Philosophy of Management

formerly Reason in Practice

http://www.managementphilosophers.com/About%20Reason%20in%20Practice.htm
Philosophy of Management is published three times a year. It offers an independent, refereed forum for philosophers, theorists and management practitioners to apply philosophical scrutiny to management theory and practice. It seeks to define and develop the field of philosophy of management and is directed to philosophers working in all traditions.
Scope The journal focuses on central philosophical issues of management in theory and practice including:

Presuppositions of management including theories of nature, human nature, rationality, knowledge, legitimacy and rights Core concepts in management such as leader, vision, organisation, stakeholder, motivation, value, effectiveness, wor Representations of management in different media and managerial myths Management methodologies, for instance decision-making, control, organisation design The use of philosophical techniques and skills in management practice such as dialogue, enquiry, conceptual analysis The application of philosophical disciplines to issues facing managers including organisational purpose, performance measurement, the status of ethics, employee privacy, limitations on the right to manage

BUSA 6100 History and Philosophy of Management Fall 2004

itc.gsw.edu/faculty/aparks/MGNT6100.htm

Georgia Southwestern State University Americus, Georgia, 31709 USA

INSTRUCTOR:

C. Alan Parks, D.B.A.; Office: ADM 200; e-mail: aparks@canes.gsw.edu Phone: 928-1380 Web page: www.gsw.edu/~aparks Wren, Daniel: THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT THOUGHT, 4th ed. Goldratt, Eliyahu and Cox, Jeff: THE GOAL

TEXT:

WHERE:

Business/History Room 208

Course Description/Prerequisites BUSA 6100. History And Philosophy of Management. A review of the history of the development of the philosophy and practice of managing people in organizations and organized activity. Emphasis is upon independent research and

in-depth discussions of texts and projects. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. . Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes The purpose of this class is to provide the graduate management student with an overview of the development of management philosophy. With this background the student will be able to develop a personal philosophy grounded in history but with knowledge of the need for continuing education and revision in an environment of rapidly changing business conditions. General Requirements This class is a reading and discussion seminar. Class will be used for orientation and a final recap of the material. Each student will be expected to explore some facet of management through the lens of history, to write a report of this research. The assignments should demonstrate thorough knowledge of the material. Assignments include completion of the discussion questions and submission of a book report on The Goal, and a research paper. This course is primarily WEB CT based (on-line). Specific Requirements/Assignments: Reading Assignments (Wren book) Reading Assignment: The Goal Attendance at the two on-campus meetings in Business/History 208 is required (10% of grade). Each student will access the Web CT course and complete the discussion questions related to the Wren book in the "Content Modules" section, and submit via e-mail to the Instructor (50% of grade). Each student will read The Goal and summarize the key points in brief paper (5 pages double-spaced, 15% of grade); we will discuss in class. Each student will prepare and present a research paper based upon a topic or person covered in the course (7 -10 pages double spaced in APA style; 25% of grade). Check this site for a sample paper done by the instructor (no need to add graphics as done on the web site): http://www.westga.edu/~bquest/2001/women.htm Students must read the material scheduled for each class and submit assignments by the dates as indicated below: August 28, 2004: Class meets 8:30 A.M. till 10:00 A.M. Business/History 208. Course overview. Web CT instructions. September 10, 2004: Submit Content Module 1 assignment. September 24, 2004: Submit Content Module 2 assignment. October 8, 2004: Submit Content Module 3 assignment. October 22, 2004: Submit Content Module 4 assignment. November 5, 2004: Submit report on The Goal

November 20, 2004: Class meets 8:30 A.M. till 10:00 A.M. Submit research papers (bring to class); discuss research papers, recap of course materials. Attendance Attendance at scheduled class meetings and participation in class discussions is expected (10% of grade). Saturday, August 28, 2004: Overview and instructions. Saturday, November 20, 2004: Re-cap of course, submit research papers in person. Every effort will be made to conduct class on the dates indicated. In the event of circumstances beyond the control of the Instructor, the November 20 class meeting may be re-scheduled. Advance notice will be given.

Honor Code All work submitted for this course must be the students own work. It can be used only to satisfy the requirements of this course unless prior faculty approval is obtained. The penalties for violations will follow the guidelines in the University

Bulletin.
Grading The final course grade will be determined by the following: Research paper: Discussion Questions Report on The Goal 25% 50% 15%

Class meetings/Participation 10%

Grading Scale: 90-100 points = A 80-89 points = B 70-79 points = C 60-69 points = D < 60 points = F

EXAMPLES OF PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT

Some examples of successful "philosophy of management" in action:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/28609695/m/353003025731

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

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

quote:
Why ethical codes fail to deliver is the concern of consultants Andrew Bartlett and David Seth Preston. Not Nice, Not in Control suggests the problem arises from self-deception about the effectiveness, neutrality and true role of management. Conventional approaches to business ethics fail to address these issues, they argue, and they describe how self-deceiving employees and managers come to identify the ethical with the effective and thus merely support the status quo.

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

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

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

It is useful for me to think of management as separate from, but overlapping with, leadership. Things and time can be managed, but with people its more like leadership. To be efficient and/or effective both management and leadership must be done with a firm, and often reaffirmed, grasp of a vision broken down into goals within which management and leadership can operate. If we begin with no "map" it doesn't really matter what road we take or how fast we get there. So, we must have a map. Given the vision and goals, management of things comes into play through processes such as gathering critical information, planning, implementing, maintaining, tracking, evaluating, weeding out, modifying and even junking and starting over. The main point is to control resources (not for the sake of control) but so those resources can best be of service in working toward the goals and in turn to approach the vision. Things to consider:

Philosophy and philosophising in the everyday world of work: its uses for organisations and individuals Notions of criticality in thinking within and about management Ethical issues for organisations and managers as individuals including work, careers, identity and meaning Management education: how can and do philosophy, philosophising and philosophers contribute? Epistemology of management: issues surrounding knowledge, learning, expertise, rationality, emotions, strategic thinking, decision making Political issues in management: corporate governance and responsibilities; stakeholders and shareholders; justice, democracy and representation at work; the applicability of political concepts to managed organisations The history of management ideas, their development and philosophical origins The impact of philosophy and philosophising on management theory, practice and effectiveness Specific philosophers and their contribution - actual or potential - to management theory and practice African, Asian, Indian, Latin American and other non-western philosophical approaches to management Feminist contributions to management theory and practice Understanding and managing processes of change: what can philosophical thinking tell us about why so many management change initiatives fail and why some succeed?

I consider that building a better workplace so that employees are empowered to surge to their potentials can only be beneficial to themselves, the company, the production line, and most importantly, the consumer or prosumer (at this point the aim is for every consumer to become a prosumer via the ethics of honest marketing). I can see no wrong in incorporating a healthy dosage of philosophy during the decision making process and the previous planning to reach to that instance.

