When it comes to the organization this refers to the vibrant dynamism, multi-layered flows of information, spirit of aggressive competitiveness for economic survival and growth.

• 3. Manomaya Kosha (Mental Sheath) –This connotes the mental world of the individual and includes choices and preferences, play of desires, thoughts, ideas and beliefs which also expand beyond the boundary of the organization to include the others. Accommodative and receptive employee mindset, emotional intelligence and a healthy corporate culture are its organizational manifestations.

• 4. Vijnanamaya Kosha (Sheath of Wisdom) – This brings us from the external world of material, vital and mental world of the individual to the deeper Knowledge of the Self and its organic connect with the Universe and its subtle forces. Questions on meaning of work, purpose of life and sustenance of the planet become vitally important at this level. Vision, mission and values of the organization assume priority at this layer.

• 5. Anandamaya Kosha (Sheath of Bliss) – This is the deepest and subtlest layer of human existence or consciousness that leads to the experience of pure bliss amidst the dualities of joy and sorrow, happiness and misery, success and failure. Maslow’s inclusion of a final stage of ‘Self-Transcendence’ beyond actualization comes close to this experience. Quest for joy and freedom in action, spontaneous connectivity with others and effortless flow of action comprise the organizational reflections of this experience.

Thus we see that a comprehensive framework of inclusive, expanding and all encompassing knowledge and system learning covering all possible aspects of our individual and collective existence have been elegantly offered in this Upanishad.

The Leadership Learning Process – Key Lessons

The following pertinent lessons on the process of learning can be crystallized for leaders in organizations from this ancient text:

• 1. A logically structured and systematically evolving, sequential as well as integral approach is essential for proper assimilation of knowledge. The sage in the Upanishad takes the student through all the five stages or ‘kosha’s so that the knowledge and consciousness of the disciple / student can evolve in a progressive manner.

• 2. One must have an inherent respect for the acquired knowledge at all the five layers – from the gross amterial to the subtlest spiritual. Thus we see that the sage opens his deliberation on each stage by identifying every sheath (‘anna’, ‘prana’ etc.) with the Highest Principle or Consciousness in the Universe or Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. This also serves as a safeguardthat prevents harbouringany feeling of arrogance or disdain towards learners at the preceding stages by those who have progressed ahead of the others.

• 3. A leader must not only be aware of the entire spectrum of knowledge but also be sensitive to the respective stage of learning of a particular recipient for effective learning. Otherwise as we often find that profound and inspiring messages of vision, mission and values hardly create any transformative impact on the people in organizations as most of people in the target audience are in the initial stages of the learning path.

• 4. Each sheath has its significant role to play in our entire learning path. Often there is the misconception that the stages and experiences we have left behind are no more important for us. Does material material knowledge lose its priority amidst our concern for values or sustainability? - Not at all.Hence we find that the wise sage after covering the entire learning process warns the learner: ‘Don’t despise matter’, the first layer (‘annamnanindat’).

• 5. The journey of exploration at every stage has been identified with ‘tapas’ or intense striving for perfection to reach the final goal. Apart from the layer the profound wisdom of the sage identifies even this striving with Brahman, the Highest Principle. The path is as important as the final destination. The following couplets from the Nobel Laureate Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore makes it succinct:

“My pilgrimage is not.

At the end of the road;

My temples are all there.

on both sides of my pathway.” (Tagore 1978) [Translation by the authors].

Indian Spiritual Wisdom and CSR

What is the essence of Indian spirituality? Indian spirituality is ever an all-encompassing concept that includes the mundane and the temporal as well as the highest philosophical thoughts and the transcendental domains of our existence. While pursuits of money, fame, power find their respective place in the scheme of life, but all these are covered within an over-arching framework that gives pre-eminence to a higher purpose in life – that is Self-Realization through continuous striving for self-exploration by way of gradual unfolding of different layers of our consciousness – physical or material, vital, mental, intellectual and finally the spiritual. It consists in not just the revelation of the Self but also of the world in which we live for better and clear understanding of its myriads of objects – things and beings, movements and phenomena, problems and multiple realities.

According to Indian philosophy there are fourfold values (‘Purushartha’) of life to be pursued by an individual during one’s earthly existence. These are ‘Dharma’ or righteousness, ‘Artha’ or material well-being, Kama or aesthetic pursuit and desires, and ‘Moksha’or liberation from the multifarious bondages of the self in one’s journey towards enlightenment. In the spiritual literature the surge for ‘Artha’ and ‘Kama’ has been likened to the turbulent flow of a roaring river that is regulated by ‘Dharma’ and ‘Moksha’, its two embankments. Down the annals of Indian spiritual history, there had been sages, seers and monks who had advocated maintaining the balance of our life and harmony with the world around us by keeping this vibrant flow of life regulated by the higher pursuits of righteousness and Self-liberation.

