AbstractThe search for excellence and all-round happiness has been the important objective of mankin...

1. Business excellence enshrined in Vedic (Hindu) philosophy.
Abstract
The search for excellence and all-round happiness has been the important objective of mankind
since ages. Happiness can be attained either through self-contentment or through fulfilment of
desires. When someone tries to attain happiness through the latter, creation and distribution of
goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible
services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a
"bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. ?occupy the central stage which
is translated into business. In Vedic Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is a term used largely by
western scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary
personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of
philosophical and ethical discourse. , business is seen as a legitimate, integral part of society. Its
core function is to create wealth for society through manufacturing, domestic distribution, foreign
trade, financing and other such related activities. It emphasises the need to work for an economic
structure based on Sarva Loka Hitam which means "the well being of all stakeholders Stakeholders
All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors,
bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. ". To
enhance the benefits of business, it needs to achieve all round excellence where maintenance of
quality becomes important factor. The paper contains a broad discussion on business excellence and
quality models of various countries and establishes a relationship of these with the similar
inferences as already existing in the Vedic Hindu literature. A new outlook to business excellence
has been attempted by taking clues from Vedic Philosophy, which provides another platform towards
building business excellence models in future.
**********
Man has been searching for excellence since evolution. He has an instinct to remain happy.
Happiness can be attained either through self-contentment or through the fulfilment of the desires.
While Vedic philosophy stresses on the former, the latter has played a crucial role in the business
excellence journey. The goods produced or services rendered can bring happiness only when they
meet the desired objective. Man has been in constant pursuit of more and more to satisfy his ever-
growing desires. The search for excellence has been going on for thousands of years.
Excellence means perfection. Excellence lies in all creations of God. As one approaches towards
perfection in work, one approaches excellence or God. Man can attain excellence or perfection
through his deeds or Karma karma?or karman?(k?r`m?, k?r`m?n), [Skt.,=action, work, or ritual],
basic concept common to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. . Many hymns of Veda and other
religious books indicate toward the way to attain the excellence. For example, Lord Krishna says in
Bhagvad Geeta:
"Yoga is excellence in Karma (action)".
The simplest way to attain God is to bring excellence in all our deeds. Excellence has many

2. dimensions. Excellence implies more than competence, it implies striving for highest possible
standards. The dictionary meaning of excellence is "Quality of highest order". As per Indian
mythology Indian mythology may refer to:
Indian epic poetry
Vedic mythology
Hindu mythology
Buddhist mythology
, "Swa-Dharma" or "Self-Ethics" or "Organisation's Values System" are synonyms to quality. To attain
the excellence or 'quality of highest order' everyone in an organisation needs to perform his duty or
assignment correctly and completely without any deviation the first time and every time.
Quality is the ability of a product or service to consistently meet or exceed customer expectations.
According to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. ?the ISO (1) See ISO speed.
(2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An
organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI.
?9000 system standard: "Quality is totality TOTALITY. The whole sum or quantity.
???? 2. In making a tender, it is requisite that the totality of the sum due should be offered, together
with the interest and costs. Vide Tender. ?of characteristics of an entity that bears on its ability to
satisfy stated and implied needs". Some quality gurus have defined the quality as:
* "Quality is conformance con?for?mance??
n.
Conformity.
Noun 1. conformance - correspondence in form or appearance
conformity
agreement, correspondence - compatibility of observations; "there was no agreement between
theory and ?to requirements; and not goodness"--Philip B Crosby (1979)
* "Quality is fitness for use"--JM Juran (1988)
* "Quality in loss avoidance"--Taguchi (1989).
Quality means meeting or exceeding expectations. Quality can be quantified as the ratio of
Performance and Expectations. If the performance of the product or service is better than the
expectations, then the customer has a good feeling about it. While the organisation determines the
performance, the customer determines the expectations. Quality has many dimensions. According to
Indian mythology, there are 16 dimensions of quality. If a man could attain the excellence even in
one dimension or aspect of life, he becomes entitled en?ti?tle??
tr.v. en?ti?tled, en?ti?tling, en?ti?tles
1. To give a name or title to.
2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: ?to salvation or Moksha Moksha?(m?k`sh?), river,