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

Philosophy of management Scope For general works on management or management techniques. Class specific techniques at the appropriate part of the classification Narrower Behavioural theories of management Classical theories of management Corporate strategy Knowledge management Management development Management organisation structure Management personnel Managerial activities Managerial qualities Project management Related Management science Synonyms Preferred term: Management Administration Management techniques Management theory Techniques of management Theory of management

BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY / THEORY

http://humanities.uwichill.edu.bb/RLWClarke/PhilWeb/Branches/Branches.htm

The discipline of philosophy is divided into several branches, sub-disciplines or fields, each devoted to a particular object of knowledge (e.g. the arts, religion, etc.). Please find below links to the most important ones. There is a useful Map of the Main Branches of Philosophy provided by the department of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

Aesthetics / Critical Theory Philosophy of Culture / Cultural Theory Philosophy of Economics Philosophy of Education Philosophy of the Environment Epistemology / Theory of Knowledge Ethics / Value Theory Philosophy of Gender: see Feminist Philosophy / Theory Philosophy of Geography Philosophy of History / Historiography Philosophy of Information Technology Philosophy of Language / Linguistic Theory / Rhetorical Theory Logic / Philosophy of Logic / Argumentation Theory Philosophy of Management Philosophy of Mathematics Metaphilosophy / Metatheory Metaphysics Philosophy / Theories of Mind Philosophy of Race / Critical Race Theory Philosophy / Theories of Religion Philosophy of Science Philosophy / Theories of the Self Philosophy / Theories of Sexuality Social and Political Philosophy / Theory Philosophy of Sport Philosophy of Technology

THE MANSIS PHILOSOPHY BASIC BELIEFS ABOUT THE PROCESS OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT:
HTTP://WWW.MANSIS.COM/MANSPHIL.HTM

[1] The successful delivery of almost all significant human endeavors depends on the effective management of human resources. [2] Because people management is so crucial, it should be an organization's leadership responsibility to ensure all employees are managed properly, humanely, fairly, consistently and forthrightly, promoting dignity and respect. [3] The most effective and efficient way for the leadership to control this process is by systematizing the process, and then to manage the system. The quality of an organization's people management practices cannot be left to luck of the draw or up to the preferences or inclinations of individual managers.

[4] Not all, but many organizational problems including poor management and supervision, unacceptable employee performance, difficulties or failures to implement change, and low morale can be traced to a deficiency in the fundamental structure of the organization. In short, what is often missing is a system to control how people are managed! [5] Criticisms against "hierarchy" and the so-called "command and control" approach to management are generally unfair and a clich. Like the "straw man" argument, these criticisms are often based on extreme examples of improper usage of hierarchy and "command and control" or a misunderstanding of both.

The Mansis Approach to Client Service

Mansis is a company of professionals in human resource management. Our expertise is in the diagnosis and treatment of problems or dysfunctions in the operation of organizations, especially related to the leadership and management of people. Our approach is to diagnose problems (symptoms) and either prescribe and implement treatment in the form of action plans, systems and training, or refer to others more qualified in the problem areas. We are management professionals whose Mission is to improve the performance and success of small and medium-sized organizations. We do this through delivering management education programs; and working with organizational leaders to implement simple, practical skills and processes for managing their organizations.

Applied Behavioral Management

Our principal focus is on behavior; specifically helping management to influence the behavior of their employees. We give low priority to direct attempts to change or influence employee attitudes or personality. A manager has the right to insist on a particular pattern of behavior in the business, but little right to demand (and less ability to measure) particular attitudes or personality types. More often, performance problems start when management is unclear about what they want their employees to do. We are essentially "applied scientists." Our research and development strengths are in translating academic research into practical techniques for the manager to use "in the field." Accordingly, we promote simplicity, clarity and practicality. Too often, management texts and fads are about theoretical concepts and models, which are stimulating and thought-provoking but very difficult to apply in the everyday work world. Mansis successfully bridges the gap between academia and the manager's day to day challenges.

Detachment is an enlightened philosophy of management

Simon London 11/19/2005

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

Management gurus started waxing lyrical about "value webs" and "business ecosystems" in the early 1990s. During the dotcom bubble these ideas became achingly fashionable. Silicon Valley superstars such as Cisco, the networking equipment company, showed it was possible to grow at an astonishing rate by outsourcing just about everything. The way Cisco

managed its army of business partners became the stuff of myriad case studies and cover stories. When the dotcom bubble burst, such fancy notions fell out of favour. Executives hunkered down with copies of Jim Collin's Good to Great or Larry Bossidy's Execution, determined to get back to basics. This was not a bad thing. Many companies had lost sight of fundamentals. It was time for a counter-revolution. Back in 2005, however, the language of the go-go 1990s is making a comeback. The reason is that while growth is again at the top of the management agenda for most CEOs, competition is intense, pricing power elusive and demand in most industries growing at only a modest pace. So thinking laterally about how to grow is a necessity. This means exploring "business model innovation", "demand innovation", "value webs" and so on. Welcome back to the future. A few weeks ago in this column I waxed lyrical about what I dubbed "radical delegation", the way successful companies are loosening command-andcontrol mechanisms to harness the energies of employees, customers and suppliers. Recently I received a copy of Let Go To Grow by Linda Sanford, a senior vice-president at IBM, and co-author Dave Taylor. I hesitate to recommend the book because, notwithstanding the fact that the publisher is Addison-Wesley, a corporate cousin of the FT, it is among the most badly written volumes in the dismal management genre. "Letting go means following these management principles," advise Sanford and Taylor. "Componentize your business. Integrate your components end to end. Expand your growth space through collaboration. Liberate your cost structures." The sad thing is that IBM people really do talk like this. Just read a few speeches by Sam "business process transformation services" Palmisano, Big Blue's chief executive. However, readers brave enough to hack through the tangled prose of Let Go To Grow will find plentiful current examples of the 1990s approach. Consider, for example, the story of TAL Apparel, a Hong Kong-based clothing manufacturer. For years, TAL was just another supplier, sending bulk orders of shirts to the warehouses of JC Penney, the US department store group, where its goods would often sit for weeks or months before being sold at heavily discounted prices. The breakthrough came when the retailer agreed to let TAL deliver shirts direct to its stores, reducing the amount of inventory in the system. When this went well, TAL persuaded JC Penney to share point of sale data, so the manufacturer could forecast how many shirts would be needed by each store each week. TAL next took on some design work, using its factories to testmarket new styles before deciding with the retailer whether to go for a full launch. As Sanford and Taylor tell it, the collaborative relationship has been successful for both sides. TAL is now the world's largest shirt maker. JC Penney makes decent money on merchandise that was previously a lowmargin commodity. This happened -- and here's the punchline -- only because the retailer was willing to let go, share information and delegate responsibility. Other examples include dotcom darlings Amazon and eBay, which have turned themselves into platforms upon which customers can build successful businesses, and Procter & Gamble, the "old economy" company now aiming to unearth half its new product innovations from outside its research and development labs. The Let Go To Grow approach is not the only way to win, of course. One of

