Journal of Management Development

How to develop spiritual awareness in the organization : Lessons from the Indian yogic
philosophy
Snehal Shah Anil Sachdev

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Snehal Shah Anil Sachdev , (2014),"How to develop spiritual awareness in the organization ", Journal of
Management Development, Vol. 33 Iss 8/9 pp. 871 - 890
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How to develop spiritual

awareness in the organization

Spiritual
awareness in the
organization

Lessons from the Indian yogic philosophy

Snehal Shah and Anil Sachdev

871

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School of Inspired Leadership, Gurgaon, India

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model that leverages the practical
wisdom of the Panch-Kosa framework of yogic philosophy to develop an awareness of spirituality in
the organization. It also provides quasi-quantitative empirical evidence to demonstrate its potential
application.
Design/methodology/approach A survey was designed and administered in four different
organizations. Correlation, ANOVA and w2 analysis were conducted to explore the applicability of the
proposed framework.
Findings The results indicate that values, as reflected in the physical aspects of an organization
such as its logo, symbols and organizational elements characterized as practice of Fair Governance
and HR Effectiveness, influence employee-related outcomes. Further, the study found that when
there is a perfect alignment between an organizations intent to honor values and its corresponding
actions, employees perceive the highest levels of holistic engagement.
Research limitations/implications This study has an implication on how to leverage practical
wisdom from Hindu philosophy to enable individuals and organizations to transform to a higher level
of consciousness.
Originality/value The paper has ventured into an uncharted territory of integrating the yogic
framework of Panch-Kosa to the organizational elements and has provided preliminary support for
its applicability in organizations. Moreover, it operationalizes the notion of alignment between
organizations value-centric strategy and actions and its impact on employee-related outcomes.
Keywords Yoga, Practical wisdom, Anandmaya, Moral values, Panch-Kosa, Pranamaya,
Spirituality in the workplace, Annamaya, Manomaya, Vignanmaya
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction
Scholarly work on understanding spirituality in the workplace is approximately
two decades old. Between 1999 and 2001, 200 articles were published in management
journals (Kale and Shrivastava, 2003). As work is becoming the centerpiece of our
lives, in which individuals search for their ultimate meaning and joy, the appeal for
spirituality in organizations is steadily gaining momentum.
While the interest in the topic is growing, there is a general consensus on the
relative lack of scientific rigor and limited success in developing a robust body of
literature (Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003; Kolodinsky et al., 2008). Perhaps the biggest
This paper is a culmination of the efforts of a number of colleagues. The authors would like to
thank Mr Arunav Banerjee for his able guidance and support through the entire process. Special
thanks to Bianka Ray Choudhury, Rahul Chintamaneni and Sumit Kamra for their help with the
statistical analysis. The industry partners need a special mention for allowing the authors to
study the respective organizations. Most of all, this paper would not have been possible without
the able assistance of the following colleagues: Garima Singh, Nupur Todi, Kritvi Kedia,
Pallavi Tandon.

Journal of Management Development

Vol. 33 No. 8/9, 2014
pp. 871-890
r Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0262-1711
DOI 10.1108/JMD-07-2013-0098

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hurdle in its acceptance and proliferation is the vastness of the realm of spirituality
itself and the plurality of definitions that exist in various disciplines that study this
topic (Kolodinsky et al., 2008; Quatro, 2004).
In spite of these challenges, its emergence is seen as a megatrend at the turn of the
century that had underpinnings in the societal and cultural shifts experienced during
that time and even today. Howard (2002) argues that the explosion of interest in
spirituality as a new dimension of management is probably the most significant trend
in management since the 1950s (p. 230). This paper contributes to the current thinking
on this topic at two different levels. First, it provides a conceptual model describing
how to develop spirituality across different organizational layers. And second, it
provides empirical evidence of its positive impact on employees sense of holistic
engagement with the organization. Broadly speaking, while the philosophy of
Panch-Kosa, as derived from the eastern tradition, is used as the overarching
framework, the paper draws upon the literature on practical wisdom with an emphasis
on moral values as a mechanism to develop spirituality in the workplace.
2. Spirituality in the workplace: moral values and practical wisdom
Various attempts have been made to define spirituality at the workplace. It typically
includes aspects such as interconnectedness, contribution to greater good, experience of
a sense of wholeness and deeper values (Mitroff and Denton, 1999; Gibbons, 2000; Kale
and Shrivastava, 2003). Typically, spirituality is viewed as the domain of exploration at
the individual level (Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2005) impacting employee-related
outcomes. Hawley (1993) proposes that those organizations that create an environment
that supports employees value propositions are likely to have a productive (Catlette and
Hadden, 1998) and satisfied (Riordan et al., 1997; Kraimer, 1997) workforce. Milliman et
al. (1999) demonstrate support for the proposition that a strong sense of community and
focus on organizational values engenders employee commitment and reduces turnover.
Collins and Porras (1994) substantiate this view by indicating that those organizations
that work for a higher purpose are more likely to have a motivated workforce. In one of
the first attempts to study this concept, Mitroff and Denton (1999) found that spirituality
at work involves people being able to realize their full potential and having a larger goal/
purpose. Ashford and Pratt (2003) suggest spirituality at work means that an individual
has a sense of contributing and being part of a larger good; that his personal and
professional values are aligned and make it possible to bring his authentic self to work.
Giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2005) view organizational spirituality at the macro level and
see it as an individuals perception of the spiritual values in an organizational setting.
Lastly, sufficient research provides evidence of how encouragement of spirituality leads
to benefits such as increased creativity (Guillory, 2000; Cash and Gray, 2000), honesty
and trust (Wagner-Marsh and Conley, 1999); personal fulfillment (Burack, 1999, p. 284)
and employee commitment (Burack, 1999, p. 285).
In summary, spirituality in the organization is understood as: making sense of ones
own existence in the larger context, reflecting upon the impact of our actions on others
and being connected with a higher purpose thereby transcending our own ego. In such
a situation, values become the driving force for spirituality (Grant and McGhee, 2012).
While values, among other things refer to an internal state representing principles
(Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck, 1961; Schwartz, 1994); beliefs (Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz
and Bilsky, 1987); schemas (Feather, 1975); criteria (Williams, 1979; Schwartz, 1992;
Hechter, 1993); or cognitions (Verplanken and Holland, 2002); the focus of this paper is
on moral values. According to Mele (2005), moral values contribute to the flourishing of

