Rethinking Organizational Culture and Management in India: An Indigenous and Contextual Perspective

Description

Moni Mishra (Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi)

The paper presents an analysis on the frequency of the application of Western theories in India to examine and apply concepts related to organizational culture and management. Using indigenous Indian scholarly literature and interpretative theoretical perspectives, it is argued that imported management paradigms have frequently ignored the social/cultural embedding, relational dynamics and history associated with Indian organizational environments. In addition to analyzing these relationships, the paper evaluates the effect of culturally derived conceptualizations (e.g., hierarchy, collectivism, relational orientation, moral leadership) on managerial practice and organizational performance. This evaluation was performed using qualitative data from Indian organizations. Finally, the paper argues for a contextualized/ indigenous perspective in understanding organizations in India as well as emphasizes the importance of cultural hybridity, meaning-making and localizing organizational practices; ultimately through using indigenous perspectives it contributes to the de-colonization of management knowledge and enhancing organizational theorizing in contextually appropriate ways.