the most striking differences between Lenovo, China's largest personal computer company and the PC operations of IBM, which it acquired in May, is the degree of integration and control exercised by each side. IBM's PC business, as you might expect, exhibits many Let Go To Grow characteristics, with assembly and testing outsourced to contract manufacturers and service and support handled remotely by IBM Global Services. Lenovo, in contrast, is highly integrated. Its headquarters campus in suburban Beijing includes not only offices but also an assembly line, a call centre and an automated warehouse running on software written by the company itself. I cannot say that either approach is inherently better. There may be good reasons for keeping operations in-house. Note that Dell, which had been kicking sand in the face of IBM's PC division for years, like Lenovo, owns its own assembly plants. Unusually, Dell PCs for the US market are also assembled in the US, close to the customer. The hard part is deciding which parts of the value-creation process to control and which parts to delegate. Forward-thinking companies recognise that finding the right balance can be a source of competitive advantage. They also know that developing the flexible management approach required to work cooperatively with others is an absolute prerequisite in this interconnected, globalised, outsourced world. 'Let Go To Grew: Escaping The Commodity Trap', by Linda Sanford and Dave Taylor, Addison -- Wesley Professional, December 2005.

Philosophy of Management
by Lionel B. Dyck
http://www.lbdsoftware.com/Lionels_Philosophy_of_Management.htm

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Availability and Customer service come first. Problems will be resolved as quickly and accurately as possible. We will not place blame, we will solve problems together. My team must be successful for me to be successful. I will do what I can to make my team successful, including education and opportunities for promotion. I will respect my team as I expect respect in return. I will always be honest with my team and I expect honesty in return. I will set clear priorities. I will always be available to my team, and when Im otherwise occupied I will make every effort to get back to my team as soon as is possible.

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10. I will reward my team when appropriate in public, and will correct when appropriate in private. 11. I expect to be notified of any problems reaching severity 2 or severity 1 status as soon as possible and to be kept informed of the progress in problem identification and resolution. 12. I expect to be notified of any severity 3 or 4 problems that have the potential to reach severity 2 or 1 level as soon as possible. 13. I expect my team to make appropriate recommendations for additional resources to resolve problems. When in doubt escalate. 14. I will be open to suggestions and criticisms from my peers and my team, as the only way to improve is to know what needs improving. In return I will provide the same feedback to my team in a private and respectful manner. 15. My team knows their job and I will not micro manage them. I expect my team to let me know when they need additional skill training and/or resources to do their job. 16. My team should enjoy what they are doing and if they are not then I will work with them to change things where possible. This may include additional training or more challenging job assignments that might lead to a promotion or a position in another group.

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

Overview
The program presents the fundamental tools for effectively supervising the activities of others. The emphasis is on sharpening and enlarging administrative skills and on better understanding of organizational behavior. Management basics are given and then each of the concepts are applied to the unique environment of engineering and scientific management. Extensive opportunity to exchange ideas and assess problems offers the participants the means for stimulating fresh thinking, enlarging their point of view and expanding their capacity to perform.

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Participant Profile
The engineer/scientist making the transition from technical responsibilities to manager will find this program specifically designed for their professional development. It will also benefit the manager who does not have substantial experience managing professional technical employees.

Objectives

To enhance management skills involved in leading individuals, groups and organizations. To increase awareness of the need to accept responsibility for and continuously improve the organization's operations. To develop leadership effectiveness and an understanding of managerial and professional values. To identify the special problems of technical organizations and learn to work with them effectively. To encourage an understanding of group dynamics and decision making techniques.

Methods of Instruction
Practicality and results are stressed rather than theory. Management cases taken from real-life situations in engineering and scientific organizations are used along with decision exercises and films to provide maximum involvement by participants.

Faculty
H. Dudley Dewhirst and Gary B. Roberts are the instructors for this program. Dr. Dewhirst is a professor at The University of Tennessee. His specialization is in the management of technical employees. Dr. Roberts is a professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship at Kennesaw State University. He serves as a consultant to several organizations and has published articles on business policy and management history.

Special Features
The program is designed to insure the active involvement of all participants. It has no more than 25 participants meeting in facilities specifically designed for this type of group-interaction program. The class size is limited in order to insure interaction with faculty and fellow participants. This program, like all Center for Executive Education open enrollment programs, is available as a customized, in-house program for organizations.

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Course Focus
Four themes permeate the Engineer/Scientist as a Manager program.

Theme I: Developing a Philosophy of Management Grounded in Reality.

Participants are challenged to examine their "Philosophy of Management. " Everyone has such a philosophy, but, like ones philosophy of life, it is rarely explicitly examined. The way a manager leads, communicates, develops and uses power and influence, manages subordinates, peers and bosses, depends largely on this philosophy of management. If new ideas, change and renewed enthusiasm for the managerial role are to result, participants need to explore, probe and question their philosophy. Throughout the course, we tell it like it is. We deal with the reality of life as a manager with several initial sessions describing and exploring the playing field. Why is the field characterized by brevity, variety and fragmentation? What does it take to get promoted? What basic motives or orientations lead to a successful managerial career? How is that orientation different from that of successful technical professionals. Participants will benefit by:

Becoming more comfortable with their managerial role. Understanding how to succeed as a manager. Learning how to deal effectively with the classic conflicts between managers and technical professionals.

Theme II: Dealing with Classic Management Issues.

The classic management challenges of leadership, motivation, and performance appraisal and coaching are central to the program. We use discussion, role plays and decision exercises to bring excitement and reality to these topics. We also use a leadership exercise developed explicitly for engineers and scientists to explore delegation decisions in a variety of situations. This allows us to provide individual feedback on leadership to each participant. We present methods of enhancing performance by making heroes of those you lead. Participants will benefit by:

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

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Theme III: Managing Teams and Networks.

Groups and teams are becoming more important as organizations increasingly turn to flatter, more cross functional organization designs and greater use of teams. Working with teams places demands on managers to develop power and influence to successfully manage relationships with others in organizations whose cooperation is needed. We examine what makes groups cohesive and explore the development of norms which influence how well groups and teams perform. We work on the management of problem solving groups. The benefits of well managed group decisions and the potential pitfalls of inappropriately used and poorly managed decisions are explored. Participants will benefit by:

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

Theme IV: Focus on Special Problems in Managing Scientists and Engineers.

