Ushus Journal of Business Management

From Battlefield to Boardroom: The Gita’s Guide to Effective Management

Subhabrata Mitra — 2025-08-06

Abstract
In an era characterized by increasing organizational complexity and ethical
challenges, contemporary management theory increasingly seeks wisdom from
ancient philosophical traditions. This research systematically explores the Bhagavad
Gita's relevance to modern management practices, proposing a comprehensive
framework that bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary organizational needs.
Through hermeneutical analysis, this study identifies nine interconnected
management principles embedded within the Gita's philosophical discourse: Karma
Philosophy (process-focused action without attachment to outcomes), Leadership
through Service (servant leadership paradigm), Decision-Making through Wisdom
(buddhi-yoga for ethical clarity), Emotional Intelligence and Mental Resilience
(sthitaprajna for balanced leadership), Organizational Behavior and Team
Management (swadharma-based role alignment), Ethics and Corporate Governance
(dharma-centered integrity), Strategic Thinking and Vision (equanimous long-term
planning), Change Management (acceptance of impermanence), and Conflict
Resolution and Communication (principled dialogue and mediation).
The conceptual framework demonstrates how Krishna's teachings to Arjuna
transcend religious boundaries to offer practical guidance for modern managers
facing dilemmas of leadership, motivation, and ethical decision-making. Unlike
conventional management models focused on quantitative metrics and short-term
gains, the Gita presents a holistic approach emphasizing inner transformation,
emotional intelligence, and value-based leadership. The research reveals that
adopting these timeless principles enables organizations to create not merely
efficient structures but nurturing, principle-guided environments that foster
sustainable success.

This study contributes to the growing body of literature on spirituality in management
by providing a systematic framework for integrating ancient Indian wisdom into
contemporary organizational practice. The findings suggest that the Gita's teachings
offer a path toward more conscious, compassionate, and effective management
approaches that benefit all stakeholders while promoting positive societal change.

Keywords: Bhagavad Gita, Management Philosophy, Ethical Leadership, Karma
Yoga, Organizational Behaviour.

Spiritual Intelligence through the Lens of the Bhagavad Gita: A Route to Mental Wellness

Kritika Kumari — 2025-08-06

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to establish a link between spiritual intelligence and mental well-being. Well-being should be recognised and embraced as a core strategic pillar in every premise setting and not something we realise as a reaction to struggle or distressing data. Humans are, inarguably, the most important assets of a nation, and therefore, for the holistic growth of India, investing in the well-being of its people is a must. Spiritual intelligence may be beneficial for improving well-being among people. Also, this paper aims to identify constructs of the Bhagavad Gita that could contribute to the idea and practice of spiritual intelligence.

Methodology - The present study incorporates qualitative research and literature from different data sources, such as Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Research Gate, which were extracted. Keywords used were "Spiritual Intelligence", "Spiritualism", ''Mental well-being", "Mental health" and ''The Bhagavad Gita".

Findings - After reviewing a large body of literature, it is concluded that spiritual intelligence plays a major role in promoting well-being in India. Moreover, the paper outlines that the individual who connects with spiritual intelligence by practising the core philosophies of the Bhagavad Gita will be able to gain well-being emotionally as well as physically.

Limitations - The paper focuses on research papers published in the English language only. Other than published papers, no focus has been given to dissertations, working papers and conference papers. The paper considered only spiritual intelligence as a psychological variable which affects mental health.

Implications - The paper outlines that the individual who connects with spiritual intelligence by practising the core philosophies of the Bhagavad Gita will be able to gain well-being. Indeed, to harness the productivity of human resources in India, adopting and inculcating spiritual intelligence is important.

Originality - This research is based on determining the core constructs from the Bhagavad Gita that establish the relationship between spiritual intelligence and mental well-being. The conservation of resource theory is used as a theoretical framework in the study.

THE GURU AND THE CEO: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INDIAN AND WESTERN MANAGEMENT THOUGHTS

Jayshree Roongta — 2025-08-06

Management in the modern global economy necessitates knowledge of numerous cultural ideologies and how they are applied. This study compares Indian and Western management ideas while examining fundamental topics such as ethics, motivation, leadership, decision-making, and organizational structure. The study synthesizes concepts from case studies published in open access journals, contemporary management theories, and classical philosophical texts using a qualitative, literature-driven methodology. It seeks to draw attention to each tradition's advantages, investigate fresh integrative trends, and pinpoint the obstacles to fusing disparate paradigms. The suggestions include integrating ethics into technological innovation, fostering cross-cultural competency, and developing hybrid leadership paradigms. The concluding remarks and major dialogue under this study contribute towards management discussion which helps create and nurture organisations driven by a balanced approach towards profit and social responsibility.

Strategic Thinking in Arthashastra and its Corporate Relevance: An Exploration of Ancient Indian Wisdom for Modern Business

Gunjan Jain — 2025-08-12

The modern corporate prospect, characterized by volatility, diversity, and ethical analysis, gradually demands to go through the principles for sustainable success. This paper aims to study the impact of strategic management principles of Kautilya’s Arthashastra and their relevance to prevailing corporate systems. This paper inspects the direct applicability of its core principles - such as the Saptanga, which stands for seven limbs of the state, Shadgunya, which stands for six-fold foreign policy, and principles of Yogakshema, which stands for welfare and scrutiny – to new era corporate leadership, governance, strategic formulation, sustainability practices, and ethical work environment. Moreover, this paper demonstrates how age-old philosophies - Arthashastra within the larger framework of Indian philosophical traditions, including the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita inform and enrich current business practices. A qualitative analysis including tabular representation of Arthashastric principles and their corporate applications has been conducted highlighting the impact on key business areas. The implementation of these principles is examined through conceptual analysis of India’s leading conglomerate i.e. The Tata Group, indicating ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance Metrics along with its comparative analysis of Stakeholder Trust Metrics, in this paper.