This framework is also valid for business organizations where the single-pointed pursuit of profits is tempered by awakening of our sense of social responsibility whereupon the enterprise attempts to give back to the world what it has received in the form of resources for its own survival, sustenance and growth. This implies an expansion of the leadership consciousness to include all our stakeholders within our domain of concern and interests. This promotes inclusive or holistic thinking among our leaders so that we do not fall into the traps of linear thinking and binary logic that stifles our imagination and blocks our creative potential. One slowly begins to acknowledge that there is an organic linkage between the firm and its stakeholders and that the long term sustenance and growth of the firm is a direct function of the steady growth of all its stakeholders. The perennial wisdom of Indian spirituality has never advocated the killer instinct that is demanded in order to keep aflame the spirit of aggressive competition in the marketplace of business or life. Instead of championing the win-lose game, it has always promoted the win-win situation for the common good and welfare of the many (‘bahujanahitayabahujanasukhaya cha’). The sages of the Upanishads, the vast body of Indian spiritual wisdom literature, had chanted the prayer: “Lokahsamastahsuhkinahbhavantu”(May all be blessed with happiness). Bhagavadgita, the celebrated text of Indian spirituality that is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Upanishads on 700 verses, has mandated upon the leader the responsibility of ‘lokasamgraha’ (the well-being of all). It uplifts the leadership consciousness from one-pointed pursuit of money and profits towards discharging enlightened responsibility to serve the interests of all stakeholders including the community. The community no longer remains a separate entity ‘out there’ but becomes an integral part of the organizational reality by way of accommodation and assimilation of the stakes of ‘the other’ into one’s own ambit of concern. In the field of organizational strategy and processes, this finds space in the framing of the Vision-Mission-Values exercise and thus percolates down the line across all levels of the enterprise. Finally it permeates into the DNA of the organization by making it an integral part of the life-blood of the firm through vibrant and invigorating learning methods and culture building processes. Such an enlightened and inclusive culture finds expression in the spontaneous attitudes and behavior of the employees that become naturally oriented ‘from Me to We’ by being able to think beyond the physical and structural boundary of the organization and embrace the others.

Enlightened Social Responsibility: Insights from Indian Spiritual Leaders

Let us now turn our attention to some pertinent insights and examples from the spiritual tradition of India, both ancient and modern. Here it may be worthwhile to present the Indian concept of ‘Seva’, loosely translated as service. In our present understanding of service, the provider of service becomes the benefactor and the receiver is the prime beneficiary. The true spirit of ‘Seva’ in Indian wisdom implies just the opposite. Here the provider of service is the prime beneficiary because the receivers of service have given him an opportunity to serve. Enlivening the spirit of ‘Seva’ is the hallmark of enlightened leadership. India saw the emergence of such an enlightened leader in Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda (1861–1902) was the founder of the first Indian international organization way back in 1898 with headquarters in Belur, on the bank of the river Ganges near the metropolis of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). He chose the motto of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, the institution he created to spread the cardinal message of his spiritual master Sri Ramakrishna in action worldwide, to be ‘atmanomoksharthamjagathitaya cha’ i.e., ‘for the salvation of the self and the welfare of the world’. While the Math focused its initiatives on spiritual awakening and realization of the people, the Mission devoted itself to serve the social milieu in the fields of health, education and cottage industry thus empowering men and women to rise to the level of self-reliance. Thus the social service agenda and activities of the Mission were always operating under the guidance and inspiration from the spiritual energy harnessed by the Math. This has also contributed to a sustainable and enduring model of the organization considering that the institution is about to reach more than 130 years of its formation and the Mission, ever growing and glowing, is reaching out to the global citizenry with 200 centres across the world as on date. The champions of globalization in modern times will be surprised to know that more than a century back, Vivekananda had a truly global mind that was essentially rooted in Indian culture and ethos. He had a resonant voice and a magnetic personality. This volcanic monk, a veritable dynamo, was the first and probably the most powerful spiritual ambassador of India who spread the profound messages of this land and attracted people from the West to join his global mission as enshrined in the above motto. During his voyage to America his fellow traveler was another inspiring leader, none other than J.N. Tata, the father of Indian industrialization and the founder of the mammoth Tata business conglomerate. In the ship they discussed the future plan for India’s development and regeneration for several days. Wasn’t this a divine coincidence?

It will be pertinent here to mention and briefly discuss another signal contribution from India in this context. This is the concept and model of Trusteeship as propounded by Mahatma Gandhi. He was deeply inspired by the thoughts and formulations of the eminent literary figure John Ruskin who held dominant self-interest based economics responsible for bringing schism into the Policy of Angels and the Economy of Heaven and also Tolstoy who ignited humanity with his message “The Kingdom of God is Within You”, following the precious Biblical dictum. Moreover the concepts of ‘aparigraha’ (non-possession) and ‘samabhavana’ (equality or oneness with all) of the classical Indian text The Bhagavadgita had a strong impact on Gandhi’s notion of Trusteeship. The Bhagavadgita, the millennia old celebrated Indian text is the crystallized wisdom of the Upanishads (more than hundred in number) that constitute a vast body of wisdom literature from ancient India. The sage of Ishopanishad, the first of the Upanishads left us the message – ‘Tena tyaktenabhunjitha’ (Enjoy through Renunciation).

Gandhi’s views of ‘property’ and ‘entitlements’ are central to the philosophy and practice of Trusteeship. Trusteeship is a means of transforming the capitalist order into an egalitarian society. The foundation of Trusteeship is a positive approach towards human beings as it is based on the faith that human nature is never beyond redemption and the owners can be reformed. It does not give any recognition to any right to private property so far as it may be permitted by society for its own welfare. The charter of production will be determined by social necessity and not by personal whim or greed. Thus personal profiteering motive is not sanctioned under the aegis of Trusteeship. The owner will manage the property for the welfare and service of the society as a trustee and he will be entitled to a statutory commission that will only be determined within the limits of moderation. It may be worthwhile to recall Gandhi’s famous remark: “The world has enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed.” Like Vivekananda who influenced the Tata patriarch, Gandhi had also exerted very powerful and positive influence on leading Indian industrialists like G. D. Birla, PurshottamdasThakurdas, WalchandHirachand among others. Strange though may sound the concept of trusteeship to the proponents of individualism and free enterprise, market economy and competition but the caution of Martin Luther King may be worth a while to ponder over that if we ignore Gandhi it is at our own risk!