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an individual as a human being. When values are not only adhered to but also
practiced consistently, with a drive to attain authentic excellence; they evolve to
become virtues. These virtues are worth possessing in order to become more human
(Guardini, 1999). Virtues in this case are not mere habits. Virtuous acts become
characteristic of a person as it requires choice, understanding and knowledge of what
is the appropriate response in a given situation.
To this extent, values that are consistently practiced as habits, which in turn become
virtues, fall in the realm of what is understood as practical wisdom or in Aristotles words
phronesis (Aristotle (Trans), 1941; 1144b31). It is primarily defined as the knowledge of
how to apply general rule, generic tools or wide-scale evaluation information to the
idiosyncrasies of a particular context (Halverson, 2004, p. 92). Aristotles famous quote
states, (i) it is not possible to be good in the true sense without prudence (Aristotle, 1994).
Malloch (2010) argues that developing prudence comes from practicing moral virtues,
especially what he refers to as the spiritual capital (Malloch, 2010, p. 756); a belief passed
on from generations that are entrenched in religious traditions and that anchor individuals
to the source of human happiness. Individuals are said to leverage practical wisdom when
they operate from the depth of their character, develop consistent habits, are able to make
appropriate judgments of the situation and draw up subsequent action plans that are in
line with the moral virtues (Halverson, 2004, p. 93).
Interestingly, these basic tenets of practical wisdom implicitly indicate a stage-wise
process beginning from the subtle aspects of character and moral virtues to more overt
forms of behavior and actions. Spiritual development in this form is a process through
which all aspects of personality grow due to experiences of pure spirituality; the most
basic level of oneself (Maharishi, 1972). Like other psychological processes it occurs in
stages. Alexander et al. (1990) outline a stage model of human development that
converges to a higher state of consciousness. The range of this expression varies from
subjective experiences of insight, intuition and wisdom to the emotional dimension of
spirituality such as love, humility and courage to intellectual expression such as ethics;
to the most outward expression of overt behavior.
This paper argues that just as the spiritual development of individuals is
conceptualized above as a stage-wise transformation that involves the practice of
moral values, so is the process of developing spirituality in the organization. It is the
focus on moral values across systems, processes and structures that will enable
the organization to develop spiritual awareness as is evident across its different layers.
This research study leverages the Panch-Kosa framework from the Hindu tradition as
an organizing framework through which spirituality is developed in the organization.
2.1 The Panch-Kosa ( layers) view from the yogic philosophy
One of the most authentic and classical interpretations of Panch-Kosa is found in the
Patanjali Yoga Sutras a treatise, which is a collection of 185 aphorisms that covers all
aspects of spiritual life (Madhavacarya and Beloved, 2007), the original source being
the Taittriya Upanishads (Trans: Swami Sharvananda, 1921). Just as a Yogi develops
self-awareness as his sadhana (yogic practice) traverses different layers of the body;
this research study presents a roadmap to develop such a spiritual awareness across
different layers of the organization.
A deep understanding of the well-established religious systems such as Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism and Islam reveal a non-dogmatic, universal approach that
speak the common language of what spirituality stands for essence of life, higher
purpose and soul searching for the ultimate truth. Quatro (2004) emphasizes the

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relevance of understanding these religious roots underneath the growing

contemporary organizational spirituality movement. This, he states, will further
legitimize its credibility from a theoretical and an intellectual point of view.
Focussing on the Hindu religion, one of the richest connections of spirituality
comes from the ancient science of yoga. Yoga means yuj (Iyengar et al., 2005)
meaning bind, attach, being one with (the union). In a quest to unify with the life
giving force, which is the true essence of yoga, a yogi undertakes a journey inwards
traversing through different sheaths or Kosas of the body. These subtle layers start
with the body and then progress through the mind, intellect and finally to the center
of our being; i.e. the soul (Radhakrishnan, 1953; Iyengar et al., 2005; Nandram,
2010). Yoga identifies five sheaths or Kosas, which have to be in complete harmony or
alignment to undertake this inward journey toward wholeness. These five sheaths
are elaborated below:
(1)

Annamaya Kosa: the physical body that comprises muscles, bones and skin;
and is sustained by food is referred to as the annamaya Kosa. This is the
gross body. It also includes the five organs of action eyes, ears, nose, tongue
and skin; and senses of perception shape, sounds, smell, taste and touch.
Logically, these senses correspond to the organizational manifestation of its
physical infrastructure such as office layout, artwork, vision, logo and artifacts
representing human values important to the organization.