Managing professionals presents some critical issues for the manager. Young professionals finish school and come to organizations believing they are ready to do great things. Initial assignments and early treatment are important predictors of their long term success. Yet these are mismanaged more often than not. In addition, mature professionals who have reached a career plateau are the backbone of most technology based organizations. We use cases to explore ways to help young professionals through their inevitable period of adjustment and to create a challenging and motivating climate for the plateaued professional. To assure that participants develop ways to manage problems they face in their home organizations, we ask that they (individually or in small groups) prepare a short case for the class to discuss. Participant cases provide lively discussion and help participants learn from their peers in the course. Participants will benefit by:

Understanding the "period of adjustment" that new engineers and scientists experience and develop ways to quickly develop newcomers into contributors. Learn how to keep plateaued employees productive. Develop ways to enhance creativity and innovation. Working on issues of importance in their own organization.

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Contact
For more information about Engineer/Scientist as a Manager, please contact: Debra Galaher Program Coordinator Center for Executive Education College of Business Administration The University of Tennessee 702 Stokely Management Center Knoxville, TN 37996-0575 Bric Wheeler Associate Director Center for Executive Education College of Business Administration The University of Tennessee 702 Stokely Management Center Knoxville, TN 37996-0575 Phone (865) 974-5001 FAX (865) 974-4989 E-mail TheCenter@utk.edu

Engineer/Scientist as a Manager Vital Statistics

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Duration: One Week 2006 Dates:

September 18-22

Tuition: $4,300 (Price includes meals & lodging.) Program fees are subject to change. All classes are held in the executive classrooms of the Center for Executive Education. Accommodations are single rooms at a nearby hotel.

Related Courses
Executive Development Program Project Management: Beyond the Techniques

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

Research
Research Seminars Working Paper Series

Research
The Department has an active research programme that embraces the sociological and technological aspects of the subject and links to the highly rated research in other applied science, social science and humanities departments at York. York's newest academic department is undergoing an ambitious programme of expansion and we are now seeking to develop a leading research profile at national and international levels. Current Interests The department is organised around four subject groups; Accounting and Finance; Management Systems; Organisational Theory and Human Resource Management; Public Sector Management, Strategy and International Business. There are also two interdisciplinary research programmes, Critical Management and Corporate Governance. Details of specific research activities under these headings are listed below. Accounting and Finance Prof J.S. Toms, Head of Department, Chair of Board of Examiners Dr D.M. Higgins, Reader in Managerial Economics and Business History Ms K. Haynes, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance Dr S. Verma, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance Mr S. Bos, Graduate Teaching Assistant The group's research embraces a wide range of accounting and finance-based topics, ranging from critical accounting to applied and corporate finance, employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It engages with the corporate governance agenda through specialised projects including the social analysis of risk and the analysis of risk using market and cost-based fundamentals. Research embraces historical aspects of corporate governance and performance, particularly UK and US economic performance and long run performance in

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textiles and the origins and evolution of the market for corporate control. Others include the relationship between strategy, governance and financial performance, governance and corporate social responsibility, including social and environmental accounting. The group engages with the critical management agenda through specialised projects including critical accounting, embracing Marxist and post-modern perspectives, the international development of accounting and the accounting profession, including gender issues and accounting in NGOs. Organisation Theory and Human Resource Management Prof S. Linstead, Chair in Critical Management Prof A. Pendleton, Chair in Human Resource Management Dr A. Pullen, Senior Lecturer in Critical Management Dr L. Perriton, Senior Lecturer in Management Studies Dr M. Wood, Senior Lecturer in Social Theory and Organisation Dr B. Kewell, Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour Dr R. McMurray, Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour Ms N. Proctor, Graduate Teaching Assistant Ms J. Ward, Graduate Teaching Assistant Specialist areas include : employee share ownership plans ; the relationships between finance, corporate governance ; and human resource management; the impact of public ownership and privatisation on industrial relations ; management development; gender and management, with reference to women's business groups and political lobbying, organisational identity, sexuality, feminist and postfeminist theory; change and innovation management in the public sector area of health care; the production and consumption of organisational knowledge; management and leadership in relation to issues of identity and difference; digital technologies and the perceived acceleration of events in contemporary life; organisation theory, social theory and philosophy; aesthetic approaches to organisation, including the use of music and song as a form of ethnographic representation; language-based approaches to organisation; qualitative methods, ethnography and culture; globalisation and post-colonialism; the ontology and practice of play especially in organisational and social intervention; (dys-)function of multi-organisational partnerships/collaborations; the interplay of reformation and change with organising identity and new methods for research on multiorganisational partnerships. Management Systems Dr L. Baxter, Senior Lecturer in Management Systems Mr P. Clark, Lecturer in Management Systems Dr K. Fernandes, 40th Anniversary Research Lecturer in Management Dr A. Ishizaka, Lecturer in Management Mr C. Okike, Lecturer in Management Systems Ms C. Lee, Graduate Research Assistant Mr S. Shah, KTP Associate in E-business Management

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The group name is designed to convey staff interests in management systems as a whole, encompassing both the human and the technical for example the supply chain, the enterprise, the performance and the computing systems involved in operating organisations. Specialisms include critical approaches to performance improvement , logistics, supply chain management, including collaborative product commerce in extended enterprises, decision support systems, simulation, and evolutionary methods in organisational change management; interactive situation modelling in knowledge intensive domains, focusing on the dynamics of such systems combining the principles of ethnography and cognitive science; collaborative product commerce in extended enterprises with reference to CPC federated architectures within dynamic enterprises to infuse technological capabilities and marketplace innovation within core business processes. Public Sector Management Prof M. Beck, Chair in Public Sector Management Ms L. Matykiewicz, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector Management Dr J. Ramsden, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector Management Mr P. Warwick, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector Management Ms L. Young, Teaching Fellow in Public Sector Management The research of this group focuses on governance, organisational cultures and performance in the public sector. Specific areas of interest include public private partnership and procurement in the health and education sectors, h ealth policy reform, clinical governance and quality/safety improvements. The research of the group currently has a strong international and comparative dimension with a focus on members of the European Union, future accession states as well as other East European Countries. Research programmes Our research programmes are inter-disciplinary, critical and policy relevant. The critical approach is a generic intellectual agenda. It therefore ranges from historical and political economy perspectives to critical theory, the philosophy of management and beyond. Critical Management Studies Research Programme The research conducted by this interdisciplinary group engages with contemporary management phenomena and organisational problems through interpretive, critical, and constructive research. W orking with ideas from philosophy, social theory, economics, sociology, theology and business studies, s pecific areas of interest include the philosophy of organisation; the perceived acceleration of societal and organisational change in the public and private sector; alternative forms of organisation; organisation and politics; critical accounting, including Marxist and historical perspectives; critical approaches to change and innovation management in the public sector area of health care ; organisational, managerial and professional identity; post-modern theory and thought;