Objectives

There have been scores of corporate failures all over the world, the most prominent being Enron and World com in the west and Satyam, Sahara, Rose Valley and Sharada scam in India to name a few, which exposed the moral turpitude, lack of good governance and erosion of the value system.

It was observed that students aspiring for/involved in management education may need training in ethics and moral reasoning more than most other students. Crane (2004) in his study found business school education not only fails to improve the moral character of students, but potentially weakens it. Buchholz (1989) has identified a critical issue with management education, students are taught the theories of management, but they are not equipped enough to ask questions regarding the “right” and “wrong” of such theories and their implementation. Management education even today are in favour of “hard” business topics such as finance, strategy and marketing as compared to areas like spirituality and CSR (Gioia 2002).Areas such as spirituality and CSR need to be included as a part of the management education as supported by Dunfee and Robertson (1988) since it will help the leaders of tomorrow to make more responsible and moral decisions. Thus the present paper will not only help to add new dimension to the existing literature but would also throw light on the attitude of students pursuing management education in India. Apart from the main objective the paper would also emphasize on the following:

• 1) Students perception as to what constitutes for them “the success” of a company.

• 2) Students perception as to what constitutes for them “the failure” of a company.

• 3) What do the students understand by the term CSR?

• 4) What do the students understand by the term spirituality?

• 5) Do the students regard spirituality to be important for their development?

• 6) Students perception regarding inclusion of areas like spirituality and CSR as an integral part of a management curriculum.

• 7) Do the students regard such areas to be as important or at par with finance, marketing human resource or strategy?

• 8) If given a choice would the students choose spirituality and CSR as one of their elective papers or as a potential course of study?

It is very essential here that we differentiate between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is a personalized feeling or attitude of interconnectedness without being related to the beliefs, rituals and practices of traditional religious institutions (Karakas 2009).It is much diverse and its range is much wider as it encourages any kind of expression of interconnectedness and, is more inclusive and universally applicable than religion which has a tendency to become dogmatic and exclusive (Klenke 2003; Marques et al. 2005). Therefore, though, spirituality can be an appropriate and healthy topic of discussion,religious discussion might not be accepted by all because of its exclusive nature (Mitroff and Denton 1999a, b; Kale 2004).So keeping this in mind even though India is a land where we find religious diversity across Indian culture we have avoided the task of framing such research questions to be discussed as well as avoided selecting participants from different religious backgrounds for our study on the assumption that there is one religion and that is “humanity” which binds everyone together here.

Method, Data Collection and Methodology

The research method applied for this paper was focus-group interviews, as a means of qualitative data collection. A focus group according to Lederman (Thomas et al. 1995),is ‘a technique involving the use of in-depth group interviews in which participants are selected because they are a purposive sampling of a specific population, this group being ‘focused on a given topic’. Participants therefore are selected on the criteria that they would have something to say on the topic, are within the age-range, have similar socio-characteristics (gender group, ethnic and social class background)and would be comfortable talking to the interviewer and each other (Richardson and Rabiee 2001). One of the key features of focus-group interviews is its group dynamics, hence the data generated are often deeper and richer than those obtained from one-to-one interviews (Thomas et al. 1995). According to Green et al. (2003), the uniqueness of a focus group is its ability to generate data based on the synergy of the group interaction. The optimum number of participants for a focus group may vary. Krueger and Casey (2000) suggest between six and eight participants.

As the themes and issues under exploration like CSR, ethics and spirituality are deep, sensitive and involve self-questioning a dialogue based qualitative methodology framed along a few indicative questions has been chosen to get deeper insights and clearer perceptions that are usually not available in a quantitative study.

For our analysis 64 participants qualified to be a part of our ‘focus group’. They were third year under graduate students and had taken up management education in Kolkata (West Bengal, India).Their age limit was between 18 and 21 years. Out of the 64 participants 10 were girls (16%). There was heterogeneity amongst students with respect to what they would be aspiring for in future, some wanted to be chartered financial analysts some company secretaries but majority of them aspired to be chartered accountants. Very few opted for management education in general and out of that, percentage of girls taking up management educationwas far too less. So finally out of those girl candidates only 10 qualified to be a part of our ‘focus group’ (refer to Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

The description of the participants’ gender in the study

Participants were selected on the criteria that they had something to say on the area of management education, spirituality and CSR, are within the age-range, have similar socio-characteristics as stated above and was comfortable talking to the interviewer (researcher) and each other. Each group discussion lasted for about two hours keeping in mind there were eight participants per focus group. Hence there were eight focus groups for interviewing. The main source of data analysis was the recorded spoken language derived from the interviews. This record was in the form of an audiotape. In our analysis frequency, emotions, extensiveness, the internal consistency, the specificity of the answers and the importance of identifying the main ideas, all were considered as suggested by Krueger and Casey (2000). For the analysis of Focus Group data, two basic forms are used, Qualitative or ethnographic summary and Systematic code through content analysis. In our paper we have used the Qualitative or ethnographic summary form.