(2)

Pranamaya Kosa: this is the physiological body. Within our body, it is the
energy sheath regulated with inhalation and exhalation of our breath (prana
energy); however, breath is only one manifestation of the abundant energy
residing within us. Ackerman (1984) defines organizations to be dynamic
energy fields and the channels through which energy flows are conceptualized
as communication, meetings, work flow, scheduling, review systems and
decision making. In this paper, Pranamaya Kosa is analogous to the
communication channels through which human values are practiced; such as
e-mail, intranet, office memo, meetings and presentations that speak to the
values professed in the organization.

(3)

Manomaya Kosa: in the yogic philosophy, manomaya Kosa, which refers to the
mind, is the seat of our capacity to think. It is where the thinking brain, the
ego, memory and the sense of perception work together for the good or the evil
nature to surface. It is in this sheath that a human being responds to the stimuli
from the external world and of the internal emotional world. The layer,
essentially the mind of the organization is embedded in its strategy around
how moral values get importance through different systems and processes.
The ability of an organization to create an inspiring culture depends on the
extent to which values are supported by its culture (Fawcett et al., 2008). Dolan
and Garcia (2002) support this view by elaborating the significance of
explicitly defining two sets of values to enable organizations to adapt to
uncertainty and environmental challenges; one set of values associated with
the vision of the company and the other to the specific way of doing things
in the organization. This aspect is especially important in how it plays out in
social relationships and other aspects of interconnectedness.

(4)

Vignanmaya Kosa: it is the intellectual sheath wherein a human being develops

the discriminative intelligence to decide between what is right and wrong

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(Srivathsan, 2004). The yogic definition of intelligence suggests making

self-aware choices through informed discernment and the exercise of will
(Iyengar et al., 2005). It is the ability to choose, initiate the change and
develop the capacity for transformation that defines the true characteristics of
the vignanmaya Kosa. If manomaya is deemed as the mind of the organization,
vignanmaya Kosa is analogous to the intellect. This is conceptualized as actual
practicing of values as they take place in various systems and structures.
Actions and decision-making of the senior leaders and others through the
organization exhibit and recognize behaviors that are aligned to the values.
We conceptualize this layer as the practice of values in its processes, procedures
and systems that cut across all levels.
(5)

Anandmaya Kosa: considered as the innermost layer of our subtle body where
the soul resides, this is where the fundamental question of who am I is
explored at its deepest level. Through the journey of understanding the body,
mind and intelligence, when the realization dawns that I am nothing but
a holistic expression of divinity is when true joy emerges. Therefore, this
sheath is also referred to as the sheath of bliss or eternal joy. The innermost
layer, anandmaya Kosa translates into a sense of oneness with the
organization, referred to as holistic engagement in this paper. This notion
goes beyond the concept of employee engagement. It refers to employees
feeling of oneness with the organization that is driven by the importance
given to moral values, a sense of connectedness to themselves, to others and to
the organization as a whole (Ashford and Pratt, 2003; Heaton et al., 2004;
Alexander et al., 1990). On the other hand, the employee engagement variable,
as defined by Kahn (1990, 1992), is to be psychologically present (cognitively
and emotionally) while performing an organizational role. The classic
measurement tool of employee engagement is Gallups Q12. At the individual
level, it covers variables such as role clarity and learning opportunity. At the
dyadic level, it measures appreciation and at the organizational level; enabling
environment (Pandey et al., 2009).

Taken together, the literature on spirituality in the workplace, moral values and the
Panch-Kosa framework provide the fundamental building blocks of developing
spirituality across different layers of the organizations as reflected in the following
research question:
RQ1. Through the focus on moral values, how does an organization incorporate
spirituality through its various layers?
2.2 Concept of alignment (harmony)
Different conceptualizations of spirituality indicate a multi-dimensional and a multiperspective view of how it manifests in organizations (Ashford and Pratt, 2003;
Benefiel, 2003). Underpinning these different definitions of spirituality in the workplace
is the notion that when self, others and the environment are in harmony or are aligned,
an individual evolves to be authentic, feels connected to a larger purpose and is able to
work at his/her best potential (Nandram, 2010). Echoing similar views, Pandey et al.
(2009) propose three aspects that provide traces of convergence amidst apparent lack of
consensus in the literature: harmony with self, harmony in work environment and
transcendence: connection to something larger than oneself.

