Spirituality Quotient and Business Management
Synopsis
This case flyer focuses on the growing emphasis of premier Indian business schools on designing and introducing spirituality-based courses in its PGDM and Executive MBA programs. It deliberates on whether spirituality-related courses should be made mandatory by the business schools or would it be more effective if offered as an elective course. Is the business school curriculum designed to cater to the needs of the corporate world? The base article1 showcases the initiatives being taken by various B-schools in order to instil values like compassion and righteousness in their students. It also highlights how Indian B-schools are designing spirituality-related courses by drawing insights from spiritual texts such as the Bhagvad Gita. Can an increased focus on spirituality quotient guarantee future leaders who value ethics and righteousness over success and profits? Will introducing spirituality as a subject, reduce it to yet another course over a period of time?
Expected Learning Outcomes
- • Assess business schools’ current curriculum and debate on their relevance in the corporate world
- • Whether the introduction of spirituality-related courses would transform MBAs into responsible corporate citizens
Positioning and Setting
This case flyer can be used in the following course/program:
- • Organizational Behavior (OB) – Learning & Attitude Modules – How appropriate learning can lead to shaping-up appropriate attitudes
- • Faculty Development Program (FDP) – Re-inventing the relevance of the MBA program
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Suggested Orchestration
Before the Case Flyer Discussion
a) Students were asked to read –“Managers Not MBAs: A Hard Look at the Soft Practice of Managing and Management Development”2 and “It’s Time to Make Management a True Profession”3. This exercise will help students gain an insight into the challenges of creating managers in classrooms and the need to treat management as a profession.
b) Most importantly, prior to the actual classroom discussion, the students were encouraged to analyze all the questions given in the case flyer (either individually or in learning teams or in appropriate discussion forums) to enable them to participate effectively and to enrich the learning outcomes.
During the Case Flyer Discussion in the Classroom
This case flyer can effectively be discussed in the classroom under two broad related topics.
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I. Business Schools’ Curriculums: Logos, Ethos and Pathos
• The discussion commenced by asking students to deliberate on the difference between a syllabus, curriculum and a course outline. This stirred an interesting debate in the classroom as students highlighted that a syllabus is a collection of the various concepts to be delivered or taught by a faculty, while dealing with a particular chapter. More importantly the following were highlighted:
Syllabus -------------------------------> Concept-Focused
Curriculum ----------------------------> Business Relevance Concept
Course Outline ----------------------> Business Dilemma-Focused
• It was emphasized that a syllabus merely served as a checklist for both the faculty and the student with minimal focus on understanding the practical role and relevance of the concepts being taught. This was followed by stating that a curriculum was a revised and more effective version of a syllabus which focused on 3-4 core business related concepts. Unlike a syllabus, it was not a mere listing or collection of concepts.
• It was then asserted that a course outline was the ideal manner of showcasing the purpose and objective of a management course. Using 4-5 broad management-related questions/business dilemmas, the course outline would highlight the essence of the management course in question.
• The discussion then focused on whether it was justified to confer a Master’s degree on students with no experience in the corporate environment, let alone manage a business. As the mix of students in this class comprised of freshers (without any work experience) and students with a few years of work experience, this question paved the way for an interesting debate.
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Exhibits
Exhibit (TN)-I: Business Schools’ Input and Business' Expectations
Exhibit (TN)-II: Institution and Individual Value System