Qualitative or ethnographic summary was selected in this study because it is seen by many scholars as one of the most effective means of doing comprehensive, systemic, and authentic research (Ejimabo 2013) and when compared to other qualitative approaches has the ability to deliver a detailed and faithful representation of investigator’s experiences, knowledge, ideas, behaviours and attitudes in their selected study of interest. Qualitative or ethnographic summary form has the ability in uncovering and analyzing relevant respondent’s attitudes and emotions as well. Ethnographic strategy enables the interviewers to gain access, clarity, knowledge, and distinct information about the perceptions and observations regarding the questions placed for discussion before the focus group (Ejimabo 2015).From the methodology point of view for each of the areas taken up for discussion we have given a summary statistics by calculating the proportion of the respondents who answered in the affirmative and the proportion of the respondents who felt otherwise. We have also represented this diagrammatically through Pie charts.

Analysis and Observations

The first question that was placed before the groups was their perception about what they understood by the term “success” of a company. The responses given by the eight groups were quite similar to each other. There was internal consistency. For 92% of the participants “success” meant high profitability, strong goodwill, employee satisfaction, quality products, strong brand image, high returns to shareholders, launching of innovative products, large market share, large sales turnover, strong marketing strategy and flexible organizational structure out of which “high profitability, strong goodwill, employee satisfaction” came up very often in the conversation with the focus groups. On the other hand quite interestingly one of the participant felt that “a successful company is one which fosters the spirit of inclusive growth.” Another participant felt “The Company should have a social responsibility towards its community in terms of improving healthcare and education services”. One of the participants of focus group 5 felt “Success for him means if the company has a good approach towards society, company is good towards its employees and keeps in mind the effects of its decisions on the environment.” From focus group 6, it was interesting to know that he felt “Corporate social responsibility is another base of determining the company’s success. Since companies are not only made for profits but also to serve the society”. From focus group 2, it was interesting to know that he felt “existence of spirituality among employers and employees” as one of the keys to a company’s success.(refer to Fig. 2).

Fig. 2

Respondents’ perceptions about the term Success

For the 92% of the participants the term ‘success’ is defined by what they study superficially from the books available, what they see round and what they are made to believe. We have failed to inspire them to think beyond the parameters of profit, sales, turnover and high returns. In Vedic mythology, business is seen as a legitimate, integral part of society. Its core function is to create wealth for society. It encourages one to work based on “Sarvalokahitam” which means “the well-being of all stakeholders”. According to Vedic philosophy, one should continuously distribute one’s wealth for the growth otherwise the rate of growth starts declining. Therefore to lead an organization to the actual path of “success” there is a necessity to create future spiritual leaders who can lead based on the principles of human dignity, love, compassion, honesty. Puritan-inspired capitalism seems to have succeeded globally, including in India which stresses on karma and samsara. A karmic view offers management a possible facility for being more caring about the needs and fates of other stakeholders (Köllen 2016). Hence profitability cannot be the only measure for success.

The second question that was placed before the groups was their perception about what they understood by the term “failure” of a company. The responses given by the eight groups were quite similar to each other. For 95% of the participants “failure” meant declining profits, incurring losses, unstable management, poor leadership, high rate of labour turnover, dissatisfied employees, not meeting the expectations of the investors, lack of accountability, poor governance, weak client base, too much of political interference, red-tapism and bureaucratic approach, lack of research and development to promote innovation, carrying on non- ethical activities, declining sales, locked up capital, dissatisfied workforce, rigid organizational structure out of which “declining profits, incurring losses, unstable management ,dissatisfied employees ,declining sales” came up very often in the conversation with the focus groups. On the other hand interestingly one of the participants felt that “major reason for a company’s failure is its poor ethics and code of conduct.” Another respondent felt “failure of a company can be it being socially insensitive.” “Inability to comply with the ethical standards like attempts to embezzle money and employing children in hazardous works” and “the company is completely ignorant towards the society” were also regarded to be detrimental for a company (refer to Fig. 3).

Fig. 3

Respondents’ perceptions about the term Failure.

It’s interesting to note that the myopic vision that students have with respect to “failure” can be attributed to an observation made by Ian Mitroff (2004) when he addressed to all the deans and faculties of the American Business School through an open letter where he had observed,

“At best, we are guilty of having provided an environment where the Enron’s and the Andersen’s of the world could take root and flourish. At worst, we are guilty of being active accomplices and co-conspirators in their shoddy and criminal behavior. In either case, unless we finally own up to the underlying reasons for our actions, business schools will only continue to aid and to abet the wave of scandals that have engulfed American businesses within the last few years.” According to him the problem was not just that our values were faulty, the real problem was of a “mean-spirited and distorted view of human nature; a narrow, outdated, and repudiated notion of ethics; a narrow and highly limited definition of, and the role of, management in human affairs and an overly reified conception of the “sub-disciplines of the field of management” provided by the management schools. Prevalent management education talks about declining profits, incurring losses,labour turnover, dissatisfied employees,weak client base as failures but fails to educate the young minds that issues like rising costs of litigation involving architects, accountants and lawyers, discrimination in the workplace, corporate scandals, environmental issues,whistleblower issues,corporate bribery,plant explosions (Bhopal, India 1984) are bigger “failures”.