3. c.375 mi (600 km) long, rising NW of Penza, central European Russia, and flowing generally NW into
the Oka River. Its lower course is navigable. . It is believed that Lord Rama attained the excellence
in 14 dimensions (14 Kala KALA Kalaupapa National Historic Park (US National Park
Service)??Sampuran) and Lord Krishna attained the excellence in 16 dimensions (16 Kala
Sampuran).
According to modern management concepts, quality has nine dimensions:
1. Performance--main characteristics of the product/service
2. Aesthetics--appearance, feel, smell, taste
3. Special features--extra characteristics
4. Conformance--how well the product/service conforms to customer's expectations
5. Safety--Risk of injury
6. Reliability consistency of performance
7. Durability--useful life of the product/service
8. Perceived quality--indirect evaluation of quality (for example, reputation)
9. Service after sale--handling of customer complaints and checking customer satisfaction.
These dimensions are somewhat independent, therefore a product can be excellent in one dimension
and average or poor in another. Very few products excel in all nine dimensions.
For example, the Japanese were cited for high quality cars in the 1970s based only on the
dimensions of reliability, conformance, and aesthetics. Therefore quality products can be determined
by using a few of the dimensions of quality.
Business Excellence: Historical Profile
Indian manufacturing was at its zenith zenith,?in astronomy, the point in the sky directly overhead;
more precisely, it is the point at which the celestial sphere is intersected by an upward extension of
a plumb line from the observer's location. ?in the ancient times as revealed by innumerable artefacts
and monuments. Ancient scriptures record the excellence in manufacturing during those days.
However, mankind has forgotten to look into these to learn the valuable lessons.
For example, 30 years before the two German brothers flew a few kilometres in the first aeroplane,
Swami Dayanand Saraswati wrote in his famous book The Rigvedadibhashya Bhoomika in 1872
about the design of aeroplanes. He said that "an aeroplane should be prepared having trio-merits of
flying into the sky, streaming on water, and moving on road".
Swami Dayanand concluded with remarks that he had seen many mantras in the Vedas to get in-
depth knowledge of the above subject, however, this glimpse was enough for a wise man to act.
After 130 years, this is high time that we set the house in order and make an endeavour to attain
manufacturing excellence through integration of modern technology and Vedic studies.

4. During the Middle Ages, the work excellence, to a large extent, was achieved by the long period of
training required by the guilds. This training instilled pride in workers for product quality. The
concept of specialisation of labour was introduced during the industrial revolution in the 1700s and
1800s with the spread of power-driven machinery and that led to rapid growth of industry. As a
result, a worker no longer made an entire product, only a portion of it. This change brought about a
decline in workmanship. Because most products manufactured during that early period were not
complicated, quality was not greatly affected. In fact, because productivity increased there was a
decrease in cost, which resulted in lower customer expectations. As products become more
complicated and jobs more specialised, it became necessary to inspect products after manufacture.
The surge of scientific and technological excellence was seen after the World War II. In 1957, the
space age began when the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite to circle the Earth. In
1969, two American astronauts became the first human beings to walk on the moon. Advances in
science and technology have changed the world in many dramatic ways. Aeroplanes, cars,
communication satellites, computers, lasers, plastics, refrigerators, and television are only a few of
the inventions that have transformed human life. Rapid medical progress and growth in food
supplies have enabled millions of people to live healthier and longer lives.
Evolution of Modern Thoughts of Business Excellence
According to Vedic mythology Vedic mythology refers to the mythological aspects of the historical
Vedic religion and Vedic literature. It has directly contributed to the evolution and development of
later Hinduism and Hindu mythology. The four Vedic Samhitas are part of the Hindu ?ruti. , business
excellence can be achieved only through prosperity for all or by taking care of the stakeholders. For
an organisation there are five stakeholders, namely: customer, employees, suppliers, shareholders,
and society as a whole. Some companies have forgotten to take care of these stakeholders, leading
to the industrial recessions, trade union struggles, and other industrial problems. To overcome these
problems, many management experts came forward with their theories and thoughts to bridge the
gaps between the conflicting needs of stakeholders. Some of the popular management theories
developed are Fayol's 14 principles of management, FW Taylor's scientific management based on
work studies, Max Weber's Bureaucratic bu?reau?crat??
n.
1. An official of a bureaucracy.
2. An official who is rigidly devoted to the details of administrative procedure.
bu ?Management, Elton Mayo's human relations human relations?npl -> relaciones fpl
humanas??approach, Hawthorne studies emphasising the human relations utopia, and motivational
theories The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the
subject matter.
Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the
issue on the talk page. ?of Maslow, McGregor, and others. In 1924, WA Shewhart of Bell Telephone
Laboratories developed a statistical chart for the control of product variables. This chart is
considered to be the beginning of statistical quality control. Recognition of the value of statistical
quality control became apparent by 1942.
The Japanese economy was depressed after World War II. In 1950, Edwards Deming, who learned
statistical quality control from Shewhart, gave a series of lectures on statistical methods to Japanese
engineers and CEOs. Deming's quality systems for problems solving through cooperation between
workers and management were widely accepted and used by Japanese industry. He said that quality
should be stressed at each step of the manufacturing process and most product defects and service
problems result from faults in management rather than from the carelessness Carelessness

