This presentation at Delhi University links Indian Culture and Ethos with Economics, Commerce and Management. It takes a historical perspective on Indian culture and ethos and identifies foundation principles of Indian culture and ethos. It further suggests the three basic Indian ideas viz. 'Basket of Needs', Five Modes of Thinking and Hierarchy of deeds and implications of these ideas for Economics, Commerce and Management.

1. Indian Culture &
Ethos for
Economics,
Commerce and
Management*
Dr. Subhash Sharma
Indus Business Academy, Bangalore
* Presentation at Refresher Course in Business Management,
Economics and Commerce for the University and College teachers,
Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education (CPDHE),
UGC-HRDC, University of Delhi, Sept. 19, 2018
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2. Defining Culture and Ethos
Cambridge English Dictionary
 Culture: the way
of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of
a particular group of people at a particular time
Ethos (google search)
 the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community
as manifested in its attitudes and aspirations.
(Energy/ Spirit behind the Culture)
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3. Indian History as a Source for
Indian Culture and Ethos
 Periods of Indian History: A Cultural View of Indian History
Vedika period Hindika Period Indika Period Globally Extended India
(I) (II) (III) (IV)
Ancient Medieval Freedom Movement Post 1947 …
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321377228_Indian_Perspectiv
es_on_History_Lessons_for_Leadership_and_Management)
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4. Changes in Human Society
Tradition Modernity Creativity Humanism / Spirituality
Concern for Humanity
(I) (II) (III) (IV) (V)
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5. Three Approaches to
Understand Society
 Structuralist Culturalist Spiritualist
 ‘Western Widows’ ‘Eastern Doors’ ‘Consciousness
Corridors’
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6. Foundational Principles of
Indian Culture & Ethos
 I. Principle of Dharma (Ethics principle)
 II. Principle of Karma (Action principle)
 III. Principle of Swadharma (Professional duties principle)
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7. From ‘Management in India’
to ‘Indian Management’
Phase I: ‘Management in India’ (1960s and 1980)
Focus: How best we are in copying the Western model. IIMs at the
time of their founding in 1960s were based on this ideology and
associated intellectual heritage.
Phase II: Integrative indigenization (1980 ---)
Focus: Instead of 100% copying, how can we indigenize in an
integrative way. Practitioners followed the ‘grounded praxis’
approach.
Phase III: Indian Ethos in Management (1980 ---) Human Values in
Management (Swami Ranganathananda, 1980) led to MCHV at IIM
Calcutta in 1992
Focus: How ICE (Indian Culture and Ethos) and Management can be
integrate: Western Windows Eastern Doors (1996)
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8. From Management in India to
Indian Management
Phase IV: YMS: Yoga, Meditation and Spirituality in
Management (After 2000)
Focus: Integrating YMS with Management. This phase is
leading to a distinctive identity of ‘Indian Management’:
‘Indian Management Way’ (IMW) rooted in India’s
Management Wisdom (IMW)
Phase V (Future): How to globalize ‘Indian Management’?
Lessons from Indian Spiritual Movements e.g. Ramakrishna
Mission, Art of Living etc.
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285164899_Th
ree_paradigms_in_management_American_Japanese_and_I
ndian)
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9. What is distinct about Indian
Management?
IMW : Indian Management Way
 Indian Management in not based on Binary model of black and
white approach to life.
 It has following distinctive features and corresponding
‘jargons’:
1. Many routes to Nirvana: There are many paths between 0 and 1.
2. Mid range solutions: Middle path solutions – search is always for
middle path solutions – mid range solutions. Focus is on middle
range and not on extremes – intermediate solutions – ‘wisdom
solutions’.
3. ‘Grey Area Management’ is the key jargon of ‘Indian
Management’
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10. What is distinct about Indian
Management?
IMW : Indian Management Way
5. Disorder is not an error term to be eliminated but an
important aspect of life. GOD: Great Order and Disorder is
part of human society – Cosmos and Chaos coexist.
6. Life is fluid and reality around us is Fluid. Hence,
Flexibility, Fluidity and Fuzziness has to be acknowledged –
Swalpa adjust madi.
7. Blending: Create new blends by drawing upon wisdom of
various traditions/ isms etc.
8. Mind Balancing: Develop ‘MBA’ (‘Mind Balancing
Attitude’)
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11. New Frontiers in Management
Thinking
 https://www.researchgate.net/subhash sharma
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237344313_
INDIAN_ETHOS_INDIAN_CULTURE_AND_INDIAN_MANAGE
MENT_TOWARDS_NEW_FRONTIERS_IN_MANAGEMENT_THI
NKING
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12. Culture and Ideas
Creating New Ideas with Cultural Roots
Following three models are rooted in Indian Culture &
Ethos:
1. Basket of Needs (Ch. 14, WWED, p. 96)
2. Modes of thinking (Ch. 2, WWED, p. 14)
3. Hierarchy of Deeds/Actions (Ch.24, WWED, p. 174)
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13. Basket of Needs
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(Western Windows Eastern Doors, Subhash Sharma, p. 96)
Social
EconomicPolitical
Psychological
Biological
Spiritual