The third question that was placed before the groups was their perception about what they understood by the term “corporate social responsibility.”The responses given by the eight groups were quite homogeneous in nature. The participants regarded CSR to be a method of giving back to the society, socially, ecologically and philanthropically. For them CSR symbolizes the relationship between an organization and the society. They felt It was a two way process. They observed that CSR was the responsibility of a business entity towards the public at large and environment. CSR may be in the form of education, poverty eradication, going green initiatives, to name a few. The participants felt that the concept of CSR stems from the belief that since the business uses external resources (e.g. - natural resources, infrastructure) it is therefore the companies’ responsibility to give back to the society. One of the respondent felt that for him “Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the business to give something back to the society which has a sanguine impact. For instance State Bank of India is the largest nationalized bank in India establishing schools for the underprivileged. “They felt CSR is not mere setting up of NGOs or running brand campaigns.” In the discussions with the focus groups CSR as a “responsibility of a business entity towards the public at large and environment” came up repeatedly. On the contrary few interesting observations were placed while the discussion was on like some felt “It is, in a way, a return favour done by the corporate to the people,” “It is a basic sense of thanksgiving to the public and its consumers to show that the company cares for them and is obliged by the consumers response because of which the company reaches such a higher level,” “CSR could involve donating a part of the profit to a charity or installing lifts or escalators in buildings by a company,” “Public image is a must for long run of a business and for that CSR is a must.” One of the respondent felt “CSR is good but not a must-have for every corporate. Social responsibility shouldn’t be forced, but it could be elicited.” 92% of the participants had clarity in their understanding of the concept of CSR but for some CSR was a favour,donation and an image building tool (refer to Fig. 4).

Fig. 4

Respondents’ perceptions about the term CSR.

CSR is a coinage of the western management thinkers. However, the practice is essentially rooted in the Indian value system and references to it can be found in Vedic literature. In the vedas, it is linked to dharma and embraces the social responsibility of both individuals as well as the businesses under its fold. The Vedanta philosophy also recognizes the concept of trivarga, the triple set i.e., dharma, artha and kama. The objectives of dharma, artha and kama are to lead society to material progress, cultural development and general welfare of its diverse population. The roots of CSR can be traced to the concept of trivarga. CSR can also be seen as an extension of the ancient tradition of daan (charity), which has prevailed in the Indian society for ages. Famous persona like Raja Bali in Satya yuga and Danveer Karna in Dwaparyugashow us the importance of philanthropy in ancient Indian thought.The Rig Veda, the ancient Hindu scripture, mentions the need for the wealthy to plant trees and build tanks for the community as it would bring them glory in life and beyond. Veda emphasizes that the continuous flow of money to people who need it is more important than its accumulation and creating wealth for the welfare of society is one of the important responsibilities of business enterprises. Atharva Veda promulgates that one should procure wealth with one hundred hands and distribute it with one thousand hands. The Yajurveda observes that riches should be enjoyed with detachment, because the riches belong to the public. The wealth, thus, should be used for social good. CSR then is nothing newit’s rooted in our ethos. The young minds should be shown the difference between a global market driven only by calculations of short from profit and one which has human face, between a world which where a quarter of the human race faces starvation and which offers everyone prosperity and a healthy environment, between a selfish world in which we ignore the fate of the losses and a future where the strong and successful accept their responsibilities showing global vision and leadership.

The fourth question that was placed before the groups was their perception about what they understood by the term “spirituality.” The responses that evolved from the discussions with the groups was enlightening and enriching too. The participants felt that spirituality is connected with self-actualization, an understanding of one’s self and his needs and maybe a desire to learn and to grow. They felt spirituality was a connection of us with our conscience. One of the participant felt “Spirituality means the belief of what is right and what is wrong. It is a subjective concept and defines the actions of the person and the values he adopts in life. “The groups felt “Spirituality refers to a meaningful activity that would result in inner satisfaction, personal growth and tapping into deeper meaning in life that goes beyond our physical existence.” Through discussions amongst the participants it was observed that they believed “Spirituality means the ability to derive peace of mind. To be able to find out meaning for any activity can be called spirituality. It can be attained through meditation and yoga. Alignment of the needs of the soul and the mind is spirituality. It is not strictly related to religion although there are overlapping features.” They felt “Spirituality does not mean having faith in God, it means being truthful, caring kind and concerned about people, animals and the place where you live, that is both the living and nonliving things in your environment, it also includes nature, mother earth.” An interesting answer was given by a participant, for him spirituality is “Understanding life, understanding Self and creating a link between yourself and your life, and another link between yourself and others life.” In the discussions with the focus groups the connection of spirituality with “self-actualization, deriving peace of mind and understanding life” came up repeatedly. While engaging the groups in discussion on this topic it was felt that 11% of the participants were not clear about spirituality, like for instance few participants felt “I believe that spirituality is generally linked to religion,”, “Being religious towards something”, “Spirituality often has to do with religion,” “A religious belief,” “Spirituality is to do with religion or religious matters.” These respondents due to lack of exposure believed in the oneness of religion and spirituality (refer to Fig. 5).

Fig. 5

Respondents’ perceptions about the term Spirituality.

The fifth question that was placed before the groups were their perception about how important was spirituality in their lives. Only 5% of the participants felt that spirituality was not important for them. They observed “No, it is not of vital importance to me because I have never felt any presence of a spiritual belief that changes my course of actions.” Another respondent felt “Not too much,” “Spirituality is not really important to me as I do not believe in the existence of a greater force. I rather believe that every individual is responsible for shaping their destiny, and it is not plausible that their fate has been predefined by an external force.” But 95% of the respondents in their discussions felt “Yes. Because that is what makes us decide what is wrong or right according to us and help us believe in our actions and sub consciousness more than in what others say or think,” “Yes it is, mostly because it develops a great amount of inspiration and orientation in life. Being spiritual brings out the inner values in you to perform in every field.” They felt spirituality makes one humble, broad-minded, increases connectivity with others, finds answers to life and meaning of life, spirituality gives a meaningful purpose to life, it generates positive vibes in an organization, it gives direction to one’s life. “Humble, increases connectivity with others and meaningful purpose to life” were the aspects that the respondents very often repeated throughout the discussions (refer to Fig. 6).