5. See also Forgetfulness, Irresponsibility, Laziness.
Grasshopper
sings through summer, overlooking winter preparations. [Gk. Lit. ?of workers. The teachings of
Deming led to the revival of the Japanese economy. The Deming prize The Deming prize, established
in December 1950 in honor of W. Edwards Deming, was originally designed to reward Japanese
companies for major advances in quality improvement. ?on Total Quality was introduced in 1951. In
1954, Joseph Juran made his first trip to Japan and further emphasised management's responsibility
to achieve quality. In 1960, the first quality control circles were formed for the purpose of quality
improvement. Simple statistical techniques were learned and applied by Japanese workers.
While talking about business excellence and quality management, one must focus upon the
contributions of Edwards Deming particularly his 14 points for management. These points are more
relevant to attain quality, while managing the organisation and achieve excellence. The 14 points
are:
1. Create and publish the aims and purpose of the organisation
2. Learn the new philosophy
3. Understand the purpose of inspection
4. Stop awarding business based on price alone
5. Improve constantly and forever the system
6. Institute training
7. Teach and institute leadership
8. Drive out fear, create trust and create a climate for innovation
9. Optimise the efforts of teams, groups and staff areas
10. Eliminate exhortations for the work force
11. (a) Eliminate numerical quotas for work force
(b) Eliminate management by objectives
12. Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship
13. Encourage education and self-improvement for everyone
14. Take action to accomplish the transformation.
Evolution of Business Excellence Models
By the mid-seventies, Japan had started to progress more rapidly than the American and other
western competitors, first in cars, then in the whole range of goods including videos, hi-fi, and

6. electronics. In the late eighties the automotive industry The automotive industry is the industry
involved in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of motor vehicles. In 2006,
more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced
worldwide. ?began to emphasise statistical process control (SPC 1. (business) SPC - Statistical
Process Control. Something to do with quality management.
2. (body) SPC - Software Productivity Centre.
3. (company) SPC - Software Publishing Corporation.
4. ). Suppliers and their suppliers were required to use these techniques. Various models for
business excellence came in different parts of the world on which quality awards were instituted in
their respective countries. These awards are given to organisations that have excelled in quality in
real terms and are role models for others. Some of these awards are:
* Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is given
by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. Through the actions of the
National Productivity Advisory Committee chaired by Jack Grayson, it was established by the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality ?established in 1987 in USA
* Australian Business Excellence Award introduced in 1988 in Australia
* European Quality Award The European Quality Award is now referred to as the EFQM Excellence
Award.
This distinction is awarded annually by the European Foundation for Quality Management to the
organisation that is the best proponent in Europe of Total Quality Management. ?introduced by
EFQM EFQM European Foundation for Quality Management ?in 1992 in Europe
* CII-EXIM Bank Business Excellence Award introduced in 1994 in India, and
* Singapore Quality Award in 1994.
Apart from the above 'industry specific' and 'family group specific' quality awards also emerged. For
example in India, the Tata Group The Tata Group is India's largest conglomerate company, with
revenues in 2005-06 of Rs. 967,229 million (US $21.9 billion), the equivalent of about 2.8% of India's
GDP, and a market capitalisation of US $57.6 billion now (only 28 of the 96 Tata Group companies
are publicly listed). ?introduced the JRD JRD Joint Requirements Document
JRD Jednotn? Roln?cke Dru?stvo (collective farm in socialistic countries)
JRD Japan Radio Digitization
JRD Job Review Discussion ?Tata Quality Award and Manufacturing Association of IT industries
introduced MAIT MAIT Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (India)
MAIT Maintenance Assistance & Instruction Team
MAIT Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team ?Award. Prime Minister's Trophy was
introduced for the steel industry in India.
The key focus of these awards is to motivate the industry to come forward and take improvement
initiatives to bring all-round business excellence in their operations. In addition, ISO 9000 and ISO
14000 became the worldwide model for quality system and environmental system respectively. By
the late nineties, Total Quality Management became the globally accepted slogan for corporate
excellence so as to gain the competitive edge and thereby ensuring long-term success by meeting
the requirements of the customers, employees, and other stake holders.

7. We present three important quality models. The objective is to emphasise the fact that more or less,
these models come with the similar philosophy which already existed in the Vedic Hindu literature.
After the explanation of these models, we attempt to establish a relationship between these modern
excellence models and ancient Vedic philosophy.
EFQM Excellence Model should be added to this article, to conform with Wikipedia's Manual
of Style.
Please discuss this issue on the talk page. ?
The EFQM Excellence Model is based on eight fundamental concepts. Each year, European Quality
Prizes and European Quality Awards are presented to organisations that demonstrate excellence in
the management of quality. The EFQM Excellence Model has wide acceptability across the
countries. In 1994, the Confederation of Indian Industries The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organisation, playing a
proactive role in India's development process. ?(CII CII Confederation of Indian Industry
CII Chartered Insurance Institute (UK)
CII Construction Industry Institute (University of Texas)
CII Council of Institutional Investors ) along with Export-import Bank Export-import Bank (Ex-IM
Bank)
The U.S. federal government agency that extends trade credits to U.S. companies to facilitate the
financing of U.S. exports. ?of India found it most suitable for Indian circumstances and adopted it. A
growing number of Indian and European organisations are using the EFQM Excellence Model, not
only to get an insight into their own strengths and weaknesses (Self-assessment), but also to look
ahead, using the criteria to shape their business excellence strategy.
In 1999, the EFQM Model and the CII-EXIM Model for Business Excellence a year later, went
through a major change with the introduction of RADAR (Results, Approach, Deployment,
Assessment and Review) for measurement and 39 per cent change in the areas to address bringing
more focus on performance and organisational excellence. The model is based on the premise that:
"Excellent results with respect to performance, customers, people and society are achieved through
leadership driving policy and strategy, people, partnerships and resources, and processes."
The nine criteria parts of the model are shown in Figure 1.
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
Innovation & Learning
The arrows emphasise the dynamic nature of the model. They show innovation and learning helping
to improve enablers that in turn lead to improved results. The points for each criterion are indicated
in the boxes. The Enabler Criteria cover what an organisation does and Results Criteria cover what
an organisation achieves.
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
In the United States United States,?officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop.
295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's
third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , business excellence of an
organisation is judged based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence as depicted

