Indian Leaders Research Articles

The Impact of Leadership Styles, Cultural Dimensions and Values on Academic Leaders

This study investigates the cultural dimensions, values, and leadership styles of school leaders in Indian K-12 and European schools, specifically focusing on cross-cultural differences. The objective is to explore how leadership styles and cultural orientations differ between Indian and European school leaders and to examine how these variations impact organizational culture and decision-making processes. A non-experimental quantitative research design was employed, utilizing standardized instruments such as the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-Form 6S), OCTAPACE, and the Scale of Individual Cultural Values (CV) to measure leadership styles and cultural dimensions. Data were collected from 165 Indian leaders across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as 156 European leaders from Croatia, Hungary, Poland, and others, using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Independent t-tests and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were used to compare the two regions' leadership styles and cultural orientations. The findings reveal that Indian school leaders predominantly demonstrate transformational and laissez-faire leadership behaviors, influenced by hierarchical structures prioritizing collective goals and authority delegation. Indian leaders scored higher on openness, trust, and collaboration dimensions, which align with collectivist and hierarchical cultural norms. In contrast, European leaders emphasized confrontation, authenticity, and individual autonomy, reflecting a preference for more egalitarian and individualistic decision-making approaches. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how leadership and cultural values shape educational practices in different contexts.

The Role of Business Leaders in Promoting Sustainable Practices and the SDGS-Experience from India

Objective: The article aims to analyse the role of business leaders in India for promoting sustainability and SDGs as a management best practice, having due regard to the regulatory framework which subsist in India as on date. Method: The article is qualitative research, which examines how Indian corporates promote sustainability and SDG best practices which entails relevant contextual knowledge. Reliance has been placed on secondary data like relevant literature, article and case studies to co-relate with the research problem and resultant analysis. Result & Discussion: The research revealed the growing trend among Indian corporate leaders to recognise the importance of sustainability and SDGs as a part of corporate strategy. The enhancement in investments and advancement and advancements in renewable energy, sustainable supply chain management, waste management etc demonstrating this transition. It also notes the challenges from various stakeholders for such changes as a major challenge for the purpose. Originality/ Value: The study pioneeringly investigates the role of business leaders in promoting sustainability and SDGs as a business strategy in India.

INDIA AND THE CENTRAL ASIAN FACTOR OF EURASIA’S ENERGY AND TRANSPORT SECTOR RESTRUCTURING

The article analyzes the prerequisites and main directions of India’s possible actions to expand its influence in the Central Asian region. The author assesses the importance of transport and energy projects in Central Eurasia for India, as one of the key consumers of energy resources from Russia and Central Asian states. Another spotlight of this research is the strategy for expansion of Indian-Uzbek cooperation as the most promising support base for the implementation of India’s geopolitical and geo-economic interests in the region.The ongoing and deepening global geoeconomic and geopolitical transformations are creating a wide field of opportunities for restructuring of the continental energy and transport systems. In these conditions, the Indian leadership is required to take active steps in implementing its foreign policy so as not to remain on the sidelines of large-scale projects for the development of key areas of the continent, including the resource and transit potential of Russia and Central Asia.

The Quit Kashmir Movement 1946

The Cabinet Mission aimed to negotiate the transfer of power and the future structure of government with Indian leaders particularly with the Indian National congress and Muslim league. The future of the princely states was one of the mission's most major concerns. As soon the members arrived in Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah the president of the National Conference submitted a memorandum to its members that demanded not just a responsible government under the aegis of the Maharaja but also the Kashmiri people's right to absolute freedom from the autocratic rule of the Dogra House. The Quit Kashmir movement was launched to pressure the oppressive Dogra government to grant sovereignty to the people of Kashmir. The National Conference by launching the Quit Kashmir had emerged as a principal national organization advocated for political, social, and economic changes to end privilege and raise the masses. The Dogra despot’s barbarism was unashamed in trampling unwarned people who dared to speak the truth and demand their freedom. This paper explores the circumstances that led Sheikh Abdullah to start the Quit Kashmir Movement and highlights the state response against the Movement.