Fig. 6

Respondents’ perceptions about the importance of spirituality in their lives.

Spirituality is a personalized feeling or attitude of interconnectedness without being related to the beliefs, rituals and practices of traditional religious institutions. People with spiritual orientation tend to extend their helping hands not only towards loved ones but also to strangers. This experience of interconnection and oneness gives rise to compassion and altruism leading to a change in perception about self and others. One starts to perceive itself as a part of the greater community and hence, moves towards performing altruistic acts which is nothing but dana or generosity. Spirituality not only benefits the organization and its employees, but also the society through its CSR activities. Thus the three Ps of CSR, production, people and planet can be addressed by linking spirituality to CSR (dana). Hanumanthappa of Rampura turned out to be one of the rank holders of the secondary school leaving certificate results of Kanada in spite of being a coolie’s son and being denied of some of the basic necessities of life. Does this not ignite us to think further? Or improving the social and economic conditions of our tribal and rural areas in respect of health, education, employment, and the basic social primary indicators, not important for us? These people are ready to develop and improve, it is for us to take the initiatives like the tribal children of Shyadri Hills in Karnataka, who requested Sudha Murthy “We have heard of computers but we have not seen them except on TV. We want to learn about computers. Do you have any book on computers written in Kannada?” (Sudha 2006). This reminds us “Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness to pull another hand into the light” (Norman B. Rice.) So the future leaders need to learn about hope, gratitude, generosity. They need to understand spirituality and its importanceand practice it to make life more meaningful.

The sixth question that was asked was whether it was justifiable to include areas like spirituality and CSR as an integral part of a management curriculum. 11% of the participants felt that CSR should not be an integral part of the management curriculum. Some respondents had views like “Since CSR is mandatory by law, a small portion on the basics may be included in primary subjects”, “No not really, we cannot treat them as an integral part but instead as normal curriculum which should be included but only to a certain limit. It’s mainly because there can be no proper way to teach oneself about CSR”, “No. They should be an elective part as they are subjective topics.” An interesting view arouse from one of the respondents where he expressed the following “CSR: No - it is good for the society, but doesn’t meet the needs and objectives of most students. The only reason for me to join this course would be to relax and get easy grades with less of formulas.” The remaining respondents (89%) however felt the importance of including CSR in the curriculum because of its link to society and environment – “a feel –good factor” and more so because of the inclusion of CSR as Section 135 of the Companies Act of 2013.23% of the participants felt that spirituality should not be an integral part of the management curriculum. Some respondents had views like “No. Although I believe it is required to carry one’s life, in business, it will most likely lead to failure. From a practical point of view, I don’t think that being always honest with oneself will lead to lasting success in business”, “I do not believe that spirituality should be a part of any curriculum as it would impose something that should be a personal decision upon students”, “and not spirituality since it is something very subjective. It is something about which a person holds his view since he learns to contemplate things around him. It should not be defined within boundaries of a curriculum”, “Spirituality shouldn’t as it is not that significant in the corporate world.” Others (77%) however felt that inclusion of spirituality would be a welcome endeavour (refer to Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b).

Fig. 7

a Respondents’ perceptions about inclusion of CSR as an integral part of a management curriculum b Respondents’ perceptions about inclusion of spirituality as an integral part of a management curriculum

The seventh question that was put up for discussion was whether CSR and spirituality can be regarded to be at par with finance, marketing human resource or strategy. 38% of the overall participants felt that it cannot be at par with the other core subjects/areas. One such respondent interestingly observed “Spiritual and CSR learning in any management curriculum is definitely needed, but cannot be “at par” with finance, marketing human resource or strategy because:-.

(i) The primary focus in most of the companies is given to skills pertaining to finance, marketing or human resource. Spirituality and CSR is yet to build its importance as an integral part of a company.

(ii) Spirituality and CSR can be “a part” of the specialization we taken up in the final year and need not be studied as a separate course because it will not only limit our knowledge to a particular field but also restrict our career growth.

Others (62%) were of the belief that such areas can and should be at par with the other core areas. One such respondent interestingly observed “This area is of more importance than the above mentioned core areas. If researched and studied properly it can form an integral part in everyone’s lives” (refer to Fig. 8).

Fig. 8

Respondents’ perceptionsabout spirituality and CSR being at par with finance, marketing human resource or strategy

The last question that was put up for discussion was If they were given a choice would they choose spirituality and CSR as one of their elective papers or as a potential course of study. 14% of the respondents belonging to the focus groups said no to both. Some of the respondents observed “I wouldn’t do so because the areas that interests me most are marketing and public relations,“I believe in CSR and spirituality but I would not choose them,” “No I will not choose it the either way, “Spirituality and CSR is important as an academic discipline but it can be mastered upon only through practical life experiences and facing real life scenarios,” “It’s more practical than theoretical.”52% of the respondents belonging to the focus groups said yes to both and had opinions like “Yes. It will help in developing a good understanding of life as well as spread awareness about the roles of a company in the society,” “I would choose it to learn more about these two areas and how it can be better implemented in the management curriculum,” “Yes, primarily because it is a rather unexplored and emerging field of study and how we can connect something like spirituality, CSR and management is interesting.” 6% of the respondents belonging to the focus groups said yes to take up an elective on spirituality only and interestingly one of them opined “Keeping our minds free and able to make good decisions at any point of time is a manager’s greatest asset. Spirituality helps us build this, so I would choose spirituality over CSR.”20% of the respondents belonging to the focus groups said yes to take up an elective on CSR only and one of them opined “I would take up CSR as an elective paper but not spirituality,” “CSR is something that benefits society and will eventually, in the long run, benefit businesses as well,” “I would not take up spirituality as a paper because I do not believe that it belongs to a business curriculum.” 8% of the respondents belonging to the focus groups were not sure or reluctant as they opined “Maybe, after weighing the alternatives,” “I would first ask reviews from my friends.” (Refer to Fig. 9).