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Several papers talk about alignment of individual values with the organizational
values leading to organizational commitment (Rego and Cunha, 2008), intrinsic and
extrinsic rewards satisfaction (Kolodinsky et al., 2008); personal well-being and job
performance (Neck and Milliman, 1994) and employee work attitudes; such as intrinsic
job satisfaction, intention to quit and job involvement (Milliman et al., 2003). Further,
Mitroff and Denton (1999a) and Gull and Doh (2004) present similar findings that those
employees who can express their spirituality and find meaning in their work are more
likely to be engaged and can work more responsibly and ethically.
The Integral philosophy as taught by Shri Aurobindo and The Mother (Nandram
and Bordon, 2010, p. 166) lends credence to the notion of harmony in a slightly different
way. This philosophy preaches an outward journey that surfaces the truth found in
the inner essence, thereby transforming the ego to realize individuals best potential.
It, therefore, offers a holistic approach of human beings by addressing all aspects of
human experience through five states of consciousness (Nandram and Bordon, 2010,
p. 167). At the innermost psychic layer, the leader is implored to formulate a vision
and strategy, driven by higher purpose, whereas at the next level, known as the
mental layer, the leader develops mastery in the chosen field and the capacity to
make the right decisions. In the vital layer, the leader is urged to create a positive and
trusting environment that engenders commitment and maximum use of employees
competence. Finally at the physical level, the leader should create an ethical
environment that provides the feeling of grounding and stability to the employees.
This paper conceptualizes alignment in the following way. It argues that an
organization begins to develop spirituality when employees perceive harmony between
what values are professed through various systems and procedures and what is
actually practiced in terms of living those values, conceptualized as the gap in this
paper. Further, as per Krishnakumar and Neck (2002), we leverage the existentialist
school of thought to focus on that aspect of spirituality, which is at the cognitive level
of the mind. In other words, the manomaya and vignanmaya Kosas evolve as the most
crucial sheaths from this perspective. While the intrinsic-origin view of spirituality
proposes that it is something that emerges from within an individual and is not
dependent on faith, values and beliefs (Guillory, 2000, p. 33), it is the existentialist view
in which, individuals are searching for meaning in their work, how it fits into the larger
whole to and how it helps explain their overall existence in the organization (Naylor
et al., 1996; Neck and Milliman, 1994; Kahnweiler and Otte, 1997). To this extent,
our approach is similar to the viewpoint as stated by a Hindu spiritual master,
Shri Aurobindo [y] harmony in organizations is not limited to cooperative relations
between and among individuals (Nandram, 2010, p. 162). There needs to be a
harmony between the principle and the practice, the ideal and the execution and its
outer expression (Nandram, 2010, p. 192):
RQ2. Does the alignment of human values across cognitive layers of the
organization (mind and the intellect) have an impact on employee-related
outcomes?
3. Research design
This exploratory research study adopts a novel approach of linking Panch-Kosa to
organizational layers. A new survey was designed for an exploratory validation of the
integrated framework. Different items for the organizational manifestation of different
layers were created through a test of face validity. A pilot survey was conducted to

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check for an evaluative and cognitive assessment of items included in the survey.
Based on the respondents feedback, few items were dropped and some edited in the
interest of developing an improved survey. The authors triangulated views from
spiritual masters, management practitioners and yogic scholars for the same. Based on
the theoretical viewpoint stated in the section above, all questions about organizational
structure, processes and procedures were asked in the context of moral values such
as Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion and Personal growth. These moral human
values were adapted from the Hindu Scripture of Bhagvad Gita (Chapter 11).
In addition, we also relied on the elements of human and organization values as
conceptualized by Glaser et al. (1987), and Milliman et al. (1999). Initially, more than
20 organizations were contacted through e-mail invitation that included a brief
research proposal; out of which four agreed to participate. After several discussions
with the relevant Human Resource Leaders, the paper adopted a random sampling
strategy across various management levels of the organization.
Since this research is designed as an exploratory validation of the Panch-Kosa
framework in the organization, authors relied on exploratory factor analysis for the
relevant factors to emerge. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin statistic was observed and assessed for
sampling adequacy. Since the statistic was greater than the threshold value of 0.6, it
was deemed adequate to proceed with factor analysis (Pandey et al., 2009).
Different factors emerged for the five layers of the organization analogous to the
metaphysical layers of the Panch-Kosa and the relevant reliability statistics are
discussed in Table AII.
3.1 Description of measurement of manomaya and vignanmaya Kosa
Basis the literature review (Section 2.1), manomaya Kosa is conceptualized as the
organization giving specific focus on planning around moral values. Therefore, this
Kosa was measured by the extent to which the planning of processes and procedures
of the organization reflected the importance accorded to moral values. Two factors
emerged from the factor analysis: Plan for Fair Governance and Plan for HR
Effectiveness. Similarly, vignanmaya Kosa is construed as developing the wisdom
to make the right judgment, selection and use knowledge for a specific context
(Bierly et al., 2000). This wisdom relates to the ability to effectively choose and
apply knowledge especially through the institutional and social processes of the
organization. Therefore, vignanmaya Kosa is measured by the extent to which moral
values are seen as practiced through decision making and other processes of the
organization. Two factors emerged from the factor analysis: Practice of Fair
Governance and Practice of HR Effectiveness.
3.2 Alignment: Panch-Kosa
Alignment was measured by the extent to which there is a gap between the planning
and the practice of moral values as perceived by the employees, i.e. the manomaya and
vignanmaya Kosa in accordance with the existentialist framework described above.
It is hypothesized that lower the gap between planning and practice, higher is the
likelihood of employees experiencing higher levels of holistic engagement and
vice versa. In the survey questionnaire, we asked a series of questions about organizational
practice and processes on a Likert scale (1(least extent) to 5 (very great extent)). These
questions were drafted in such a way that the respondents had to answer the same
questions twice. First, from the perspective of whether organizations had a planning
process in place for these values and second, whether these values were actually

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practiced through policies and procedures? The following three groups were created
to conduct one-way ANOVA for three different groups to test the relationship between
the gap and the holistic engagement variable.
.