EMPLOYEE SURVEY ON STRATEGIC HR PRACTICES AND PRODUCTIVITY IN INDIAN ORGANIZATION

This research paper aims to investigate the relationship between strategic HR practices and employee productivity in Indian organizations. A survey was conducted among employees from different industries to understand their perceptions of HR practices such as talent management, performance management, training and development, and their impact on individual and organizational productivity. The findings suggest that effective strategic HR practices, when implemented, can significantly contribute to enhanced employee productivity and overall organizational performance. The study provides valuable insights for HR professionals and business leaders in India on how to leverage strategic HR initiatives to drive productivity and achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Leadership in higher educational institutions post 2020: Probing effect of pandemic and ICT

AbstractLeadership engrosses multiple actors and unique contexts that unfold along different timescales. The purpose of this study is to review the literature on authentic leadership, principal leadership, and distributed leadership and examine the current trends due to the pandemic and the growth of information and communication technology in higher educational institutions (HEI). This qualitative study adopted a literature review and in‐depth interviews of 10 educational faculty, 10 students, and 9 non‐HEI organisational leaders in India, predominantly based on a semi‐structured script. Our study used the approaches of purposive sampling and inductive analysis. Employing social cognitive theory, our study reports on participants' perceptions of existing leaders and discusses organisational behavioural attributes that need focus for leadership development. The hybrid multi‐layered model of leadership styles is suggested as a practical approach in India. This study contributes to the educational leadership development literature by highlighting the expectations of students and non‐HEI organisational leaders on the fundamental role of educational leaders and behavioural necessities.

The expression of compassion in leadership in intercultural organizational situations: The case of Japanese leaders in India

AbstractIn this paper, we examine the role played by compassion in leadership in intercultural situations. Focusing on the growing and important economic context of Indo‐Japanese business, we develop a model that identifies contingent factors that affect Japanese leaders' expressions of compassion in intercultural organizational contexts. We engage with the spiritual capital construct and analyse leaders' lived experiences leading to a novel extension of the well‐established Nested Spheres Model of Culture. By adopting an inductivist and social constructivist approach, semistructured interviews with Japanese business leaders operating in India are employed to generate data. The empirical data show how changes in time and place cause deeply embedded cultural values (such as compassion) to surface and become more explicit in leadership. The study also underlines the need to explore the wider spatial, temporal, and economic contingencies that affect both the dynamics of compassion in “intercultural” business situations and spiritual leadership in intercultural contexts.

The Role of Education in Dalits’ Empowerment in the Novel ‘My Father Baliah’

Totaling Literature in general mirrors the life of humans. Dalit literature glasses social justice which has not been attainable for Dalits for ages. It is an art by the heart not to entertain, it is to empower them. To empower, education is the only tool to access everything they lost for many centuries. As per the constitution, India is a democratic country but there is no equality in the practical society. In the twenty-first century caste inequalities prevail in so many both politically and socially. Generation changes but caste does not. Reformers and revolutionaries would come, and caste would act as a dead snake. The novel expresses the importance of education scrupulously. Author and protagonist Sathyanarayana fruitfully pinioned the painful story that centralized the theme on education, and how that makes the oppressed into the national builders. Education is the only tool to empower and that makes a rationalist protest against inequalities. First, it changes the person and then the society would change when educators contribute their knowledge to break the inhumanity followed by caste. That is the only aim leaders always insist on getting an education not to make violence. This paper focuses on, Dalit Education which primarily moulds a person as a self-determined individual who can easily acquire everything, they lost in the name of Sadhana dharma. During the colonial period; Dalits got a prospect for education and a good living. This paper has concentrated on real-life facts and contemporary issues that happened in society. Education is an ocean, to reach the destination, Indian leaders functioned as the river and navigated Dalits to reach the ocean.