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management learning and critical management pedagogy, narrative and discourse analysis and critical approaches to gender and management and organisation. The recently formed Gender and Management Research Unit is part of the Critical Management Research Group. Governance Research Programme The research conducted by this interdisciplinary group engages with the policy agenda in critical and complementary fashion to the CMS group. Like the CMS group, its membership is drawn from all the core subject groups. The group's critical approach is informed in part by historical analysis, including the role played by accounting in corporate governance and accountability processes. Other historical perspectives include; the development of brands and their relation to the competitive process and competitive advantage; the application of e volutionary methods to organisational change management, hypothesising relationships among organisational characteristics based on principles of phylogenetic analysis; the history of development and training within organisations and the role of women's business networks in furthering the equality agenda. We are also interested in the relationship between corporate governance and labour management. The newly formed Corporate Governance and Business History Research Unit is part of the Governance Research Group. Another major strand of the group's activities is concerned with governance and management in the Public Sector, comprising perspectives relating to performance, risk and accountability. Many contexts are included, most significantly regulated organisations, international perspectives and the Health Service, including organisation and service delivery, and the critical analysis of Public Enquiries and public sector management failures. The newly formed Governance and Public Sector Management Research Unit is part of the Governance Research Group.

Research Areas Accounting and Finance Organisation Theory and Human Resource Management Management Systems Public Sector Management Research programmes Critical Management Studies Research Programme Governance Research Programme Research Opportunities

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Bhagavad Gita Bhagavad Gita and the Philosophy of Management

by M.P. Bhattathiri
http://www.sellingsalesmanship.com/gita.html

Article by M.P. Bhattathiri, Retired Chief Technical Examiner, Govt. of Kerala.

Mind is very restless, forceful and strong, O Krishna, it is more difficult to control the mind than to control the wind ~ Arjuna to Sri Krishna.
Preface One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is considered to be the first revelations from God. The management lessons in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh Yogi and the spiritual philosophy by Theophosical Society. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level. Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight. (Mental health has become a major international public health concern now). To motivate him the Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting . It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad Gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all spiritual search. This divine book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then, life in the world can become a real education - dynamic, full and joyful - no matter what the circumstance. May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our journey. What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect with our deepest intangible essence and we must learn to participate in the battle of life with right knowledge. Mind can be one's friend or enemy. Mind is the cause for both bondage and liberation. The word 'mind' is derived from man to think, and the word 'man' is derived from the word manu (sanskrit word for man).

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"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." There is no theory to be internalized and applied in this psychology. Ancient practices spontaneously induce what each person needs as the individual and the universal coincide. The work proceeds through intellectual knowledge of the playing field (jnana yoga), emotional devotion to the ideal (bhakti yoga) and right action that includes both feeling and knowledge (karma yoga). With ongoing purification we approach wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita is a message addressed to each and every human individual to help him or her to solve the vexing problem of overcoming the present and progressing towards a bright future. Within its eighteen chapters is revealed a human drama. This is the experience of everyone in this world, the drama of the ascent of man from a state of utter dejection, sorrow and total breakdown and hopelessness to a state of perfect understanding, clarity, renewed strength and triumph. Introduction Management has become a part and parcel of everyday life, be it at home, in the office or factory, and in Government. In all organizations, where a group of human beings assemble for a common purpose, management principles come into play through the management of resources, finance and planning, priorities, policies and practice. Management is a systematic way of carrying out activities in any field of human effort. Its task is to make people capable of joint performance, to make their weaknesses irrelevant, says the Management Guru Peter Drucker. It creates harmony in working together - equilibrium in thoughts and actions, goals and achievements, plans and performance, products and markets. It resolves situations of scarcity, be they in the physical, technical or human fields, through maximum utilization with the minimum available processes to achieve the goal. Lack of management causes disorder, confusion, wastage, delay, destruction and even depression. Managing men, money and materials in the best possible way, according to circumstances and environment, is the most important and essential factor for a successful management. Management guidelines from the Bhagavad Gita There is an important distinction between effectiveness and efficiency in managing. Effectiveness is doing the right things. Efficiency is doing things right. The general principles of effective management can be applied in every field, the differences being more in application than in principle. The Manager's functions can be summed up as: Forming a vision Planning the strategy to realise the vision. Cultivating the art of leadership.

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Establishing institutional excellence. Building an innovative organisation. Developing human resources. Building teams and teamwork. Delegation, motivation, and communication. Reviewing performance and taking corrective steps when called for. Thus, management is a process of aligning people and getting them committed to work for a common goal to the maximum social benefit - in search of excellence. The critical question in all managers minds is how to be effective in their job. The answer to this fundamental question is found in the Bhagavad Gita, which repeatedly proclaims that you must try to manage yourself. The reason is that unless a manager reaches a level of excellence and effectiveness, he or she will be merely a face in the crowd. Old truths in a new context The Bhagavad Gita, written thousands of years ago, enlightens us on all managerial techniques leading us towards a harmonious and blissful state of affairs in place of the conflict, tensions, poor productivity, absence of motivation and so on, common in most of Indian enterprises today and probably in enterprises in many other countries. The modern (Western) management concepts of vision, leadership, motivation, excellence in work, achieving goals, giving work meaning, decision making and planning, are all discussed in the Bhagavad Gita. There is one major difference. While Western management thought too often deals with problems at material, external and peripheral levels, the Bhagavad Gita tackles the issues from the grass roots level of human thinking. Once the basic thinking of man is improved, it will automatically enhance the quality of his actions and their results. The management philosophy emanating from the West, is based on the lure of materialism and on a perennial thirst for profit, irrespective of the quality of the means adopted to achieve that goal. This phenomenon has its source in the abundant wealth of the West and so 'management by materialism' has caught the fancy of all the countries the world over, India being no exception to this trend. My country, India, has been in the forefront in importing these ideas mainly because of its centuries old indoctrination by colonial rulers, which has inculcated in us a feeling that anything Western is good and anything Indian is inferior. The result is that, while huge funds have been invested in building temples of modem management education, no perceptible changes are visible in the improvement of the general quality of life - although the standards of living of a few has gone up. The same old struggles in almost all sectors of the economy criminality in institutions, social violence, exploitation and other vices - are seen deep in the body politic. The source of the problem