Group 1: less than zero gap values in plan score is lower than the practice
score.

Group 2: zero gap perfect alignment. Values in practice score is equal to the
plan score.

Group 3: greater than zero gap values in plan score is higher than the
practice score.

An exploratory factor analysis extracted two factors: Gap of Fair Governance

(a 0.85) and Gap for HR Effectiveness (a 0.86). Gap of Fair Governance was
conceptualized as reflecting employees perceptions about organizations commitment
to employ and implement value-based strategies that are fair and equitable. Gap of HR
Effectiveness captures how employees perceive the importance accorded to moral
values in HR-specific practices of the organization.
3.3 Test of research questions
The correlation matrix (Table AIII) presents Pearson zero order correlations among
measures used in the study. Most of the independent variables are significantly
correlated to the dependent variable holistic engagement indicating that different Kosa,
as conceptualized through various layers of the organization, do have an impact on
individuals perception of being deeply connected with the organization.
w2 test of association analyzed the relationship between annamaya Kosa and
Holistic Engagement (Table AIV). Among the diverse elements of the physical
structure considered for analysis, the logo and vision of the organization were found
to have a significant relationship with the holistic engagement of the employees.
This finding makes intuitive sense since values as professed by any organization are
typically reflected in their vision statement and symbolically in the logo. They are the
explicit manifestation through which the organization communicates the meaning
and the higher purpose of its existence internally to its employees and externally to
various stakeholders.
w2 test was conducted; interestingly this test, on the measures of various channels of
communication, revealed non-significant differences for value-based communications
with supervisors, colleagues and the customers on the holistic engagements of the
employees (Table AV). If the logo and vision are construed as the explicit portrayal
of organizations values, communication channels were not seen as the vehicles that
convey the importance of moral values in the workplace.
The w2 tests for the two factors Plan for Fair Governance and Plan for HR
Effectiveness with Holistic Engagement were significant ( po0.000). In addition, there
exists a high correlation between these variables and the dependent variable holistic
engagement (r 0.736, po0.001, r 0.633, po0.000, respectively).
As our conceptual framework posits, it is just not good enough to have plans in
place that indicate existence of human values. Employees feel a sense of belongingness
(Holistic Engagement) only when the organizations culture enables these plans to
translate into action. Our w2 analysis and correlation findings of Practice of Fair
Governance and Practice of HR Effectiveness corroborate this point of view ( po0.000
for both variables and r 0.855, po0.001 and r 0.799, po0.001, respectively).

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A one factor ANOVA was conducted to find out whether there were any significant
differences across three groups created based on the magnitude of the gap in the
two gap variables; gap of Fair Governance and gap of HR Effectiveness. The ANOVA
on the gap of Fair Governance and Holistic Engagement found significant
differences across groups (F 3.186, po0.05) (Table AVIII). Mean score across
groups indicate highest level of holistic engagement in the case of perfect alignment
between plan and practice of fair governance. Further, the correlation table (Table AIX)
highlights the negative relationship between the two indicating wider the gap,
lower is the engagement and vice versa. Similar and stronger effects were observed for
the ANOVA analysis between the gap of HR Effectiveness and holistic engagement
(F 6.238, po0.001).
4. Discussion
4.1 Theoretical implications
The research study attempts to make important contributions to the management
literature on spirituality in the workplace in two meaningful ways: first, it leveraged
the yogic philosophy of Panch-Kosa, to develop a framework that enables an
organization to create its own spiritual awareness by infusing a value-driven
approach through its various layers (refer to Table AI). Second, it provided empirical
evidence; albeit through an exploratory research approach to demonstrate the
applicability of this framework in real-life organizations. The exploratory empirical
findings provided encouraging evidence of the independent effect of each Kosa
on employees holistic engagement. In the authors view, the most significant
contribution of this paper is in the context of empirically demonstrating a unique
conceptualization of alignment between the plan and practice of moral values in the
organizations, as reflected in their systems, processes and procedures.
4.2 Implications for management education
The field of management education has witnessed a subtle shift to a learning outcome
model wherein, the students are at the center of the learning design and educational
institutes are under pressure to be accountable for quality of learning and teaching
(Chia, 2005). Notwithstanding this phenomenon, there is a growing community of
management scholars who are asking some hard questions about the current status
of the field and its future direction (Roca, 2008). Giacalone (2004) asks a pertinent
question; what are the transcendental, aspirational goals of business education?
The answer may lie in the core philosophy of Panch-Kosa presented in this paper.
If the management curriculum is able to incorporate the study and practice of moral
values, such as Ethics, Compassion, Love, Humility and Personal Growth, educational
institutions will indeed serve the higher purpose of achieving greater good for
individuals and the society. Snyder and Lopez (2002) substantiate this view by noting
that an enhanced focus on values such as love, forgiveness and compassion [y] could
lead to an influx of social entrepreneurs. We offer one example of such an experiment
in a management institute in India.
5. Conclusion and limitations of the study
The results are very encouraging and perhaps become instrumental in spawning
further work in the area of building a spiritual awareness through practicing
moral values across systems and sub-systems. However, the current research had
several limitations that deserve a mention. First, the theoretical roadmap was