8. de?pict??
tr.v. de?pict?ed, de?pict?ing, de?picts
1. To represent in a picture or sculpture.
2. To represent in words; describe. See Synonyms at represent. ?in Figure 2.
[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]
Singapore Quality Award
Launched in 1994, with the Prime Minister as its patron, the Singapore Quality Award (SQA SQA
Scottish Qualifications Authority
SQA Software Quality Assurance
SQA Supplier Quality Assurance
SQA Society of Quality Assurance
SQA Singapore Airlines
SQA Sperm Quality Analyzer
SQA System Quality Assurance
SQA Statistical Quality Analysis ) is the most prestigious award conferred con?fer??
v. con?ferred, con?fer?ring, con?fers
v.tr.
1. To bestow (an honor, for example): conferred a medal on the hero; conferred an honorary degree
on her. ?on organisations that demonstrate the highest standards of business excellence in
Singapore. The SQA business excellence model is based on universally accepted standards that are
found in the US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the European Quality Award and the
Australian Business Excellence Award. As a symbol of world-class business excellence, the SQA
encourages organisations to strengthen their management systems and capabilities to enhance their
competitiveness. The SQA criteria form the basis for the evaluation and feedback In intelligence
usage, continuous assessment of intelligence operations throughout the intelligence process to
ensure that the commander's intelligence requirements are being met. See intelligence process. ?to
applicants on their performance as shown in Figure 3.
[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]
Essence of Business Excellence Models vis-a-vis Vedic Vision
Business excellence models adopted by various countries are dynamic in nature and periodically go
under review for further improvements based on the changing needs of stakeholders. They reflect
shifts in business emphasis and new management approaches and ideas. They can be used by any
organisation irrespective of irrespective of
prep.
Without consideration of; regardless of.
irrespective of
preposition despite??country, size, sector or maturity in excellence. The 14 points of Deming have
been addressed in the eight fundamental concepts of excellence of EFQM Excellence model and also
in the other excellence models. These concepts have very deep linkage with the Vedic concept of
business excellence.
Constancy con?stan?cy??

9. n.
1. Steadfastness, as in purpose or affection; faithfulness.
2. The condition or quality of being constant; changelessness.
Noun 1. ?of Purpose
Deming's first point focuses on creation of the aim and purpose of the organisation. The other
excellence models also focuses upon policy and strategy of the company to understand the basic
purpose of its existence.
Rig-Veda explains the "Rta", or "cosmic cos?mic?? also cos?mi?cal
adj.
1. Of or relating to the universe, especially as distinct from Earth.
2. Infinitely or inconceivably extended; vast: ?order" saying physical as well as moral laws govern
the entire universe and that no transgression TRANSGRESSION. The violation of a law. ?of these
laws is allowed. Thus, to attain the excellence we need to have:
* Common Vision
* Universal Brotherhood The Universal Brotherhood is a term used in theosophical writings. It refers
to the theosophical conception that all human beings are members of a spiritual unity. Quotations ,
and
* Equitable Prosperity for all
The following mantra mantra?(m?n`tr?, m?n-), in Hinduism and Buddhism, mystic words used in
ritual and meditation. A mantra is believed to be the sound form of reality, having the power to bring
into being the reality it represents. ?from Rig-Veda clearly explains this concept:
"O ye mankind!
Let your vision and thinking of life be one and common,
Let your hearts be transpired with feeling of equality,
Let your minds be united together,
Resulting in equal prosperity and common excellence in the
life for all".
Excellence is dependent upon balancing and satisfying the needs of all relevant stakeholders
including employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and society in general. Development and
implementation of the improvement plans by the organisations is an integral part of TQM (Total
Quality Management) An organizational undertaking to improve the quality of manufacturing and
service. It focuses on obtaining continuous feedback for making improvements and refining existing
processes over the long term. See ISO 9000. ?implementation under various models. It is in line with
the following Vedic hymn:
"Effort is the hallmark of a human being".

