Spirituality has always been in existence in the corporate world; however, it is only in recent years that it has assumed more importance.
The word `spirituality' is open to many interpretations. For some it means being associated with God, for others, the association is related to peace, tranquility, etc. Some would shrug off the word saying, "It's for those who want to run away from the world." According to Sri Sri Ravishankar (Sri Sri), founder of the Art of Living, a banana peel represents religion and the fruit inside represents the spirit. Peter Pruzan, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy, Copenhagen Business School, and the author of Emerging Practices in Social and Ethical Accounting, Auditing and Reporting, refers to spirituality as a search for meaning, which transcends material well-being, a focus on basic, deep-rooted human values, and a relationship with a universal source, power or divinity. NS Raghavan, Co-founder, Infosys Technologies Ltd., refers to spirituality as "Something that gives a certain purpose and meaning to our existence; something that gives you joy, happiness and contentment that cannot be gotten through material pursuits and knowledge; something that gives you the motivation to do something for others." Ricardo Levy, Co-founder and Chairman, Catalytica Energy Systems, refers to spirituality as "a deep connection with a force greater than myself; it includes both longing and belonging, expressed through love and compassion." |
