Work Ethics: Understanding Work Ethics Through the Lens of Shreemad Bhagavad Gita

In the last two to three decades, subsequent cases of corporate scams and collapses have been highly galloping, which have led to moral hazards, financial disaster, distrust, discrimination, harassment, oppression of rights, and mismanagement, like several threats & misconducts in the workplace. WorldCom, Enron, Maxwell, Polly Peck, and Satyam scams are nightmarish and awful historic events that hampered the interests of all stakeholders. A crucial research question arises here: “Is it a bad apple? Or is a bad barrel the reason for rottenness?” Brutal reality has both contributed to ethical collapse and big failures. For ethical cleanliness, a robust governance system and a personal ethical development framework both are needed. Governance needs a strong belief system and ethical framework among its stakeholders who can take rational decisions while facing an ethical dilemma. Hence, it is highly believed that the Bhagavad Gita is the key to resolving such ethical dilemmas to ensure a healthy workplace environment through the consistent practice of Bhagavad Gita virtues, acting as a personal ethical development framework for idealizing the employee’s behavior. This study is intended to examine the notion of work ethics through the lens of the Bhagavad Gita, which is the essence and source of Indian wisdom and culture, to address ethical concerns encountered in conventional corporate practices. This study helps to understand how Bhagavad Gita virtues influence the workplace behavior of employees and decision-making in contemporary professional settings. By examining the principles rooted in the Bhagavad Gita, such as efforts (Tapa), fairness (Samatva), accountability (Kartavya), honesty, and integrity (Satya), this study seeks to analyze their relevance and application in the modern workplace. A survey method is employed to assess the workplace ethics and behavioral practices among employees while they face ethical dilemmas. The findings of this survey show a positive relationship between Bhagavad Gita virtues and rational ethical decision-making.