10. Continuous Improvement Focus
Vedic philosophical thought reaches its summit in the "Upanishads". The Upanishads deal with the
central philosophical questions: What is the nature of ultimate reality? What is the essence of
humanity? Putting together these two ideas, the essence of humanity and the essence of the world,
the ancient philosophers produced the greatest insight of the Upanishads. Upanishads also present
the doctrine of Karma. According to this teaching, each human soul lives countless lives. It is born
and reborn re?born??
adj.
Emotionally or spiritually revived or regenerated.
reborn
Adjective
active again after a period of inactivity
Adj. 1. ?again and again until it reaches liberation and is born no more. In life, the individual suffers
and enjoys the results of immoral or moral deeds done in existing and previous lives. In turn, the
individual performs deeds whose fruits he will reap in existing and succeeding lives. Every moral act
must lead to its appropriate reward: if not in this life, then in a future one.
In an organisation, perceptions of customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and society about
the organisation are formed based on its past performance and current deeds. Also, every positive
initiative taken by the organisation will fetch good results now or in the future. Thus, an organisation
should continuously focus on the improvements as per Deming's PDCA PDCA Purebred Dexter Cattle
Association
PDCA Painting and Decorating Contractors of America
PDCA Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (USA)
PDCA Pile Driving Contractors Association
PDCA Pug Dog Club of America ?(Plan-Do-Check-Act) Circle or the RADAR (Results, Approach,
Deployment, Assessment and Review) logic of EFQM Model as shown in Figure 4.
[FIGURE 4 OMITTED]
Deming's fifth point is about constant improvement. The concept of continuous learning, innovation
and improvement of excellence models emphasise the same thing. The emphasis on continuous
efforts for improvements to attain excellence is supported by Vedic hymn:
"The Gods like hard-working persons. They dislike easy-going and
idle people. Ever-wakeful persons attain great happiness and
prosperity".
Another Vedic hymn focuses on continuous improvements:
"O man! You grow very high".
Customer Focus
The customer is the final arbiter of the quality of any product or service. Customer loyalty, retention,

11. and market share gain are best optimised through clear focus on the needs of current and potential
customers. Customer results have been given 20 per cent weightage in the EFQM Model. In his
second point, Deming stresses that management must learn their responsibilities and give first
priority to customer satisfaction. He stresses in the third point to eliminate the need for inspection
by building quality into the product in the first place. This is endorsement to the teaching of Lord
Krishna in Bhagvad Geeta:
"Yoga is excellence in Karma (action)".
Thus customer satisfaction or 'quality of highest order' can be attained only through voluntarily
following "Swa-Dharma" or "Self-Ethics" or "Self-Inspection" or "Organisation's Values System",
which will lead to achievement of excellence (Yoga yoga?(y?`g?)?[Skt.,=union], general term for
spiritual disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism, and throughout S Asia that are directed toward
attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance, suffering, and rebirth. ) of product or
service ultimately passed on to the customers.
Leadership
The behaviour of an organisation's leaders creates a clarity and unity of purpose within the
organisation and an environment in which the organisation and its people can excel. All business
excellence models put leadership as the first step towards excellence. Manu Smiriti has many
mantras, which guides how the good governance The terms governance and good governance are
increasingly being used in development literature. Governance describes the process of decision-
making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). ?can be
achieved. In the past hundred years we have seen growth and fall of national economies and the
companies. Role model ethics by the chief executive plays a major role in the development of
organisational culture. The various roles of a good manager are shown in Figure 5.
[FIGURE 5 OMITTED]
Employees will follow the "Swa-Dharma" or Organisation's Values System only if the chief executive
and his top team set an example before them as Vedic philosophy explains:
"As the chief executive (King) is, so are the people".
The above principle has also been endorsed by eminent international quality experts like Deming,
Juran, Claus Moller, and Harry Roberts who deliberately identify the personal quality of the chief
executive as the starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point
terminus a quo
commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the
time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the ?for the
organisational excellence. Deming has given special focus on various aspects of leadership in the
points 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The search of personal quality starts from self-analysis or self-assessment.
Vedic shastras strongly stress on the need of three types of self-discipline to be strictly observed by
the Shreshtha Purusha (man with high moral ethics) or the chief executive of an organisation. These
are:

