Optimizing Emotional Intelligence in Management Education: A Role for Vedic Sciences

Abstract

Background: Emotional Intelligence is an important core competency of contemporary management science, enhancing and refining which is much needed in today's competitive corporate environment. Traditional knowledge provides a new perspective on how to achieve this. Here, we present a deeper understanding of conscious experience as a basis for emotional intelligence, derived from Vedic sciences, together with means for its application. Methods: We analyse emotional intelligence by elucidating both eastern and western conceptions of self and their neuroscientific basis, in order to show that traditional methods have a vitally important, scientific role to play in modern management education. Results: the neuroscientific perspective on autobiographical self provides key inputs for understanding individual emotional and cognitive states. Vedanta regards the Self as the ground for all experience and action, while Yoga provides means to free a person from the limitations of the autobiographical self. It provides scientifically validated techniques such as deep relaxation and focussed attention training to refine a manager's emotional intelligence. Discussion&Conclusions: Focused Attention Meditation, and other similar systematic meditation techniques described in Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad-Gita, should now be integrated into management education, thus bringing much needed balance of mind, equanimity and goodwill to create institutional excellence.