Predominance of Self Realisation in Mahatma Gandhi’s Autobiography

While reading Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, which he purposefully called ‘The Story of My Experiments with Truth’, can be understood only if; what he wrote in the introduction to his autobiography is sincerely believed. His novelty lies in his experiments of testing every activity on the reliable test of spirituality, and which made him one of the most misunderstood leaders in India. Self realization is a goal of Mahatma Gandhi’s life. This paper aims at pointing out predominance of self realisation in his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth.

The Path of Their Own towards Multipolarity

For the current Indian leadership, multipolarity is a naturally established world order in which the global agenda should be determined by the voices of many actors who are now "middle powers" like India. Both "unipolarity" and "new bipolarity" are unacceptable, including in Asia with the ascendance of China. It is perceived as a rival and a threat due to India's painful defeat in the 1962 war, the growing Chinese presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, and the confrontation on the Himalayan border. India is opting for a large-scale expansion of cooperation with the United States, which uses it to "contain" the PRC, but she is doing that without assuming additional obligations and without getting involved in the confrontation of these powers. Simultaneous membership in the SCO, BRICS and the RIC, and relations of a "particularly privileged strategic partnership" with Russia hedge the risks of Washington's assertiveness and keep Beijing from taking drastic steps in competition with New Delhi. India's active "multi-accession" is de-signed not to antagonize anyone unnecessarily, ensuring that through the promotion of national interests it occupies the position of a great power in the status of a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Her efforts to consolidate her role as the main voice of the "Global South" strengthen the basis for cooperation between the diplomacies of Russia and India in establishing a multipolar world order.

From Geo-political to Geo-economics: The significance of IMEC for India

On the side-lines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Leaders of India, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE and US announced an MOU on 9th September 2023 committing to work together to develop a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The IMEC will comprise of two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Gulf and northern corridor connecting Gulf to Europe. The corridor will provide reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship to rail transit network to supplement existing maritime routes. It intends to increase efficiency, reduce costs, secure regional supply chains, increase trade accessibility, enhance economic cooperation, generate jobs and lower greenhouse gas emission, resulting in a transformative integration of Asia, Europe and the Middle East (West Asia). This project reflects emerging geopolitical trends as it offers an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). BRI is often perceived as a tool for exerting influence and creating debt traps in developing nations. The Indian government’s efforts to strengthen political and strategic ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia can now be further solidified by creating enduring connectivity between India and the Arabian Peninsula. This initiative dispels the notion that India and the United States may collaborate in the Indo-Pacific but not in the Middle East. The project showcases how India and the U.S., along with Israel and the UAE, can partner in developing joint economic projects through forums like the I2U2. The mega connectivity project has the potential to reduce political tensions in the Arabian Peninsula and serve as “Infrastructure for Peace” by promoting intra-regional connectivity, according to the U.S. The corridor signifies Europe’s active involvement in infrastructure development in the region. The European Union’s support for this initiative positions it as a major stakeholder in integrating India with both the Arabian Peninsula and Europe. The success of IMEC could lead to further strategic collaborations.

Commonwealth, empire, and critique in South Asia

This contribution explores the changing valences of the terms “Commonwealth” and “empire” through the lens of South Asian studies. I first investigate how the idea of the Commonwealth as a political genre for association and comparison was described by Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Indian leaders. Taking foreign policy rhetoric as literary texts, I show how such political speech reveals competing and ambivalent meanings for the term in the region. I then draw on my experience as a co-editor of the journal South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies to assess how the keywords “Commonwealth” and “empire” have been used in the pages of this journal. Through a mixture of large data patterns and close textual readings, I track when, where, how, and why these terms have mattered. I suggest that the turn captured by the renamed Literature, Critique, and Empire Today resonates with the organic ways that South Asian studies conceptualizes broader paradigms of transnational power and inequality that have shaped, and continue to inform, the region.