12. * Atma-Glani or Self-Guilt,
* Ishwar-Bhaya or Fear of punishment by God, and
* Lok-Lajja or Fear of Society.
People Focus
The full potential of an organisation's people is best released through shared values and a culture of
trust and empowerment, which encourages the involvement of everyone. Deming has stressed on
people development in the points 6, 8, 12, and 13. He emphasises that each employee must be
oriented o?ri?ent??
n.
1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia.
2.
a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality.
b. A pearl having exceptional luster.
3. ?to the organisation's philosophy of commitment to never-ending improvement through education,
training and self-improvement. Management should drive out fear and create an environment of
trust and innovation so that everyone may effectively contribute. The hymn of Atharva Veda
endorses the above concept:
"O King! Take care of the welfare and growth of all your people.
Then you will grow as the sun grows and shines at dawn and after
its rise".
The sun makes consistent and continuous efforts to grow without fear. Similarly, the chief executive
should make consistent and continuous efforts for the growth of his employees and the organisation.
The quality of a person's life is directly proportional (Math.) proportional in the order of the terms;
increasing or decreasing together, and with a constant ratio; - opposed to inversely proportional.
See also: Directly ?to his commitment to excellence regardless of his chosen field of endeavour.
Partnership Focus
An organisation works more effectively when it has mutually beneficial Adj. 1. mutually beneficial -
mutually dependent
interdependent, mutualist
dependent - relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed;
"dependent children"; "dependent on moisture" ?relationships, built on trust, sharing of knowledge,
and integration with its Partners. Various excellence models emphasise to end the practice of
awarding business on the basis of the price tag. Instead to minimise total cost, move toward a single
supplier for any one item and build the long-term relationship of loyalty and trust. The enhancement
of organisational performance, practices, and capabilities is possible only through teamwork,
sharing of best practice information among organisations. Benchmarking offers the possibility to

13. exchange experiences with peers from other companies in a very open and friendly atmosphere.
Participation in benchmarking clubs by a variety of industries makes it easy to find companies that
have different strengths. Thus, the team spirit between the organisations play a major role in high
growth, as the hymn in 'Atharva Veda' says,:
"People with same divine thoughts grow together".
Benchmarking requires visioning "out of the box", a willingness to look for solutions not only within
your own environment, but anywhere in the world. Focus on enablers (actions) to achieve results is
truly in line the hymn from Bhagwad Geeta:
"Don't be associated with inaction".
Process Focus
Organisations perform more effectively when inter-related activities are understood and
systematically managed. The decisions concerning current operations and planned improvements
are made using reliable information that includes stakeholder stakeholder?n. a person having in
his/her possession (holding) money or property in which he/she has no interest, right or title,
awaiting the outcome of a dispute between two or more claimants to the money or property.
?perceptions. ISO 9000 system mainly stresses on the process focus. In excellence models too,
process focus has been given the centre stage as the backbone for excellence.
The scriptures moved a step further and stresses on continuous efforts or process focus with
detachment. A hymm from 'Yajur-Veda' says that one should continue to put in his best efforts for
100 years (whole lifetime) with detachment from its results. The selfless self?less??
adj.
Having, exhibiting, or motivated by no concern for oneself; unselfish: "Volunteers need both selfish
and selfless motives to sustain their interest"?Natalie de Combray. ?actions will lead one to the
highest level of happiness (Moksha):
"One should like to live in this world doing hard work for 100
years. There is no other way for one's salvation. A selfless and
detached action keeps the doer away from harm".
Business Excellence and Vedic Philosophy: A New Outlook
Though the business excellence models have provided a new direction and guidelines guidelines,
n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain
tasks. ?to the corporate management for growth, their focus is still limited. Vedic philosophy takes
us much ahead on the road of excellence to become a dream society, where every member is
prepared to sacrifice his profits for the larger interests of society. In Vedic mythology, business is
seen as a legitimate, integral part of society. Its core function is to create wealth for society through
manufacturing, domestic distribution, foreign trade, financing and other related activities. It
encourages one to work for an economic structure based on "Sarva loka hitam" which means "the

14. well-being of all stakeholders".
The long-term interest of the organisation and its people is best served by adopting an ethical
approach and exceeding the expectations and regulations of the community at large. Though the
EFQM model gives society 6 per cent weightage, other excellence models have ignored this aspect.
The corporate world has forgotten to take care of this aspect in the past; leading to the industrial
recessions, trade union struggles, and other problems today. Let us ponder Ponder - A non-strict
polymorphic, functional language by Jon Fairbairn <jf@cl.cam.ac.uk>.
Ponder's type system is unusual. It is more powerful than the Hindley-Milner type system used by
ML and Miranda and extended by Haskell. ?what went wrong with some of the excellent companies:
* Why 33 per cent of excellent companies (1982-84) in USA are dead today?
* Why 84 per cent of 100 biggest US companies (1900-2000) are dead today?
* Why 20 per cent of Fortune 500 companies (1955-2000) are dead today?
* Why India's share in world trade has come down from 85 per cent in 1547 to 20 per cent in 1700
and reached to insignificant 0.6 per cent in 2002?
The answers of these questions lie within the organisation. Vedic philosophy of business excellence
answers the above questions. It gives extensive focus on preventing such occurrences.
Distribution of Wealth for Growth
According to Vedic philosophy, one should continuously distribute one's wealth for the growth. The
moment one stops the distribution, the rate of growth starts declining. The 'Atharva Veda' has a
sutra Sutra:?see Sanskrit literature.
sutra
?Pali sutta
In Hinduism, a brief aphoristic composition; in Buddhism, a more extended exposition of a subject
and the basic form of the scripture of both Theravada and Mahayana traditions. ?to explain this
aspect:
"O man! Procure wealth with 100 hands and distribute it in charity
with 1,000 hands. Thus, you attain perfection of the work done and
to be done".
Growing organisations consistently meets customers' changing needs and continuously improves.
New organisations and areas of business sprout up with the distribution of wealth and are
decentralised Adj. 1. decentralised - withdrawn from a center or place of concentration; especially
having power or function dispersed from a central to local authorities; "a decentralized school
administration"
decentralized ?to provide new opportunities of growth. Thus, the organisations should continuously
search for new avenues of business and capital investment with an objective of growth for all. While
it will generate more employment avenues and better prosperity for the society, it will also give an
opportunity for the growth of the employees, suppliers, and customers and ultimately lead to more