Fig. 9

Respondents’ perceptions about choosing spirituality and CSR as one of their elective papers or as a potential course of study

India is a country where a big percentage of people live in absolute poverty. They are disadvantaged not only because of a shortage of material resources but because social, political and economic structures prevent them from accessing and controlling the resources needed for a life of dignity. It reminds us of an incident of an old women named Veeramma living in one of the many huts in the leprosy colony where Sudha Murthy used to pay her regular visits to listen to the agonies, difficulties and frustrations of those people, people who had lost their self confidence and their acceptability by the society due to this disease which has been with mankind for many centuries.

In one of her visits, Sudha Murthy visited Veeramma. On constant calling, when she got no response she entered her hut shocked to see a frail, near to skeleton figure huddled in one of the corners. In very low and depressed note Veeramma stated that irrespective of her age she was unable to come out in front of others without any clothes. It was then Sudha Murthy realized that Veramma was almost naked. It was a picture of dehumanizing poverty in our country even after more than fifty years of independence and it was this time Sudha Murthy stated “I felt guilty wearing a six-yard saree” (Murthy 2006).India does not always mean technology, fashions, malls, and films. The real India or “Bharat” is in the neglected interiors of our country where helpless miserably poor people live beyond the reach of any government.

What constitutes socially responsible behavior in an Indian (and indeed any developing country) context is that it would include all activities that a company undertakes that benefit people and communities: Especially for those who are socially and/or economically disadvantaged, like small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, tribals, slum-dwellers to name a few. Government has a central role to play in building the policy framework to stimulate more inclusive forms of growth. There is also a need to provide leadership and good governance required to implement sustainable policies. But business is uniquely positioned to contribute towards innovation fostering inclusive growth. It needs to do so to ensure its own survival and sustenance. Business models which are excessively focused on shareholder value are flawed. Inclusive growth as a core and futuristic strategic component of a business is essential because by embracing this challenge they will not only be contributing towards a secure collective future but will find new ways to re-invent and re-vitalize themselves. If we want to transform India to a “Better India” (as J.R.D Tata had envisioned “A happy India”) the business ethos of corporate India needs to focus on “Inclusive growth” which is not just profit driven but is also value driven. Prominent global champions like Anita Roddick (The Body shop), General Electric, Philips, C.K. Prahalad to name a few have also advocated inclusive growth in India.

Bringing about such a change requires a new mind set in the twenty-first century, needs a vision based on strong sense of reality, real commitment and leadership, needs a mindset which is stakeholder-sensitive. This change in the mind set of our future leaders wouldrequire areas of great importance like CSR and spirituality to be made an integral part of the management curriculum and regarded at par with finance, marketing human resource or strategy.Transformation is then bound to happen. Unlike most other core business school content, the teaching of spirituality and social responsibility necessarily requires an emphasis and understanding of impact of decisions and behaviors on others. Such a human-centered educational approach requires adequately addressing moral, societal, environmental, quality of life, and other important stakeholder-related issues. A radical shift from an organizationcentered worldview to a human-centered one is warranted in business schools. This will go a long way towards helping these future businesspeople manage more holistically and effectively in an increasingly stakeholder-sensitive business world.

Thus on the basis of the analysis above the following observations can be drawn:

• 1. There is, in general, Superficial Understanding of the notion of Spirituality in its Essence.

• 2. There is a Lack of Awareness of the Goal and Purpose of Education, including Management Education.

• 3. There is Dominance of Linear Thinking and Binary Logic in the mindset of the respondents.

• 4. This leads to Lack of an Integral View of life and work resulting in a Compartmentalization in the thinking process.

• 5. Acquisition of Material Knowledge (Marketing, Finance, Systems HR etc.) is treated as completely separated from pursuit of Spiritual Wisdom and higher, nobler aspirations (CSR and Ethics).

• 6. Pursuit of Ethics and Profits cannot go on simultaneously – there is always an Either-Or bifurcation in opinions and judgment

• 7. There is Absence of a comprehensive Holistic Framework of Learning.

• 8. There is also absence of an Evolutionary Learning process leading to progressive unfoldment of Consciousness.

• 9. CSR is understood in the typical western viewpoint as if the organization id the benefactor and the community or other stakeholders are beneficiaries.

There is little appreciation of the need for inclusive, meaningful and creative CSR interventions that can only be stewarded by Enlightened Organizational Leadership.

