Relevance of Tagore in Management Studies: A Tribute to the World Poet

Abstract

Rabindranath Tagore is himself an institution. He contributed in every sphere of life and every aspect of literature. Tagore is perhaps the only Indian author to have contributed to nearly all existing forms of literature – poetry, fiction, drama, dance-drama, essays, music, short stories and so on. He composed the words and music of the Indian national anthem Jana Gana Mana, which was accepted as the national anthem in 1950. His song Aamar Sonar Bangla has been accepted as the national anthem of Bangladesh as well, thus making him the first ever person to have written the national anthems of two countries The first non-European to win the noble prize, Tagore is one of the greatest intellectuals and social thinkers India has ever produced. He got recognition from Suu Kyi, Mayanamer’s champion of democracy and Noble Laureate, who was in house arrest until 2010, During my years of house arrest, I have learnt my most precious lesson, from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore. One can always cite Tagore in the apparently most unrelated areas, for example, the relation between contemporary B-schools and Tagore’s genius which obviously does not seem to share any link. But if his contribution can be observed at it closely then it is found that Tagore can also be a timeless role model for B- school professionals. Thus, the main contention in this paper is how the ethical dimensions of B-schools can learn their lessons from Tagore and his philosophy.