15. profits.
Larger Interest Should Prevail in Decision-making
'Chankya Niti', moves a step further emphasising that even at the cost of loss to the organisation,
the larger interest of society should prevail in decision-making as the following hymn says:
"One should sacrifice the individual for the sake of family
interest, family for the sake of village, village for the sake of
nation, and abandon everything for defending higher values of life".
Sacrifice for the sake of larger interest of the society will lead to total transformation of the
corporate world and provide better quality of life for the society at large which will lead to a new
world order and growth for all.
Yoga--Path of Excellence
According to Patanjali: "Yoga is a methodical me?thod?i?cal?? also me?thod?ic
adj.
1. Arranged or proceeding in regular, systematic order.
2. Characterized by ordered and systematic habits or behavior. See Synonyms at orderly. ?effort to
attain excellence". This is achieved through the control of the different elements of human nature,
both physical and psychical. All mental states are modifications of "chitta" (mind). Ordinary human
life is afflicted af?flict??
tr.v. af?flict?ed, af?flict?ing, af?flicts
To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on.
[Middle English afflighten, from afflight, ?by the belief that the mind cannot fathom fath?om??
n. Abbr. fth. or fm.
A unit of length equal to 6 feet (1.83 meters), used principally in the measurement and specification
of marine depths.
tr.v.
?ultimate reality due to its afflictions like egoism egoism?(?`g??z?m), in ethics, the doctrine that the
ends and motives of human conduct are, or should be, the good of the individual agent. It is opposed
to altruism, which holds the criterion of morality to be the welfare of others. , attachment to
pleasure, aversion a?ver?sion
n.
1. A fixed, intense dislike; repugnance, as of crowds.
2. A feeling of extreme repugnance accompanied by avoidance or rejection.
?to pain, and love of life. These afflictions are responsible for the greatest turbulence
turbulence,?state of violent or agitated behavior in a fluid. Turbulent behavior is characteristic of
systems of large numbers of particles, and its unpredictability and randomness has long thwarted
attempts to fully understand it, even with such powerful tools as ?in "chitta". In the state of "samadhi
samadhi?(s?m?`d?), a state of deep absorption in the object of meditation, and the goal of many
kinds of yoga. In Buddhism the term refers to any state of one-pointed concentration. ", all
modifications of "chitta" cease, and the soul regains its eternal and attains a perfect placid plac?id??
adj.
1. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. See Synonyms at calm.

16. 2. Satisfied; complacent.
[Latin placidus, from ?state (or excellence). It becomes free, self-illuminated consciousness as
Patanjali says:
"Ending the functions of chitta is Yoga".
In an organisation there are distractions due to clash of interests among various stakeholders for
their apparently conflicting demands leading to day to day problems and fire fighting fire
fighting,?the use of strategy, personnel, and apparatus to extinguish, to confine, or to escape from
fire. Fire-Fighting Strategy
Fire fighting strategy involves the following basic procedures: arriving at the scene of the fire as
rapidly as ?by one and all. By ceasing all these afflictions an organisation can become excellent or
ideal. At this stage every member of the organisation works not because he will be rewarded but
because it gives him inherent happiness. It is the stage of self-actualisation.
Lord Krishna has explained this concept in 'Bhagavad-Gita'. Vedic Vision of Excellence in Bhagavad-
Gita preaches that real happiness lies in the karma with complete detachment. In the Bhagavad-Gita,
Krishna offers the path of karma yoga Karma yoga (Sanskrit: ???? ???), (also known as Buddhi Yoga)
or the "discipline of action" is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit
scripture of Hinduism. , or the discipline of action as stated below:
"You have right to perform your karma (action), but never to the
fruits thereof. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of
your activities, nor should you be attached to inaction".
To attain this level of thinking in one's thoughts, we need to have the selflessness self?less??
adj.
Having, exhibiting, or motivated by no concern for oneself; unselfish: "Volunteers need both selfish
and selfless motives to sustain their interest"?Natalie de Combray. ?in ourselves and in the
organisations. The concept of selflessness is shown in Figure 6.
[FIGURE 6 OMITTED]
'Sangthan Sukta'--Vision of the New World Order
The Rig-Vedic hymns portray the world as a place where human beings are expected to enjoy life.
The main religious activity is 'yajna' (sacrifice for others). If the sacrifice is correctly performed, God
is obliged o?blige??
v. o?bliged, o?blig?ing, o?blig?es
v.tr.
1. To constrain by physical, legal, social, or moral means.
2. ?to help. Thus mankind is assured of a happy life, and a happier after-life. If an organisation
sacrifices its profits for the sake of the welfare of the society, it is destined des?tine??

