Role of Humanities in Management Education

Abstract

(Sampat P Singh in his article. “Role. of Humanities in Managment Education” (Vikalpa, April-June 1988) observed that most of the- current curricula in management focus on scientific analysis and rationality. They take little notice of certain aspects of managerial behaviour which lie. beyond reason, namely, dream, vision, instinct, and' emotion. Singh argued that this was a serious lacuna and provided an outline of how humanities could make management education more whole-some and purposeful.

Singh's article has provoked thoughtful comments from S K Chakraborty, G L Karkal, and Viney Kirpal. While agreeing that there is a need to build an effective counterwave to the arid technicism pervading management education, S K Chakraborty points out that the Indian student should first acquire a firm mooring in his own culture and spirituality to help hiin assimilate what is good and worth while in the humanistic thoughts of other cultures. G L Karkal wonders how inputs on humanities, the kind of Wflightage given to it, and the extent of exposure given to students would enrich management education. Viney Kirpal observes that a country's industrial or administrative set-up is a response to its native culture. Hence cultural inputs, through literature, to management education would improve the perspective of potential managers– Ed.)