Gandhi’s Calling Orientation: Applications to Organizational Behavior

This chapter focuses on the two characteristics necessary in every organization, big or small, namely, effectiveness and efficiency, to reveal how management experts and the discipline of organizational behavior can learn from Gandhi. Starting with motivation, it is revealed how Gandhi differed from behavioristic theorists of motivation and their narrow focus on reinforcements, advocating, instead, intrinsic motivation in the form of “listening to one’s heart” or “soul force,” a concept very similar to that of the “Calling Orientation,” on which psychology has only recently started focusing. Gandhi’s followers drew from such intrinsic forms of motivation, which brings in its wake, organizational citizenship, effectiveness and efficiency of the highest order. The second part of the chapter deals with the simple techniques through which Gandhi used the power of groups and group dynamics to manage efficiently and effectively, various satyagrahi organizations, again revealing that the psychological study of group dynamics can be highly enriched through the analysis of Gandhian techniques. We, move, thereafter, to the concept of leadership and detail the Gandhian model of leadership, namely, leadership by example, and delve into the advantages accrued thereby, going far beyond those obtained from the traditional trichotomy (autocratic/democratic/laissez-faire styles). It has been emphasized that Bandura’s social learning theory is, definitely, relevant; that charisma can be used for the betterment of the employees; and that group cohesiveness does not always have to be deleterious. The third part of the chapter deals with the Gandhian concept of trusteeship, much akin to the modern concept of servant leadership along with the various moral issues being faced today, for example, diversity management, corporate governance and transparency, corporate social responsibility, conflict management and the means-end relationship. Organizational psychology can, certainly, use the ideas put forth by Gandhi to resolve these issues amicably.