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The reasons for this sorry state of affairs are not far to seek. The Western idea of management centres on making the worker (and the manager) more efficient and more productive. Companies offer workers more to work more, produce more, sell more and to stick to the organisation without looking for alternatives. The sole aim of extracting better and more work from the worker is to improve the bottomline of the enterprise. The worker has become a hireable commodity, which can be used, replaced and discarded at will. Thus, workers have been reduced to the state of a mercantile product. In such a state, it should come as no surprise to us that workers start using strikes (gheraos) sit-ins, (dharnas) go-slows, work-to-rule etc. to get maximum benefit for themselves from the organisations. Society-at-large is damaged. Thus we reach a situation in which management and workers become separate and contradictory entities with conflicting interests. There is no common goal or understanding. This, predictably, leads to suspicion, friction, disillusion and mistrust, with managers and workers at cross purposes. The absence of human values and erosion of human touch in the organizational structure has resulted in a crisis of confidence. Western management philosophy may have created prosperity for some people some of the time at least - but it has failed in the aim of ensuring betterment of individual life and social welfare. It has remained by and large a soulless edifice and an oasis of plenty for a few in the midst of poor quality of life for many. Hence, there is an urgent need to re-examine prevailing management disciplines - their objectives, scope and content. Management should be redefined to underline the development of the worker as a person, as a human being, and not as a mere wage-earner. With this changed perspective, management can become an instrument in the process of social, and indeed national, development. Now let us re-examine some of the modern management concepts in the light of the Bhagavad Gita which is a primer of management-by-values. Utilization of available resources The first lesson of management science is to choose wisely and utilise scarce resources optimally. During the curtain raiser before the Mahabharata War, Duryodhana chose Sri Krishna's large army for his help while Arjuna selected Sri Krishna's wisdom for his support. This episode gives us a clue as to the nature of the effective manager - the former chose numbers, the latter, wisdom. Attitudes towards work Three stone-cutters were engaged in erecting a temple. An HRD Consultant asked them what they were doing. The response of the three workers to this innocent-looking question is illuminating. "I am a poor man. I have to maintain my family. I am making a living here," said the first stone-cutter with a dejected face.

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"Well, I work because I want to show that I am the best stone-cutter in the country," said the second one with a sense of pride. "Oh, I want to build the most beautiful temple in the country," said the third one with a visionary gleam. Their jobs were identical but their perspectives were different. What the Gita tells us is to develop the visionary perspective in the work we do. It tells us to develop a sense of larger vision in our work for the common good. Work commitment A popular verse of the Gita advises detachment from the fruits or results of actions performed in the course of one's duty. Being dedicated work has to mean working for the sake of work, generating excellence for its own sake. If we are always calculating the date of promotion or the rate of commission before putting in our efforts, then such work is not detached. It is not generating excellence for its own sake but working only for the extrinsic reward that may (or may not) result. Working only with an eye to the anticipated benefits, means that the quality of performance of the current job or duty suffers - through mental agitation of anxiety for the future. In fact, the way the world works means that events do not always respond positively to our calculations and hence expected fruits may not always be forthcoming. So, the Gita tells us not to mortgage present commitment to an uncertain future. Some people might argue that not seeking the business result of work and actions, makes one unaccountable. In fact, the Bhagavad Gita is full of advice on the theory of cause and effect, making the doer responsible for the consequences of his deeds. While advising detachment from the avarice of selfish gains in discharging one's accepted duty, the Gita does not absolve anybody of the consequences arising from discharge of his or her responsibilities. Thus the best means of effective performance management is the work itself. Attaining this state of mind (called nishkama karma) is the right attitude to work because it prevents the ego, the mind, from dissipation of attention through speculation on future gains or losses. Motivation self and self-transcendence It has been presumed for many years that satisfying lower order needs of workers - adequate food, clothing and shelter, etc. are key factors in motivation. However, it is a common experience that the dissatisfaction of the clerk and of the Director is identical - only their scales and composition vary. It should be true that once the lower-order needs are more than satisfied, the Director should have little problem in optimising his contribution to the organisation and society. But more often than not, it does not happen like that. (The eagle soars high but keeps its eyes firmly fixed on the dead animal below.) On the contrary, a lowly paid schoolteacher, or a self-employed artisan, may well demonstrate higher levels of self-actualization despite poorer satisfaction of their lower-order needs.

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This situation is explained by the theory of self-transcendence propounded in the Gita. Self-transcendence involves renouncing egoism, putting others before oneself, emphasising team work, dignity, co-operation, harmony and trust and, indeed potentially sacrificing lower needs for higher goals, the opposite of Maslow. Work must be done with detachment. It is the ego that spoils work and the ego is the centerpiece of most theories of motivation. We need not merely a theory of motivation but a theory of inspiration. The Great Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941, known as "Gurudev") says working for love is freedom in action. A concept which is described as disinterested work" in the Gita where Sri Krishna says, He who shares the wealth generated only after serving the people, through work done as a sacrifice for them, is freed from all sins. On the contrary those who earn wealth only for themselves, eat sins that lead to frustration and failure. Disinterested work finds expression in devotion, surrender and equipoise. The former two are psychological while the third is determination to keep the mind free of the dualistic (usually taken to mean "materialistic") pulls of daily experiences. Detached involvement in work is the key to mental equanimity or the state of nirdwanda. This attitude leads to a stage where the worker begins to feel the presence of the Supreme Intelligence guiding the embodied individual intelligence. Such de-personified intelligence is best suited for those who sincerely believe in the supremacy of organizational goals as compared to narrow personal success and achievement. Work culture An effective work culture is about vigorous and arduous efforts in pursuit of given or chosen tasks. Sri Krishna elaborates on two types of work culture daivi sampat or divine work culture and asuri sampat or demonic work culture. Daivi work culture - involves fearlessness, purity, self-control, sacrifice, straightforwardness, self-denial, calmness, absence of fault-finding, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, absence of envy and pride. Asuri work culture - involves egoism, delusion, personal desires, improper performance, work not oriented towards service. Mere work ethic is not enough. The hardened criminal exhibits an excellent work ethic. What is needed is a work ethic conditioned by ethics in work. It is in this light that the counsel, yogah karmasu kausalam should be understood. Kausalam means skill or technique of work which is an indispensable component of a work ethic. Yogah is defined in the Gita itself as samatvam yogah uchyate meaning an unchanging equipoise of mind (detachment.) Tilak tells us that acting with an equable mind is Yoga. (Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1856-1920, the precursor of Gandhiji, hailed by the people of India as "Lokmanya," was probably the most learned among the country's

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political leaders. For a description of the meanings of the word "Yoga," see foot of this page.) By making the equable mind the bed-rock of all actions, the Gita evolved the goal of unification of work ethic with ethics in work, for without ethical process no mind can attain an equipoise. The guru, Adi Sankara (born circa 800 AD), says that the skill necessary in the performance of one's duty is that of maintaining an evenness of mind in face of success and failure. The calm mind in the face of failure will lead to deeper introspection and see clearly where the process went wrong so that corrective steps could be taken to avoid shortcomings in future. The principle of reducing our attachment to personal gains from the work done is the Gitas prescription for attaining equanimity. It has been held that this principle leads to lack of incentive for effort, striking at the very root of work ethic. To the contrary, concentration on the task for its own sake leads to the achievement of excellence and indeed to the true mental happiness of the worker. Thus, while commonplace theories of motivation may be said to lead us to the bondage or extrinsic rewards, the Gitas principle leads us to the intrinsic rewards of mental, and indeed moral, satisfaction.

