Building a transcendental attitude: integrating ancient wisdom for ethical conduct in the modern workplace

Abstract

Workplaces can catalyse stress and success. In the pursuit of success, some employees may take shortcuts that compromise their values and morals. This can lead to moral and ethical dissonance. This paper explores an employee-centric approach to transcendental attitude to reduce dissonance and amplify ethical conduct in the workplace. The paper proposes an innovative proposition to a transcendental attitude by integrating ancient wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita. The paper presents a framework based on the Triad of Yogas: Karma Yoga (selfless action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), and Jnana Yoga (knowledge and wisdom). The paper also highlights the importance of the organisational environment and suggests integrating Yukthi (skilful integration) and Mukthi (liberation and autonomy) into the workplace context. Organisations and employees can create purposeful, ethical, and harmonious work cultures by fostering a transcendental attitude. However, there is a research gap in employee-centric research regarding the application of ancient wisdom texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita, in the workplace. The study uses a hermeneutic phenomenological reflection methodology to gain valuable insights into developing attitudinal transcendence and addressing contemporary workplace challenges. Finally, the study proposes an hourglass model for forming a transcendental attitude among employees.