14. Basket of Needs
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Wealth/
Money
Social needs/
Relationship needs
Self realization
need/ Happiness need/
Enlightenment need
Biological
needs
Power needs
Identity &
Self actualization needs
(Western Windows Eastern Doors, Subhash Sharma, p. 96)

15. Three ‘Ways of Life’
 Way I: Needs Maximization
 Way II: Needs Optimization
 Way III: Needs Minimization
Indian Culture and Ethos emphasise ‘Needs Optimization
Way’
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16. Modes of Thinking
Five modes of thinking/ Pentagon Model
 I. Power acquisition
 II. Calculative and acquisitive
 III. Knowledge acquisition
 IV. Concern for others
 V. Liberation (from domination/ oppression)
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(Western Windows Eastern Doors, Subhash Sharma, p. 15)

17. Spider Diagram of Modes of
Thinking
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Knowledge
acquisition
Liberation
From
domination
Concern for
others
1: Low 5: High
Power
acquisition
1
5
1
1
11
5 5
5
5
Calculative

18. Hierarchy of Deeds
 Typology of Deeds/Actions
 Three types of Deeds – 3 G Model
 G3: Graceful deeds/actions
 G2: Goodness
 G1: Greed
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19. Hierarchy of Deeds
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G1
G2
G3

20. Indian Model of Human
Behaviour: OSHA Model
 O: Oneness
 S: Spiritual
 H: Humanistic
 A: Animalistic/ Aggressive
(OSHA Model, Ch. 18,Western Windows Eastern Doors, Subhash Sharma)
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308659101_OSHA_Model_f
or_Relationship_Management)
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21. OSHA Model of Human Being
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A
H
S
O
(OSHA Model, Ch. 18,Western Windows Eastern Doors, Subhash
Sharma)

22. Essence of Indian Ethos
 From HRD to HQD (Human Quality Development)
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23. Indian Model of Leadership
Corporate Rishi Model of Leadership
Rishi Model: Re-See
Ability to See and Re-See, events, opportunities and threats
In new ways.
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238694791_CORP
ORATE_RISHI_LEADERSHIP_MODEL_AN_INDIAN_MODEL_FOR_CO
RPORATE_DEVELOPMENT_ETHICAL_LEADERSHIP)
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24. Further Reading
 Subhash Sharma (1996, 2006, 2017), Management in New
Age: Western Windows Eastern Doors, New Age
International Publishers, New Delhi
 Subhash Sharma (2007), New Mantras in Corporate
Corridors: From Ancient Roots to Global Routes, New Age
International Publishers, New Delhi
 Subhash Sharma (2016), New Ideas in Strategic Thinking &
Management: A Knowledge Tree of New Age Mantras, New
Age International Publishers, New Delhi
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