Book:Business Sutra-A very Indian Approach to Management

Abstract

It took an American Psychiatrist, Dr. Burt Weiss, to bring the concept of past life\rexperiences to center- stage in spite of the fact that we, as Indians, have grown up\rwith the underlying assumption of rebirth and past karma. It took William G. Ouchi,\ran American Professor (albeit of Japanese descent) to propound Theory Z, that points\routs that Western approaches to motivating employees cannot be applied per se to the\reastern world as there are distinct cultural differences which must be therefore addressed\rwithin the specific cultural context. So, when an Indian creates an effective connect between\rIndian 'Beliefs' and 'Business' principles, it is certainly time to celebrate. Dr. Devdutt Patnaik\rin his book Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management, harvests the wisdom\rfound in Indian folklore, mythological tales and metaphors to derive a rich source of strategy\rfor effective 'people management'. Business sutra is a reminder that hidden within the many\rmysterious layers of Indian mythology and metaphors is a storehouse of knowledge that\rcan be useful for the manager. In fact Devdutt Patnaik has not only uncovered the link\rbetween mythological tales and everyday life but also succinctly identified the management\rlessons drawn from it. Every metaphor, every mythological tale or/and folk lore is a management\rtheory in itself and Devdutt shows how- simply, beautifully and in an easy to understand\rmanner.