A study on the role of leadership in sustainable business practices in India

In the context of global environmental challenges and the increasing importance of sustainable development, the role of leadership in steering organizations towards sustainable business practices has become crucial, particularly in emerging economies like India. This theoretical research paper explores the impact of leadership styles and behaviors on the adoption and implementation of sustainable business practices within Indian organizations. Drawing upon a variety of leadership theories, including transformational, ethical, and servant leadership, the paper proposes a conceptual framework that links specific leadership attributes to sustainability outcomes in the Indian business context. The paper begins by examining the unique socio-economic and cultural landscape of India, which shapes the business environment and the sustainability challenges it faces. It then reviews the literature on leadership theories and their relevance to sustainability, adapting these concepts to the Indian context. The core of the paper hypothesizes that Indian leaders who exhibit transformational and ethical behaviors are more likely to foster a culture of sustainability within their organizations. This is due to their ability to articulate a clear vision of sustainability, inspire and motivate employees towards this vision, and incorporate ethical considerations into decision-making processes. Furthermore, the paper discusses the role of Indian philosophical and spiritual principles, such as the concept of Dharma (duty/righteousness) and Karma (action), in influencing leadership approaches towards sustainability. It argues that these indigenous concepts can enrich leadership practices and enhance the commitment to sustainability by aligning business operations with broader societal and environmental goals. To support its arguments, the paper synthesizes evidence from theoretical models, case studies of Indian companies that have successfully integrated sustainability into their business strategies, and interviews with business leaders known for their sustainability initiatives. Finally, the paper outlines practical implications for leadership development and policy recommendations to encourage sustainable business practices across the Indian corporate sector. By bridging the gap between leadership theory and sustainable business practices in the Indian context, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how effective leadership can drive the transition towards more sustainable and responsible business models in emerging economies.

Влияние Индии на формирование многополярного ядерного порядка

India’s decision not to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has led to its labelling as a state that is not fully aligned with the global nuclear order. This places it in the same category as other nuclear-armed countries outside these agreements, such as Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan. India’s nuclear weapons testing in 1998, followed by a similar move by Pakistan, has been viewed as a challenge to international security and the nuclear non-proliferation regime. This article aims to examine India’s stance on these treaties and its choice to become a nuclear-armed state in 1998 within the context of its efforts to influence the establishment of a fair global order that serves the interests of not only the major nuclear powers (USSR/Russia, Great Britain, China, the United States, and France) and their allies, but also the rest of the world. Delhi’s actions in the realm of nuclear arms control highlights the emerging multipolar world. Although India has refrained from actively participating in disarmament negotiations after the end of Cold War, its previous experiences remain relevant today. The breakdown of the U.S. – Russia nuclear arms control as well as crises over the nuclear non-proliferation and testing banning regimes have given weight to the arguments put forth by Indian leaders and diplomats. These arguments emphasize the urgency of reducing nuclear risks and exercising strategic restraint, including maintaining a moratorium on nuclear testing. Since 1998, India has adopted an approach different from its previous policy on various nuclear disarmament issues. This shift is evident in the country’s solidarity with other nuclear powers in opposing the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. However, India’s longstanding support for multipolarity in international security policy, particularly regarding nuclear weapons, remains unchanged.

Exploring the Link Between Leadership Styles and Communication Strategies Among Young Emerging Leaders in Indian Organizations

Growth in the corporate sectors in India provides an immense opportunity for young Indian leaders. In addition, the shift in the paradigm of Indian society allies various women leaders to emerge in different sectors. Therefore, the following study has discussed different leadership styles and communication strategies related to the growth of Indian-origin women leaders. For the process of analysis, secondary primary quantitative amet5hode of analysis was followed. In order to collect data primary Indian-origin woman leadership between the ages of 25 to 30 was analysed with an appropriate questionnaire. For the survey, 350 women leaders from different sectors were considered. At the same time with the help of IBM SPSS software, quantitative analysis was conducted and results were developed. It was found that the leadership styles and communication stages are important and depend on the situation. Moreover, successful leaders implement different communication styles and storeys based on the situation. Additionally, it was found that the communication skills of the leader are an essential factor for success.