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created based on prior understanding, three decades of experience in bringing about

transformational change and discussions with scholars in the field. This perspective
may not have incorporated other aspects of the Kosa and its alignment. Further
research in the area of what elements of the organization signify what aspect of the
Panch-Kosa layers may be a worthwhile endeavor. Second, since the paper aimed to
explore a new territory of linking yogic philosophy to organizations and that too in
an empirical way, a new survey had to be designed. The authors took adequate steps
to ensure adherence to the psychometric norms through a pilot study and other
measures, however, its construct validity may still be suspect. It should also be
noted that moral values is just an outward manifestation of spirituality; however, it
may not be an appropriate measure to capture subtler aspects of higher level of
consciousness, developing in the inner layers of Panch-Kosa. Finally, the authors
empirically tested the notion of alignment by creating the gap variables, wherein
perfect alignment was construed as no gap between respondents perception of
plan and practice of human values. Moreover, based on the existentialist point
of view, the alignment was tested only between manomaya and vignanmaya Kosa.
This is just one perspective. However, future work in this area can think of improved
measures to dynamically assess the concept of alignment across all the layers that
enable spirituality to emerge in the organization.
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Appendix 1

BODY
ENERGY
BRAIN
INTELLECT
SOUL

Annamaya Kosa - five senses

of Perceptions
Pranamaya Kosa: Energy
layer
Manomaya Kosa: Mind and Emotions
Vignanmaya Kosa:
Intellect
Anandmaya Kosa: Life
giving force

Figure A1.
Showing the Panch-Kosa
framework

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Appendix 2

2.1 Description of organizations that participated in the study

A total of 259 respondents completed the online survey from four different
organizations (response rate 71 percent ). While the participants hailed from different
geographic locations of India, their roles ranged from Team Leader, Assistant Manager
to Senior Vice President. They represent a cross-section of functional areas such as
Sales, IT, Operations, Marketing and Human Resources. The mean organizational
tenure was 2.1 years (SD 2.5). Females constituted 24 percent of the respondents
while 55% respondents had tenure of more than two years.
The organizations surveyed were from different sectors. One of them is a shared
services HR recruitment process outsourcing company that provides services in the
areas of Payroll & Compliance Management & Compliance. Its clients span many
industries such as Automotive, BFSI, IT and ITES. Just one year after its inception,
this company was rated by as one of the five best start-ups in April 2007. Its
corporate values are Integrity, Passion, Ownership, Efficiency and Excellence. Another
organization is a global specialist in energy management with employee strength of
110,000 in more than 100 countries. Its core business areas include electrical
distribution along with automation and control. The core values of this organization
are passion, openness, straightforwardness and effectiveness. The third organization is
a key player in the Life Insurance market space and is a 74:26 joint venture between a
Real Estate Company and a Life Insurance Holding Pvt. Ltd. and was established in
2008. While it is headquartered at Gurgaon, Haryana, it has 100 employees, 4,200
life associates, 41 branch offices and 88 branch units across Delhi and neighboring
states. Its employee promise stands strong on two pillars Growth and People.
The companys practices the values of customer focus, mutual respect, trust and
confidence. The fourth organization is an academic institution offering one-year MBA
to experienced professionals. It aims to build compassionate, competent and inspiring
leaders by incorporating the 5 pillars of Inspired Leadership- Ethics, Mindfulness,
Compassion, Sustainability and Diversity. It is a business school that provides holistic
education and builds inspired leaders by assisting people in increasing self-awareness,
recognizing their purpose and realizing their full potential. The aim is that these
leaders will be instrumental in building organizations of consequence. It is co-created
by a group of leading companies from across industry verticals who contribute to the
curriculum design, student selection, research, student mentoring and placements and
believe strongly in its value proposition.
2.2 Example of a management school practicing the Panch-Kosa philosophy across its
systems and sub-systems
We offer one example of such an experiment in a management institute in India.
It is based on five pillars of moral values: Compassion, Ethics, Diversity, Sustainability
and Mindfulness. Students are admitted through a unique admission process that
includes a value-based assessment and a psychometric test measuring their Emotional
Quotient. The open-seating layout, glass offices, open doors, circular seating in the
classroom and other aspects of the physical infrastructure (annamaya Kosa) signify
openness, collaboration and transparency. The ritual of morning circle wherein,
all staff and students join hands, connect their energies, recite prayers and narrate
stories from all walks of life is one communication channel that signifies practice of
pranamaya Kosa; the breath or the energy. Important processes of the institute are

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planned around the moral values. For example, the performance review process
includes assessment on how the employee exhibits the values at the workplace and
so does the 360 degree feedback designed to evaluate students. The way decisions
are made, courses are taught, grading system is organized, talent hired and students
managed reflect the intellectual prudence developed through the practice of ethics,
compassion and mindfulness. Anecdotal evidence from the student feedback and
industry partners evaluation suggest a transformational experience that makes
students more self-aware, socially responsible and internally motivated to choose
career goals that align with the higher purpose of their lives.
Appendix 3. Description of the factor structure
Factor: Plan for Fair Governance (a 0.93):
.

