Bhishma Way

N Balasubramanian

Description

Contemporary dilemmas, whether in business or politics, bear an uncanny resemblance to the predicaments witnessed in the ever-timely epic, the Mahabharata. Who else but Bhishma Pitamah then to the rescue of the modern-day manager, politician or bureaucrat! In the epic, Bhishma is the upholder of truth and dharma, his life shaped by the difficult choices he makes. He isn't always infallible, but even where his decisions are questionable, he serves as a role model. Prof. N. Balasubramanian uses this powerful figure and his selfless values as a guide to make the right choices in The Bhishma Way. He discusses the importance of values, dharma, truth, justice and governance in businesses and governments. Analyses of real-life cases-among them, Union Carbide and the Bhopal gas tragedy, James Hardie and asbestos in Australia, and Ok Tedi in Papua New Guinea-complement the mythological stories and insightful anecdotes in this illuminating and thought-provoking book. This serves as an instructive read for anyone striving for a higher moral code in day-to-day decision-making and leadership.

Sujets

• Corporate governance
• Economics

Informations

• Publié par: Random House Publishers India Pvt. Ltd.
• Date de parution: 24 décembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9788184007787
• Langue: English

Extrait

N. BALASUBRAMANIAN

THE BHISHMA WAY
Ancient Dharma for Modern Business and Politics
RANDOM HOUSE INDIA
C ONTENTS
Introduction
Bhishma-The Terrible
1. V ALUES
The Purpose Quotient in Values
Values and Political Dispensations
Corporate Values in Perspective
Listening to the Voice of Values
Voicing for Values
2. D HARMA
Many-Splendoured Concept of Dharma
3. T RUTH
Truth as a Categorical Imperative
Truth and Communication
4. J USTICE
Ram Rajya and the Business Corporation
Justice as Dignity and Equality
Justice as Fairness
Bhishma and Justice
The Tenuous Welfare Equilibrium
5. G OVERNANCE
Rights vs Duties, and Countervailing Abuse of Authority
The Governance Structure
Conflicts of Interest in Governing the Corporation
Epilogue
Bhishma and Contemporary Public Governance
Bhishma and Contemporary Corporate Governance
Remembering and Relating to Bhishma
Notes
Bibliographical References
List of Companies
List of Names
Acknowledgements
Follow Random House
Copyright
Advance Praise For the book
Bhishma was the heroic, yet troubled, patriarch who was destined in the Mahabharata to preside over the glory and destruction of Kauravas. Narrating episodes from the great epic and the choices Bhishma made on critical occasions in his life, Bala has drawn parallels with events from the contemporary corporate world and the choices made by a wide range of corporate leaders. He poignantly brings out the lessons we can learn from India s immensely rich heritage. Written in an enthralling style, the gems of wisdom contained in the book are of immense value to corporate decision makers
-Samir Kumar Barua, professor and former director, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Professor Balasubramanian has brought out a unique perspective in the field of governance through his book, The Bhishma Way . It is an excellent treatise on how our epics and the characters in them, particularly Bhishma, who, in the words of the author lived a full and action-packed life of the highest morality and personal detachment , have lessons for the management of institutions in the modern era
-S. Sandilya, chairman, Eicher, and professional independent director, Mastek
This is an excellent book not just for company directors and executives, but also for the layperson who wants to understand what underpins the behaviour of a corporation s board of directors and senior management. For others, it is a quick treatise on Indian political governance and a unique analysis of the better-known stories of the Mahabharata. Professor Bala has used the wide spectrum of his knowledge and interests to create a work that will be of abiding interest
-Nawshir H. Mirza, professional independent director, Tata Power, Exide, Thermax, and former senior partner, Ernst Young, India
Both corporate governance scholars and fans of the Mahabharata will find that this book provides many fascinating and original insights, derived from a highly unusual perspective. This book maintains Professor Balasubramanian s position as the leading academic of corporate governance thought in India
-Chris Pierce, CEO, Global Governance Services, London, and senior consultant to International Finance Corporation
This is a bold and remarkable book by India s leading expert on corporate governance. It argues for an ethically grounded approach to business and public leadership. It draws from the timeless wisdom of the Mahabharata . . . This is a book steeped in wisdom, which embodies the fruits of many years of patient scholarship and reflection, as well as the practical insights of a respected business career
-Chiranjib Sen, professor, Azim Premji University, Bangalore, and former professor and chair, Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
A book that masterfully weaves epical wisdom into contemporary moral and ethical dilemmas to create a fitting tapestry for corporate governance
-V. Umakanth, associate professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
In all, the book is a treasure of knowledge providing insights into corporate and political governance drawing values from the time-tested Indian theories, which remain relevant even amidst today s advanced management techniques
-Usha Ananthasubramanian, managing director and CEO, Punjab National Bank
