Published Online:July 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Management Research
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJMR020726
DOI:10.71329/IUPJMR/2026.25.3.23-54
Author Name:Sam T Mathew
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:23-54
Western management theories have permeated management education and practice in India. However, these theories have been developed in Western cultural, social and economic settings, and therefore, their efficacy in different sociocultural contexts such as India has been questioned because Indian workforce and their context are different from Western ones. This study develops a contextualized indigenous management framework considering the cultural, social, philosophical and institutional facets peculiar to India and its management principles and practices. It uses a qualitative approach based on theoretical development underpinnings and thematic analyses of contemporary management literature, existing management theories, cross-cultural organizational behavior theories, Indian workforce characteristics and behavior, cultural values and philosophical tenets, and contextualized leadership theories. The proposed Bharatiya Management Theory emerges as a conceptual framework linking contextualized managerial practices to employee motivation, organizational commitment, ethical leadership, innovative capability, opportunity generation and organizational effectiveness. Indigenous management principles are presented as an alternative to Western ones. The paper provides the theoretical foundation for further testing the postulated relationships, and contributes to advancing management theories for different contexts.
The growing internationalization of management education and practices has resulted in the extensive use of Western management models across other regions; however, it has failed to produce the expected volume of outcome.