Communication through different mediums give importance to human values.

Employees have a sense that the company has a deeper sense of caring about them as
human beings.

The company culture supports hearing and valuing voices of all employees and not only
upper management.

The company appreciates my strengths related to human values.

This organization treats people in a consistent and fair manner.

Open and honest communication is valued at all levels.

Factor: Practice of Fair Governance (a 0.97):

.

This organization always puts employees first.

Employees have a sense that the company has a deeper sense of caring about them as
human beings.

The company culture supports hearing and valuing voices of all employees and not only
upper management.

The company appreciates my strengths related to human values:

.

This organization treats people in a consistent and fair manner.

Open and honest communication is valued at all levels.

When tough decisions have to be made, the management is in line with the human values.

Factor: Plan of HR Effectiveness (a 0.92):

.

Promotion decisions take into consideration employees evaluation specific to practicing

human values.

On-going training and development initiatives focus on how to put values in action.

Some part of rewards strategy revolves around recognizing employees based on how they
live human values.

Decisions about career growth are partly dependent on living the human values.

Performance Management System is geared toward assessing employees alignment with

human values.

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Factor: Practice of HR Effectiveness (a 0.93):

.

Promotion decisions take into consideration employees evaluation specific to practicing

human values.

On going training and development initiatives focus on how to put values in action.

Some part of rewards strategy revolves around recognizing employees based on how they
live human values.

Decisions about career growth are partly dependent on living the human values.

Performance Management System is geared toward assessing employees alignment with

human values.

Organizations competency framework is designed around behaviors that reflect importance

of human values.

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886

Factor: Holistic Engagement (a 0.96):

.

The organization makes me feel a part of a family.

I enjoy coming to work every day.

The company allows me to be my natural self at work.

I feel valued in this organization.

I feel connected to the workplace in ways that go beyond the role that I am hired to perform.

Decisions made in meetings reflect the human values of your organization.

I feel positive about the human values prevailing in my organization.

There is an atmosphere of trust in this organization based on alignment of human values.

Factor: Gap for Fair Governance (a 0.85):

.

Employees have a sense that the company has a deeper sense of caring about them as
human beings.

The company culture supports hearing and valuing voices of all employees and not only
upper management.

The company appreciates my strengths related to human values.

This organization treats people in a consistent and fair manner.

Open and honest communication is valued at all levels.

Factor: Gap for HR Effectiveness (a 0.861):

.

Promotion decisions take into consideration employees evaluation specific to practicing

human values.

On-going training and development initiatives focus on how to put values in action.

Some part of rewards strategy revolves around recognizing employees based on how they
live human values.

Decisions about career growth are partly dependent on living the human values.

Performance Management System is geared toward assessing employees alignment with

human values.

Spiritual
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organization

Appendix 4

Yogic sheaths
Kosa

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Annamaya
(physical)

Pranamaya
(physiological
energy layer)

Manifestation in self

Organizations spiritual DNA

Skeleto-muscular
structure. organs of action
(ears, nose, tongue, arms,
legs, etc.) and senses of
perception (shape, sound,
smell, touch and taste)
Regulation of breath. Vital
energy forces

Representation of values through pictures,

images, symbols, logo, vision

Manomaya
(mind)
Vignanmaya
(intellect)

Seat of thoughts,
emotions, and ego
Reasoning, judging,
discriminative intelligence

Anandmaya
(bliss)

Greatness of each
individual as
a human being

Importance given to values through

communication channels such as e-mail,
web site, intranet and other formal and
informal channels
Organizations plan to focus on values in
its systems, processes and procedures
Living and implementing the values
through organizations policies,
procedures and structures
Holistic Engagement of the employee.
Harness the true potential

Panch-Kosa

Factor/measures

Description

Annamaya
Kosa

Layout of the office,

pictures, logo, vision,
web site, work spaces
Communication
channels with
supervisors, colleagues
and customers

Moral values as
reflected in physical
structure (yes/no)
Moral values as
reflected in different
communication
channels (Likert scale
from 1-5)
Moral values as
represented in the
organizations strategy
across systems
and procedures
(likert scale 1-5)
Moral values as
represented in the
organizations practice
(action) across systems
and procedures (Likert
scale 1-5)
Sense of belonging and
oneness
with the organization
(Likert scale 1-5)

