Creative Spirit in Management Education: Insights from Rabindranath Tagore

Abstract

Excessive predominance of analytical, logical and quantitatively oriented left brain activity has led to the numbing of creative, intuitive and holistic right brain development. Creativity and joy in the learning experience has been sacrificed on the altar of this fossilized system just to ensure the ‘rigor’ of pedagogical methods and processes. The victims of this mechanized and often mindless, utilitarian knowledge are not only students but also faculty, who are hard-pressed in the rush for rush for promotion and tenure. The paper raises the voice of the ‘Other’ to offer alternative sources and methods of learning in the light of valuable insights from the life and work of Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Laureate poet from India who was not only a literary genius but also a musician, philosopher, artist and a pioneer in experimenting with alternative education. The paper also outlines the salient learning points from Tagore to enrich the presently ossified education system and bring in fresh air and new light that promotes the all-round humanistic development of individuals and the creation of a joyful and creative learning environment. Learning from Nature, immersion in silence and integration of inputs from the Humanities into mainstream management education are of extreme importance.