Work results
The Gita further explains the theory of detachment from the extrinsic rewards of work in saying: If the result of sincere effort is a success, the entire credit should not be appropriated by the doer alone. If the result of sincere effort is a failure, then too the entire blame does not accrue to the doer. The former attitude mollifies arrogance and conceit while the latter prevents excessive despondency, de-motivation and self-pity. Thus both these dispositions safeguard the doer against psychological vulnerability, the cause of the modem managers' companions of diabetes, high blood pressure and ulcers. Assimilation of the ideas of the Gita leads us to the wider spectrum of lokasamgraha (general welfare) but there is also another dimension to the work ethic - if the karmayoga (service) is blended with bhaktiyoga (devotion), then the work itself becomes worship, a sevayoga" (service for its own sake.) (This may sound a peculiarly religious idea but it has a wider application. It could be taken to mean doing something because it is worthwhile, to serve others, to make the world a better place ed.) Manager's mental health Sound mental health is the very goal of any human activity - more so management. Sound mental health is that state of mind which can maintain a calm, positive poise, or regain it when unsettled, in the midst of all the external

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vagaries of work life and social existence. Internal constancy and peace are the pre-requisites for a healthy stress-free mind. Some of the impediments to sound mental health are: Greed - for power, position, prestige and money. Envy - regarding others' achievements, success, rewards. Egotism - about one's own accomplishments. Suspicion, anger and frustration. Anguish through comparisons. The driving forces in today's businesses are speed and competition. There is a distinct danger that these forces cause erosion of the moral fibre, that in seeking the end, one permits oneself immoral means - tax evasion, illegitimate financial holdings, being economical with the truth, deliberate oversight in the audit, tooclever financial reporting and so on. This phenomenon may be called as yayati syndrome. In the book, the Mahabharata, we come across a king by the name of Yayati who, in order to revel in the endless enjoyment of flesh, exchanged his old age with the youth of his obliging youngest son for a thousand years. However, he found the pursuit of sensual enjoyments ultimately unsatisfying and came back to his son pleading him to take back his youth. This yayati syndrome shows the conflict between externally directed acquisitions (extrinsic motivation) and inner value and conscience (intrinsic motivation.) Management needs those who practise what they preach Whatever the excellent and best ones do, the commoners follow, says Sri Krishna in the Gita. The visionary leader must be a missionary, extremely practical, intensively dynamic and capable of translating dreams into reality. This dynamism and strength of a true leader flows from an inspired and spontaneous motivation to help others. "I am the strength of those who are devoid of personal desire and attachment. O Arjuna, I am the legitimate desire in those, who are not opposed to righteousness," says Sri Krishna in the 10th Chapter of the Gita. In conclusion The despondency of Arjuna in the first chapter of the Gita is typically human. Sri Krishna, by sheer power of his inspiring words, changes Arjuna's mind from a state of inertia to one of righteous action, from the state of what the French philosophers call anomie or even alienation, to a state of self-confidence in the ultimate victory of dharma (ethical action.) When Arjuna got over his despondency and stood ready to fight, Sri Krishna reminded him of the purpose of his new-found spirit of intense action - not for his own benefit, not for satisfying his own greed and desire, but for the good of many, with faith in the ultimate victory of ethics over unethical actions and of truth over untruth. Sri Krishna's advice with regard to temporary failures is, No doer of good ever ends in misery. Every action should produce results. Good action produces good

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results and evil begets nothing but evil. Therefore, always act well and be rewarded. My purport is not to suggest discarding of the Western model of efficiency, dynamism and striving for excellence but to tune these ideals to India's holistic attitude of lokasangraha - for the welfare of many, for the good of many. There is indeed a moral dimension to business life. What we do in business is no different, in this regard, to what we do in our personal lives. The means do not justify the ends. Pursuit of results for their own sake, is ultimately self-defeating. (Profit, said Matsushita-san in another tradition, is the reward of correct behaviour. ed.) A note on the word "yoga". Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is a state of stability and peace and the means or practices which lead to that state." The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings.

Let us go through what scholars say about Holy Gita. "No work in all Indian literature is more quoted, because none is better loved, in the West, than the Bhagavad Gita. Translation of such a work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit, but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal artistry. For the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. . . . The Swami does a real service for students by investing the beloved Indian epic with fresh meaning. Whatever our outlook may be, we should all be grateful for the labor that has lead to this illuminating work." --Dr. Geddes MacGregor, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Philosophy University of Southern California "The Gita can be seen as the main literary support for the great religious civilization of India, the oldest surviving culture in the world. The present translation and commentary is another manifestation of the permanent living importance of the Gita." --Thomas Merton, Theologian "I am most impressed with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's scholarly and authoritative edition of Bhagavad Gita. It is a most valuable work for the scholar as well as the layman and is of great utility as a reference book as well as a textbook. I promptly recommend this edition to my students. It is a beautifully done book." --Dr. Samuel D. Atkins Professor of Sanskrit, Princeton University "As a successor in direct line from Caitanya, the author of Bhagavad Gita As It Is is entitled, according to Indian custom, to the majestic title of His Divine Grace

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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The great interest that his reading of the Bhagavad Gita holds for us is that it offers us an authorized interpretation according to the principles of the Caitanya tradition." --Olivier Lacombe Professor of Sanskrit and Indology, Sorbonne University, Paris "I have had the opportunity of examining several volumes published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and have found them to be of excellent quality and of great value for use in college classes on Indian religions. This is particularly true of the BBT edition and translation of the Bhagavad Gita." --Dr. Frederick B. Underwood Professor of Religion, Columbia University "If truth is what works, as Pierce and the pragmatists insist, there must be a kind of truth in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, since those who follow its teachings display a joyous serenity usually missing in the bleak and strident lives of contemporary people." --Dr. Elwin H. Powell Professor of Sociology State University of New York, Buffalo "There is little question that this edition is one of the best books available on the Gita and devotion. Prabhupada's translation is an ideal blend of literal accuracy and religious insight." --Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins Professor of Religion, Franklin and Marshall College "The Bhagavad Gita, one of the great spiritual texts, is not as yet a common part of our cultural milieu. This is probably less because it is alien per se than because we have lacked just the kind of close interpretative commentary upon it that Swami Bhaktivedanta has here provided, a commentary written from not only a scholar's but a practitioner's, a dedicated lifelong devotee's point of view." --Denise Levertov, Poet "The increasing numbers of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold." --Dr. Edward C Dimock, Jr. Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago "The scholarly world is again indebted to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Although Bhagavad Gita has been translated many times, Prabhupada adds a translation of singular importance with his commentary." --Dr. J. Stillson Judah, Professor of the History of Religions and Director of Libraries Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California