Armed forces and military-industrial complex of India in the era of global turbulence

The article is devoted to the problems of modernization of the armed forces of India and its military-industrial complex. Analyzing the ties between the military-industrial complex and the armed forces of India, the author concludes that the size of the Indian armed forces, coupled with the system of their recruitment, hinders the process of modernization. At the same time, the Indian leadership cannot agree to a reduction in the army, both for political and social and for military-strategic reasons, relying on limited reforms designed to change the process of recruiting.

India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today

Anand V. Swamy of Williams College reviews “India Is Broken: A People Betrayed, Independence to Today” by Ashoka Mody. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Presents a narrative of the modern history of India from the perspectives of successive Indian leaders, chronicling the erosion of social norms and decay of political accountability from 1947 to 2021 that have detrimentally affected the country's economy and political system.”

Socialist Perspectives of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Socialism is a popular concept in the modern world. The idea of Socialism has been prevailing in the globe since the ancient times. But it was not studied and adopted scientifically. It was Karl Marx who evolved the term in systematic way and analysed the whole concept of Socialism from the logical point of view. His two great works in the form of Communist Menifesto and Das Capital published in 1848 and 1867 respectively is regarded as the earmark in the development of Scientific Socialism. The idea of Socialism became popular with the innovative philosophy like class less society and community life. The freedom fighters of India were largely influenced from this concept. Many Indian leaders including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru too influenced with Marxian view of Socialism and as such he worked for establishment of a Socialistic Society in India. Therefore, we have come forward with this discussion to focus key points of Pandit Nehru’s perspectives of Socialism in India.

Responsible leadership toward garnering legitimacy from stakeholders in India: an institutional perspective

PurposeUnderstanding societal expectations of a leader's responsibility and context-specific challenges in less-researched emerging economies has become imperative for foreign Multinational enterprises (MNEs) to survive in these contexts while developing globally responsible leaders. Identification of institutionally sanctioned characteristics, competencies and strategies that assist leaders in dealing with such challenges while achieving shared value has wider implications for academics, practitioners and the literature on responsible leadership (RL), which is the purpose of this paper.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted in-depth interviews of 28 senior indigenous leaders in 3 Indian Multinational corporations (MNCs) in construction sector, following a grounded theory approach.FindingsThe authors identified three vital institutionally driven challenges and four individual-level societal-driven factors, subsequently influencing leaders' strategic decisions and choices to deal with such challenges beyond passive conformance. Contrary to the previous findings, this study also briefly discusses that a mere ethical climate is insufficient; organizations must develop a holistic values climate that works as contextual factors to influence RL.Originality/valueContrary to the previous findings suggesting Indian leaders' conformance to constraining forces to RL, by adopting a multilevel approach, the authors identify the context-specific strategic behaviors that responsible leaders adopt in dealing with such forces responsibly. Thus, it is the first multilevel inductive approach conducted in a non-Western context, offering a discrete understanding of RL while addressing some of the inconsistencies in the literature and contributing to cross-cultural leadership research. Also, findings highlight the factors of RL that are more emic and etic for generalization.

Indian Ideology in The Warpath: Lehman Brightman’s Red Power Journalism

The Warpath, the “angry Indian” newsletter founded by the militant but oft overlooked journalist Lehman Brightman, was one of several Red Power publications founded in the late 1960s as part of the social and cultural upheavals of that era. Brightman’s publication deployed several major themes as he argued for Native American rights and against the federal Indian bureaucracy, especially “America’s colonial office,” the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In The Warpath, Brightman demanded Indian liberation and self-determination, calling for direct political action at places like Alcatraz and Mount Rushmore, a place Brightman and other activists occupied in 1970. Brightman also celebrated Indian history and culture, criticized Indian stereotypes, excoriated moderate Indian leaders and, perhaps most significantly, investigated the appalling conditions at underfunded and understaffed Indian schools. His principal achievement was the articulation of a strident anti-racist and anti-colonial ideology that continues to resonate in Indian Country.