Concluding Reflections

The basic philosophy of spiritually illumined CSR for an organization has to be founded on the principle of ‘enlightened self-interest’. Like the self of an individual there is also the ‘self’ of an organization. Only a visionary leader has the ability to expand the notion of the ‘self’ of the organization beyond its boundary to include all stakeholders, visible and invisible, the distant and even the absent others. If the notion of the ‘self’ of the organization is limited, we end up calculating our narrow self-interest, fail to see the organic and deep linkages with others and remain far from enlightenment. It is an enlightened leader with an ever-expanding view of the organizational ‘self’ who can naturally see the connectedness with others in space and time. He is inspired by his conviction based on vision and values and never gets bogged down with petty calculations of the daily marketplace.

A truly enlightened leader is one who is first able to light the fire in own heart and then ignite the spirit in others. He is able to keep CSR as a top priority among other agenda items in his own diary that helps to retain the focus even in the midst of the frantic chase after the bottom-line. Perhaps the best time to revisit and to take stock of the day’s activity is the darkest hour of the night in a moment of solitude before we sleep. That is when one can attempt to connect with one’s innermost self and seek guidance from the spiritual light within. The results are bound to follow. A new day will dawn with a difference, fashioned by such a leader.

From the above analysis we observe that success or failure of an organization was still determined in terms of financial parameters but it was an enriching experience while interacting with the focus groups to find that the respondents who would all be leaders of this century have felt and justified the need of spirituality and CSR and have also been able to express clearly their perception of spirituality and CSR,their importance and as stated above 52% of the respondents have expressed their desire to have such areas included in the management curriculum for them to opt. Swami Vivekananda says, “The education which does not help the common mass of people to equip themselves for the struggle for life, which does not bring out strength of character, a spirit of philanthropy, and the courage of a lion – is it worth the name?” So are we as academicians who are responsible for building “leaders of tomorrow” ready to take up this challenge?

All these observations point toward some glaring pitfalls in both the process as well as the outcome of mainstream management education – dominance of our techno-economic identity over deeper and nobler aspects of human nature; failure to impart ethics education in manner that is vibrant, engaging and relevant to the students; sharpening of instrumental reason at the cost of critical rational faculties; denigrating the power of lofty emotions in personal and organizational transformation; splitting the holistic conception of management into disconnected pigeon holes of areas and sub-disciplines; loss of meaning in work and purpose in life.In recent times there has been emergence of rising critique of our prevalent methods of learning among the academic circles in business and management. Such critical voice is often being raised by recognized stalwarts in this field (Ghoshal 2005; Bennis and O’Toole 2005). There is also a search for an alternative holistic paradigm (author.ref) of organic connectivity so that “…our heart and head does not split knowledge into dualities of thought and being, mind and body, emotion and intellect, but resonates with a wholeness and fullness that engages every part of one’s being.” (King et al. 2007) To usher in new air and new light into an otherwise structured, fossilized and ossified management education, illumined thinkers and leaders are seeking insights from alternative sources and methods of learning including literature on Values, Consciousness and Spirituality to establish the missing connect between learning and life.

There has been an increasing interest in Spirituality at Work (SAW) is evident from the rising number of publications on Spirituality and Holistic Management (Biberman et al. 1999; Bell and Taylor 2004; Cash and Grey 2000; Fisher 1999); Mitroff and Denton 1999a, b, Pruzan et al. 2007.). The concepts of ‘Quality Mind’ (Chakraborty 1995}, ‘Quality Consciousness’ (Chatterjee 1998), Synchronicity (Jaworski 1998), Spiritual Quotient or SQ (Zohar and Marshall 2000), Buddhist Economics (Ims and Zsolnai 2006) are significant developments in this direction.(author.ref).

The present paper has been an attempt to bridge the gap between the conceptualization of CSR and its contextualization in the Indian context from the perspective of Spirituality based on insights from Indian classical wisdom. It has tried to include both the ancient Indian Philosophy as well as the modern Indian enlightened thought leaders to offer a spiritually grounded authentic Indian conceptualization of CSR. Ii has adopted a qualitative methodology to understand the relevance of CSR in the field of Management Education in India that has not been done in most previous studies on CSR in India.

From academic institutions point of view introduction of special CSR and spirituality courses would be useful. They may contribute to increasing students’ knowledge about such areas, their concepts and tools, which is already an important first step. Such courses, in particular should not be kept as optional. In order to raise the consciousness of the students who would be the future leaders, these courses must be embedded into the curriculum and even in the culture of the academic institution. Students should be encouraged to participate in workshops and seminars on such areas and also collaborate with people who have been an inspiration in such areas. Academic institutions should recognize that their own organizational behavior sends signals to students about the nature of responsibilities in society. They should therefore act as role models and explicitly address their own responsibilities towards their stakeholders and the broader society.

Future Research and Limitations

Future studies should continue to explore the underlying motivations for CSR participation and spirituality. Researchers should continue more in depth study so as to design ethics/responsibility based courses and programs. Role of diversity in understanding concepts such as CSR and Spirituality should be encouraged specially for a country like India where we have people from diverse backgrounds with respect to culture, traditions, beliefs, languages, living together. ‘Linkage research’ studies focusing on association of the relationship of spirituality and CSR with other variables like learning, creativity and employee engagement can be of special interest to management—academic as well as practicing managers. The new sources and methods of learning that must be initiated to create the required cultural change in an organization be it academic or otherwise for acceptance of CSR and spirituality as a priority area needs to be looked into. Finally our research, limited as it is by its purpose and its sample size, represents a starting point for the study of the students’ perceptions about CSR and spirituality at the undergraduate levelspecially. Findings from this study can constitute work hypothesis for researching on bigger samples from different universities situated in different parts of our country and comparative study can be undertaken both at the national and international levels.