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"Srila Prabhupada's edition thus fills a sensitive gap in France, where many hope to become familiar with traditional Indian thought, beyond the commercial EastWest hodgepodge that has arisen since the time Europeans first penetrated India. Whether the reader be an adept of Indian spiritualism or not, a reading of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is will be extremely profitable. For many this will be the first contact with the true India, the ancient India, the eternal India." --Francois Chenique, Professor of Religious Sciences Institute of Political Studies, Paris, France "As a native of India now living in the West, it has given me much grief to see so many of my fellow countrymen coming to the West in the role of gurus and spiritual leaders. For this reason, I am very excited to see the publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It will help to stop the terrible cheating of false and unauthorized 'gurus' and 'yogis' and will give an opportunity to all people to understand the actual meaning of Oriental culture." --Dr. Kailash Vajpeye, Director of Indian Studies Center for Oriental Studies, The University of Mexico "The Gita is one of the clearest and most comprehensive one, of the summaries and systematic spiritual statements of the perennial philosophy ever to have been done." --Aldous Huxley "It is a deeply felt, powerfully conceived and beautifully explained work. I don't know whether to praise more this translation of the Bhagavad Gita, its daring method of explanation, or the endless fertility of its ideas. I have never seen any other work on the Gita with such an important voice and style. . . . It will occupy a significant place in the intellectual and ethical life of modern man for a long time to come." --Dr. Shaligram Shukla Professor of Linguistics, Georgetown University "I can say that in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is I have found explanations and answers to questions I had always posed regarding the interpretations of this sacred work, whose spiritual discipline I greatly admire. If the aesceticism and ideal of the apostles which form the message of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is were more widespread and more respected, the world in which we live would be transformed into a better, more fraternal place." --Dr. Paul Lesourd, Author Professeur Honoraire, Catholic University of Paris "When I read the Bhagavad Gita and reflect about how God created this universe everything else seems so superfluous." --Albert Einstein

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"When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad Gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. Those who meditate on the Gita will derive fresh joy and new meanings from it every day." --Mahatma Gandhi "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial." --Henry David Thoreau "The Bhagavad Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested by actions." --Dr. Albert Schweitzer "The Bhagavad Gita is a true scripture of the human race a living creation rather than a book, with a new message for every age and a new meaning for every civilization." --Sri Aurobindo "The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by Plato in his Timaeus in which it states 'behold we are not an earthly but a heavenly plant.' This correlation can be discerned by what Krishna expresses in chapter 15 of Bhagavad Gita." --Carl Jung "The Bhagavad Gita deals essentially with the spiritual foundation of human existence. It is a call of action to meet the obligations and duties of life; yet keeping in view the spiritual nature and grander purpose of the universe." --Prime Minister Nehru "The marvel of the Bhagavad Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life's wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion." --Herman Hesse "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"In order to approach a creation as sublime as the Bhagavad Gita with full understanding it is necessary to attune our soul to it." --Rudolph Steiner "From a clear knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita all the goals of human existence become fulfilled. Bhagavad Gita is the manifest quintessence of all the teachings of the Vedic scriptures." --Adi Shankara "The Bhagavad Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity." --Aldous Huxley "The Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna to reveal the science of devotion to God which is the essence of all spiritual knowledge. The Supreme Lord Krishna's primary purpose for descending and incarnating is relieve the world of any demoniac and negative, undesirable influences that are opposed to spiritual development, yet simultaneously it is His incomparable intention to be perpetually within reach of all humanity." --Ramanuja "The Bhagavad Gita is not seperate from the Vaishnava philosophy and the Srimad Bhagavatam which fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which is transmigation of the soul. On perusal of the first chapter of Bhagavad Gita one may think that they are advised to engage in warfare. When the second chapter has been read it can be clearly understood that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also of high priority. If we continue and patiently take the time to complete the Bhagavad Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapter we can see that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas of religion which we possess and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme Lord." --Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati "The Mahabharata has all the essential ingredients necessary to evolve and protect humanity and that within it the Bhagavad Gita is the epitome of the Mahabharata just as ghee is the essence of milk and pollen is the essence of flowers." --Madhvacarya "Yoga has two different meanings - a general meaning and a technical meaning. The general meaning is the joining together or union of any two or more things. The technical meaning is a state of stability and peace and the means or

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practices which lead to that state." The Bhagavad Gita uses the word with both meanings. Lord Krishna is real Yogi who can maintain a peaceful mind in the midst of any crisis." --Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana are but three paths to this end. And common to all the three is renunciation. Renounce the desires, even of going to heaven, for every desire related with body and mind creates bondage. Our focus of action is neither to save the humanity nor to engage in social reforms, not to seek personal gains, but to realize the indwelling Self itself." --Swami Vivekananda (England, London; 1895-96) "Science describes the structures and processess; philosophy attempts at their explaination... When such a perfect combination of both science and philosophy is sung to perfection that Krishna was, we have in this piece of work an appeal both to the head and heart." --Swamy Chinmayanand on Gita I seek that Divine Knowledge by knowing which nothing remains to be known!' For such a person knowledge and ignorance has only one meaning: Have you knowledge of God? If yes, you a Jnani! If not, you are ignorant.As said in the Gita, chapter XIII/11, knowledge of Self, observing everywhere the object of true Knowledge i.e. God, all this is declared to be true Knowledge (wisdom); what is contrary to this is ignorance." --Sri Ramakrishna Maharishi calls the Bhagavad Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level. Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. --Maharshi Mahesh Yogi The Gita was preached as a preparatory lesson for living worldly life with an eye to Release, Nirvana. My last prayer to everyone, therefore, is that one should not fail to thoroughly understand this ancient science of worldly life as early as possible in ones life. --- Lokmanya Tilak "I believe that in all the living languages of the world, there is no book so full of true knowledge, and yet so handy. It teaches self-control, austerity, non-violence, compassion, obedience to the call of duty for the sake of duty, and putting up a fight against unrighteousness (Adharma). To my knowledge, there is no book in the whole range of the worlds literature so high above as the Bhagavad Gita, which is the treasure-house of Dharma nor only for the Hindus but foe all mankind."

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-- M. M. Malaviya

Ref.: BBT.org, Kamakoti.org, Amritapuri.org, Maharshi.org, Sathyasai.org, Chinmaya.org, Vivekanada.org, Neovedanta/gita.com 2004 by M.P. Bhattathiri. All Rights Reserved

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