Pranamaya
Kosa

Manomaya
Kosa

Factor: Plan for Fair

Governance

Vignanmaya
Kosa

Factor: Practice for Fair

Governance and
Practice of HR
Effectiveness

Anandmaya
Kosa

Holistic Engagement

887

Table AI.
Framework for developing
the spiritual awareness
of an organization

Cronbach a
(reliability)
na
na

0.93 and 0.92

0.97 and 0.93

0.96

Table AII.
Showing the different
factors that emerged for
the five layers of the
organization analogous to
the metaphysical layers of
the Panch-Kosa and the
relevant reliability
statistics

Table AIII.
Showing the Pearson
correlation coefficient
between the Panch-Kosa
variables
0.140
0.127

0.582***
0.794***
0.855***
0.398***
0.404***

0.714***

0.625***
0.736***

0.259**

0.019

0.475***

0.318***

(0.931)
0.799***

Practice of HR
Effectiveness

0.359***

0.252**

(0.957)

Holistic
Engagement

0.674***

(0.856)

Gap for Fair

Governance

(0.861)

Gap for HR
Effectiveness

Notes: n 171, valid cases. a internal-consistency reliability coefficients appear in parentheses along the main diagonal. *po0.05; **po0.001; ***po0.000

0.758***
0.633***

(0.971)
(0.919)

Plan for HR
Effectiveness

0.749***

(0.931)

Practice of Fair
Governance

888

Plan for Fair

Governance
Practice of Fair
Governance
Plan for HR
Effectiveness
Practice of HR
Effectiveness
Holistic Engagement
Gap for Fair
governance
Gap for HR
Effectiveness

Plan for Fair

Governance

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Spiritual
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organization

Physical layout
Logo
Vision
Web site

df

w2

p-value

191
191
193
187

31
31
31
31

36.05
52.45**
58.76**
42.73

0.244
0.009
0.002
0.078

Notes: *po0.05; **po0.01; ***po0.001

Communication with supervisor

Communication with colleague
Communication with customer

df

w2

171
171
171

145
145
145

158.02
153.83
154.81

Plan for Fair Governance

Plan for HR Effectiveness

df

w2

171
171

551
630

869.09
758.75

0.217
0.292
0.273

df

w2

171
171

580
609

901.52
776.34

0.000
0.000

Between groups
Within groups
Total
Notes: *po0.05; **po0.005; ***po0.001

n
13
68
90

M
3.65
3.83
3.45

Sum of squares df
5.532
2
145.874
168
151.406
170

Table AVI.
Showing a w2 between
the manomaya Kosa and
Holistic Engagement

p-value
0.000
0.000

Notes: *po0.05; **po0.01; ***po0.001

Values in action score is greater than planning

Perfect alignment
Planning of values score is greater than values in action
Summary of ANOVA

Table AV.
Showing a w2 between
the Pranamaya Kosa and
Holistic Engagement

p-value

Notes: *po0.05; **po0.01; ***po0.001

Practice for Fair Governance

Practice for HR Effectiveness

Table AIV.
Showing a w2 between
the Annamaya Kosa and
Holistic Engagement

p-value

Notes: *po0.05; **po0.01; ***po0.001

889

SD
0.96
1.30
0.79
Mean square F
2.766
3.186*
0.868

Table AVII.
Showing a w2 between
the vignanmaya Kosa and
Holistic Engagement

Table AVIII.
Showing the summary
of ANOVA conducted
between less than zero
gap, zero gap and more
than zero gap of gap of
Fair Governance and
Holistic Engagement

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890
Table AIX.
Showing the summary of
ANOVA conducted
between less than zero
gap, zero gap and more
than zero gap of gap for
HR Effectiveness and
Holistic Engagement

Values in action score is greater than planning

Perfect alignment
Planning of values score is greater than values in action
Summary of ANOVA
Between groups
Within groups
Total

n
10
60
101

M
3.62
3.95
3.42

Sum of squares df
10.607
2
140.799
168
151.406
170

SD
0.95
0.71
0.94
Mean square F
5.304
6.328**
0.838

Notes: *po0.05; **po0.005; ***po0.001

About the authors

Dr Snehal Shah is the Program Chair and Professor of Organization Behavior and Human
Resources at the School of Inspired Leadership, Gurgaon, India. In 2001, she received her PhD
from Carnegie Mellon University. Her primary research interest is in the area of Change
Management and Transformational Leadership. Her work has been published in renowned
journals in the USA and has been presented at international conferences. In the past 14 years, her
experience includes teaching in the universities in the USA and India as well as consulting in the
field of learning and leadership development. Dr Snehal Shah is the corresponding author and
can be contacted at: snehal.shah@soilindia.net
Anil Sachdev is the Founder and CEO of the School of Inspired Leadership and has been an
Adjunct Faculty to leading business schools such as Indian School of Business, Kelly School of
Business, Indiana University, GMI, Flint Michigan, Antioch University, Seattle and Ohio University,
Athens, Ohio. He has been instrumental in setting up two very successful consulting firms,
namely, Eicher Consultancy Services and Grow Talent. Recognized as a thought leader in talent
management, leadership development and organizational transformation, he received several
National Awards including The HR Professional of the Year for the year 2012-2013 as well as the
Learning Luminary Award for his contribution. He is also the appointed Member of the CEDEP
Academic Committee and serves as a Trustee of the Chinmaya Mission, an inspiring Not for Profit
Institution and the Charities Aid Foundation, a global NGO.

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