Team Collaboration Vs Team Competition: Pandavas Vs Kauravas - A Literature Evidence from Kurukshetra (Mahabharata) War

Abstract

Purpose: Mahabharata is an epic war described in poetic form, an integral part of Indian mythology. While a full-blown war of such a colossal scale in an ancient time of around 3000 B.C. is intriguing for the civilizations today, the first war involving almost every contemporary major economy of the world whose horrors survived for generations, giving ramifications to date is in itself a “lesson learnt hard way”. The main purpose of this paper is to reflect on the management lessons based on Indian traditions. In this paper, the researchers discuss team collaboration vs. team competition between two cousins of Mahabharta the Pandavas and the Kauravas and to bring literature evidence of why the Kauravas lost the Mahabharata war despite having the best-in-class warriors and a larger army.

Objective: The researchers have set the following main objectives and the present study investigates 3 wide-ranging research questions: (1) To recognize team collaboration and team competition characters from the Mahabharata War. (2) To assess the reasons why Kauravas, lose the Mahabharata War. (3) To evaluate which team effectiveness model is best for collaboration & and competition.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is based on secondary data and available shreds of evidence. The hypotheses have been stated for the selected variables and were investigated to prove or disprove the same without any errors.

Findings/Results: The researchers draw lessons from the epic story and highlight the great war of Mahabharata is no doubt an epic war, described perfectly which gives numerous lessons on every nook and corner. In the complex scenario, when the Kauravas were in crisis, they often tended to rush into decisions without proper reflection and demonstrated an inability to decide based on subtle, intangible, and often very vital elements like emotion, intuition, and spiritual discernment. At the same time, the Pandavas team's effectiveness and setting the stage for great performance are very much needed in teams to work together successfully. In the end, researchers consider these factors, to have an edge in Mahabharata War.

Research Limitations/Implications: Further the fact that the battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas was already battled, the decision had been made and concluded before it even began, as revealed by Shri Krishna in his Visvarupa to Arjuna, the reason that Kauravas lost was basically due to an act of deceptive stupidity which can be traced back to one crucial event.

Originality/New Knowledge/Interpretation/Value: Thus, it can be aforesaid that if we apply the finest practices of the Mahabharata War to the finest practices of Management, we might have renewed associate and can function better in the coming years and make the organization & team glance and perform better in the years to come.

Paper Type: The study is based on secondary data and available shreds of evidence.