An extremely useful enterprise in these days of conflict and turmoil to help us find the right way, whether in personal behaviour or in corporate governance
-S.N. Ananthasubramanian, former president, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi
In this thought-provoking book, Professor Balasubramanian demonstrates how governance and justice are inextricably connected
-Ananya Mukherjee Reed, dean, liberal arts and professional studies, and professor of political science, York University, Canada
A very thoughtful and highly readable treatise on how the ancient principles of dharma are so relevant in today s world of political gridlocks, business dilemmas and public acrimony. Move over, Machiavelli!
-Jagdish N. Sheth, Charles H. Kellstadt professor of management, Emory University, Atlanta, US
This is excellent reading not just for those fascinated by the larger-than-life Bhishma, but also for those who are trying to understand how to navigate the challenges of modern day leadership-whether in government of business
-Vikramaditya Khanna, William W. Cook professor of law, University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, US
To
Anannya,
my granddaughter all of eight years, whose sense of justice and fair play is way beyond her age
And
To the memory of
Bala Balachander
my younger son who departed in his prime in an air crash twenty-five years ago
Introduction
May the beneficial, indomitable, unbeatable, well-destructive of foes, the good deeds come for us from all around.
- Rig Veda 1
The Mahabharata, like the Ramayana, is among the greatest, and the earliest epics in the world. In length, it is reportedly, seven times longer than Homer s Odyssey and Iliad put together. What distinguishes it from other such accounts is the fact that it is not just one straightforward story but a collection of discourses, episodes and anecdotes collected from far and wide, spanning aeons, woven around the main story which is short and simple enough. It is about the struggle to the succession of the royal throne of Hastinapura. When the rightful claimant, Yudhishthira, is denied his inheritance by the incumbent ruler, also his paternal uncle, the blind King Dhritharashtra, at the behest of his greedy and arrogant son Duryodhana and his accomplices, the two cousins engage in battle at Kurukshetra. It was a seventeen-day war: The usurping Kauravas headed by Duryodhana are annihilated by the righteous Pandavas with Yudhishthira at the helm. But what contributes to the length of the volume are the various twists and turns in the story before the battle is finally fought. It also traces the history of Dhritharashtra usurping the throne and then later, refusing to peacefully return even half of the kingdom to its rightful inheritor.
Among the myriad of players in this epic, two characters stand out prominently: Bhishma, the scion who renounces his right to the kingdom to enable his father marry a woman of his choice, who dominates the entire epic spanning over five generations-in the earlier phase playing the role of an active participant, and later on becoming a learned and well-respected elder statesman and mentor; and Vasudeva Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who plays the role of a non-partisan counsellor, mediator, and the overarching, non-participating chief and mentor for the victorious Pandavas. Vasudeva Krishna is also attributed with the famous Bhagavad Gita, the celestial song on the duties and responsibilities of humans in steering through their lives in this world delivered on the battlefield to Arjuna, the reluctant Pandava who could not come to terms with the idea of decimating friends, family, and other elders whom they were fighting against.
Bhishma is the chosen anchor for this book. There are several reasons for this choice. For example, much has been written on Krishna and his role in the epic, his greatest contribution to mankind, the Gita, and a whole cult based on devotion to him as the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Relatively, Bhishma is less researched and written about, although references to his counsel are often made in different contexts. But the principal driver for this choice is the man himself, his life as a message, and the rich counsel that is available in his voice in the epic, which is of continuing relevance to present-day problems and issues of governance and personal behaviour.
* * *
At the outset, I should disclose I lay no claim to great scholarship in Sanskrit, although it was my chosen additional language in school and college. My mastery over the language is modest, but my fascination for it has been my chief driver. In this book, I have relied on the excellent English translation of the epic by the renowned expert, Kisari Mohan Ganguli, serially published between 1883 and 1896; my access was to the four volumes published by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers of New Delhi. I have supplemented my understanding with another classic work by Badrinath Chaturvedi, an experienced administrator and a scholar par excellence who had taught briefly at Heidelberg University and authored several books on Dharma and the doctrines of Vedanta. My access was to his 2006 edition published by Orient Longman, Hyderabad. While I have drawn from these publications, any errors in my interpretation or application are of course entirely mine.
I have also greatly benefitted by referring to the extensive Sanskrit-English Dictionary of Vaman Shivaram Apte, first published in 1890; Apte was the principal of Ferguson College, and despite his very short life (he passed away at the age of t