Beyond the Current Paradigm in Management Thought: Alignment with
KEYWORDS
Vedic management, Scientific management, vedic science, leadership, Consciousness, Transcendental Meditation, Self Development
Throughout the twentieth century, the dominant paradigm of management has been changing. As a consequence, there has been an evolution in the concept of leadership and in the way that executives think about business strategy. The trend in both leadership and strategy began with an emphasis on the concrete or material aspects of business and focused on production. This was followed by progressively subtler interpretations of the business enterprise that emphasized the importance of the human element. Contemporary thinking about both leadership and strategy focuses attention on the knowledge base of the firm and emphasizes the value of creativity and learning in organizations. This evolution of management thinking will find its fulfillment in a paradigm based on the Maharishi Vedic Science principle that knowledge is structured in consciousness. In this view, the role of the leader will be to create coherence in the collective consciousness of the organization, and the strategy of the firm will be to harness the infinite creative potential of Natural Law through the development of the consciousness of the employees.
Kurleigh D. King & Scott R. Herriott
Maharishi University of Management Fairfield, Iowa He may be reached at herriott@mum.edu