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This chapter explores the concept of ‘dharma’ (duty orientation) and ‘karma’ (action orientation) of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from Vedantic (Vedanta) viewpoints. Islam, Buddhism and Christianity have received wider attentions in the CSR literatures from philosophical and religious perspective. However, Vedanta is yet to be explored in the context of CSR. This chapter therefore is timely and fills the gap in the CSR literature.

In this chapter, the authors employ hermeneutics, a qualitative research methodology which involves the study, understanding and interpretation of religious texts of Vedanta particularly the ‘dharma’ and ‘karma’ in the context of CSR.

In a nutshell, the Vedanta provides an inside-out approach to CSR, which is development of the individual leader’s self-conscience. The leaders and the role they play in corporations are crucial in ensuring transparency, good conduct and governance towards the ultimate aim of achieving CSR.

This chapter analyses the Vedantic perspectives on communication in establishing CSR objectives. It investigates the problems and prospects of Vedantic style of communicating CSR.

India is a country of socio-cultural diversity. Every society and culture existing in India is full of values, ethics and morality regarding good deeds. The exhaustive survey of corporate social responsibility (CSR) literatures from Indian philosophical perspectives observes many studies based on the socio-cultural and religious aspects. It has been observed all these philosophical views and concepts covering socio-cultural and religious backgrounds have received attention in the field of CSR. It is observed that almost all views have been fully explored in the context of CSR. Therefore this chapter tries to detect the drivers of CSR with all these philosophies prevalent in the culture of Indian society. This study utilises the hermeneutics, a qualitative research methodology which involves an in-depth study, critical analysis, thoughtful understanding and explanatory interpretation of the concepts of CSR originated from diversified Indian society and culture. In a nutshell, from these viewpoints and philosophies of different cultures, CSR is seen from an inside-out perspective.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the relevance and applicability of the Hindu tradition to organizational learning.

Attempting to separate the spiritual from the religious aspects, a primarily theoretical approach is used to delineate the basic concepts in Hinduism and their applicability to various aspects of employee and organizational functioning.

Concepts such as Yoga, Dharma, Karma, Yajna and Lokasamgraha are discussed.

This paper stems from the recognition of cultural differences and the need to explore alternative paradigms to understand and enhance organizational functioning.

The paper aims to understand and expand the idea of capitalist accumulation process from social structures of accumulation theory to religious structures of accumulation within the Indian context. It analyses the philosophical tenets of Hindu religious philosophy as outlined in the Bhagavad Gita. It argues that the ideological narratives within the Bhagavad Gita are concomitant with the logic of capitalism.

The paper draws its methodological lineage to nonlinear historical narrative around the concept and construction of Asiatic modes of production debate. The paper follows discourse analysis to locate how the Hindu religion as outlined in Bhagavad Gita provides philosophical foundation to capitalism in India.

The Bhagavad Gita (Songs of God) gives social and spiritual legitimacy to a specific form of production and accumulation processes by rationalizing and justifying socio-economic stratification based on eternal inequality. The paper focuses on the interface between cardinal principles of Hindu religion as outlined in the Bhagavad Gita and capitalist modes of social and economic processes in India.

The paper aims to advance a new concept called “Hindu modes of accumulation” by advancing the theoretical understanding of the theological processes in the Hindu religion, which reinforces capitalism and capitalist social relations in India.

Ideas regarding the basic character of humanity assume importance wherever people interact with one another — from the family to the political state, to the business enterprise. These conceptions, ranging from pessimism to optimism, from notions that evil, predatory competition on the one hand to goodness, co‐ operation and virtue on the other characterise the intrinsic disposition of people, derive from the culture to which the individual belongs, moulding his values and conditioning his behaviour. They not only affect the quality of human relations present in any collectivity, but exercise critical influence on the theories and practices of social control. The understanding of a range of social parameters is considerably enhanced when viewed from the perspective of prevailing cultural ideas about human nature itself.

To identify the characteristic features of humanistic leadership in the Tata group in India, and to explicate the key facilitating factors.

Narrative case-study inquiry via semi-structured interviews with top management leaders and middle managers, and secondary sources of information.