17. tr.v. des?tined, des?tin?ing, des?tines
1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a
classic.
2. ?to gain profits. The expenditure in the publicity campaign gives the momentary mo?men?tar?y??
adj.
1. Lasting for only a moment.
2. Occurring or present at every moment: in momentary fear of being exposed.
3. Short-lived or ephemeral, as a life. ?benefits; as the same expenditure for society's welfare gives
long term gains. It creates the goodwill for the organisation among people who benefited in
particular and in the society as a large. This goodwill pays dividends especially in the time of crisis,
when the organisation is in need of help.
'Sangathan Sukta' presents a perspective of excellence for society, where every member is willing to
sacrifice his gains for the well being of others. Thus every member of society gets his lower level
needs fulfilled, which leads to building of higher moral values for all. Thus slowly we attain a level of
excellence where all remain happy and healthier. The Vedic concepts of growth are based on self-
management and self-discipline.
Accordingly everyone is expected to follow his Swa-Dharma and continuously make sustained efforts
for self-growth as well as for the growth of society.
Conclusion
In essence, the Veda are answers to many questions. This can be achieved through integrating and
directing efforts to maximise the global product and its equitable distribution among members of
society.
In the new millennium, it will be essential for the business leaders to devise and adopt a unified
theory Unified Theory may refer to:
Unified Field Theory, a theory in physics that attempts to combine all forces
Unified Theory, a band consisting of members of Blind Melon and Pearl Jam
?focused to attain excellence comprising principles, methods, tools, and systems appropriate to their
companies. Organisational excellence can be attained by developing proactive, self-responsible
people concerned with achieving the ultimate goals of the organisation and inculcating values for
appreciating the purpose of achieving goals. Success depends greatly on the involvement of people
in the organisations, willing to bring a change in tune with the global environment. Business
practices will have to be changed and aligned to with the growing needs and expectations of
stakeholders. The lure of using isolated techniques will not be enough for transforming the industrial
world. To bring excellence, the integration of the Vedic studies with modern science and
technological research is necessary.
References
Atharva Veda 20-18-3, 4-4-2, 3-24-5
Dale H Besterfield, Carol Besterfield-Michna, Glen H Besterfield, Mary Besterfield Sacre, Total
Quality Management, Addison Wesley Longman, Singapore, 2001, pp 5-11

18. ISO 9000: 2000 Transition Auditor Training Course, BVQI ISO 8402:94, Issue 10.01, 2001, 2.11
The CII-EXIM Bank Award for Business Excellence 2002--Application Brochure & The Business
Excellence Model, Confederation of Indian Industries Publications, TQM Division, New Delhi New
Delhi?(d?l`?), city (1991 pop. 294,149), capital of India and of Delhi state, N central India, on the
right bank of the Yamuna River. .
Rig Veda, 10-191-4, 8-2-18, 10-191.
Shreemad Bhagvad Geeta, Chapter 2 (47), (50).
Sri Swami Omkaranand, Patanjalya Yoga Pradeep, Gita Press The Gita Press [1] is one of the world's
largest publishers of Hindu religious texts. It is located in Gorakhpur city of India's Uttar Pradesh
state. It was founded in 1923 by Brahmalina Shri Jayadayalji Goyandka for promoting the principles
of Sanatana Dharma. ?Gorakhpur, 1993, 163.
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
This page is about the founder of the Arya Samaj. For others known by the same name, please see
Swami Dayananda (disambiguation)
Swami Dayananda Saraswati ( , Rigvedadibhashya Bhoomika, Arya Prakashan, India, 1998, 213-223.
W Edwards Deming, Out of the Crisis, Chapter 2.
www.businessexcellenceaustralia.com.au
www.efqm.org
www.quality.nist.gov
www.spring.gov.sg/portal/products/awards/sqa/sqa_overview.html
Yajur-Veda 40-2.
Dr AK Sharma
Balvir Talwar A talwar, talwaar, or tulwar (Devanagari: ?????) is a type of sword prevalent in
medieval India dating back to at least the 13th century. It bears a resemblance to the Persian
shamshir and the Turkish kilic. ?
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) is
located in Roorkee, a township in Uttarakhand, India. Instituted as Thomason college of Civil
Engineering in year 1847 by British, it was rechristened as University of Roorkee in year 1949.
?(UA) India
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