The top leaders of the Tata companies emphasised the following values and leadership experience: (1) Adherence to the founder's philosophy and the basic core values, (2) Leadership with Trust, (3) Community as the key purpose of the enterprise, (4) Senior leaders as mentors and role-models, (5) Abiding by the ethical code of conduct, (6) Employee-focus and (7) Tacit alignment with Indian cultural values. These resonated with the humanistic leadership tenets. Based on the literature the authors also identified that in Tata leadership, there is an amalgamation of personal values (humata, hukhta, hvarshta: good thought, word and deed) and national cultural ethos (dharma, karma and jnana: emphasis on duty-bound action and knowledge). These leadership values are conveyed and institutionalised in the organisation via strategic initiatives such as the Tata Trusts, Tata Business Excellence Model, Tata Code of Conduct. This synergy of personal values, national cultural ethos and organisational strategy makes Tata group realise the humanistic leadership objectives, while achieving business targets.

The thematic analysis of interview data provides a contextualised understanding of how humanistic leadership gets realised at both the individual behavioural level, as well as at the broader organisational strategic level. This provides inputs to building the theory of humanistic leadership.

By unravelling the factors that facilitate the realisation of humanistic leadership in the Tata group, the authors provide an exemplar for other organisations and business leaders to draw insights from.

Humanistic leadership, oriented towards upliftment of community and society, and not just profit maximisation, is critical to creating a more sustainable and peaceful world.

This is one of first studies that conceptualises the Tata leadership from the humanistic perspective. The theoretical insights are of basic and applied use.

This study aims to understand the relationship between Covid stress and helplessness among the elderly people in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India, and moreover, whether positive religious coping can have any influence on this relationship.

Following a field study approach, data were collected from 187 elderly people aged more than 60 years in different parts of the Tirunelveli district. Moderated regression analysis was carried out to examine the moderating role of positive religious coping on the relationship between Covid stress and helplessness.

In line with the formulated hypotheses, the findings reveal a significant positive contribution of Covid stress toward the helplessness of elderly people. However, despite Covid stress, the helplessness gets reduced for elderly people executing a higher level of positive religious coping.

The findings substantiate the conservation of resources theory and suggest the role of positive religious coping as a personal resource against the stress experienced by the elderly.

The findings of the present study indicate the responsibility of government agencies, community leaders, family members as well as religious leaders in providing the scope to the elderly for religious interactions as well as practices that may facilitate positive religious coping among them.

The present study is one of its kind to be carried out among community-dwelling elderly under the pandemic crises. Moreover, the buffering role of positive religious coping as a personal resource to withstand the difficult situation has been examined in this study in an empirical manner.

Presumptions of ease of life and access are not for one to make of another. We only need to listen respectfully to one another's stories. Consider walking bare feet on the ground. If the ground is soiled, has glass on it, or is hot or cold in temperature, the safety and comfort of the person walking in absence of shoes may cause the person to be reluctant to proceed. However, when adjusted to the environment, bare feet can walk on almost anything, for example, by the development of calluses, the body's way of protecting the sensitive skin of the sole of the feet by developing thickened skin. Additionally, the state of mind of the person and life experience(s) can impact how one feels and responds to the physical experience of the bare feet.

This chapter is to introduce to the reader the background, purpose, core themes and structure of the volume. Brief summaries of all the following chapters in the book are provided.

Literature review and desk research.

This chapter suggests that CSR communication as a cross-section of communication studies and CSR research should be highlighted as an important subject of inquiry to bridge the communicative gap between businesses and their stakeholders as well as the public at large. An initial theoretical framework on CSR communication is presented.

A general research direction is provided for CSR communication. It encourages more future scholarly studies in this emerging and fascinating field.

The overall purpose is to help grow knowledge and develop understanding of the ways in which businesses communicate CSR.

It is the first time in the field of CSR communication that a relatively comprehensive and systematic framework is presented. The chapters that follow in the book cover many contents of the framework.

The pandemic has not only disturbed the economies but also eventually affected the way we think, act, or behave. The impacts had been so deep that the way the whole generation was living is completely changed. The impacts are not just physical, but the world is now more concerned about the mental and psychological impacts also. In this chapter the authors focus on spirituality, yoga, and meditation as strategies for well-being which have qualitative dimensions and are the basis of rich traditional lives. The qualitative analysis of the content on social media has been used as the base.