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Although the management literature is now quite extensive in identifying many important contributors to the discipline, it still maintains an American and European focus. This paper has proposed that the Chinese philosopher Confucius was an early and important management theorist. Confucius was an early management consultant, traveling China, offering advice to any government leader who would listen. His advice is not inconsistent with the advice offered by leading behaviorally-oriented management consultants today. Organisational science has been advanced by individuals from many parts of the world, including important contributions from Asia, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. This paper has proposed that the Western view of management emphasises an American and European tradition, however, important contributors to management theory and practice are often not recognised in this narrow perspective. Readers are advised to look beyond the traditional boundaries in seeking time-honored advice in managing modern organisation. Born 500 years before Christ, the great Chinese philosopher Confucius prepared the groundwork for effective managerial practice. Although most Westerners know of Confucius, few know of his significant contributions in management theory. Confucius was a great advocate of training, personal development, and visionary leadership. His advice on teamwork and employee empowerment predates current proponents by over 2000 years. This paper describes the managerial implications found in the Confucian Analects.

The government of the United States has imposed economic sanctions on the Union of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, due to the ruling junta’s lack of respect for democracy and human rights. This paper proposes that those sanctions, while well intended, are ineffective, unethical and harmful to the people to whom they are intended to help.

Few things have been better documented over the past decade than the decline of formal—read big and heavily‐staffed—strategic planning departments. Recently, however, there seems to be a planning renaissance of sorts with smaller, stream‐lined departments cropping up in U.S. companies (see “The New Lean Planning Machine” Business Strategy, July/August 1994). Now there are some new data that are guaranteed to warm the down‐sized, down‐trodden hearts of corporate planners everywhere—especially those looking to keep those seedling departments alive. The results of some recent research (by the authors of this piece) suggest that a key aspect of strategic planning—getting senior executives to agree on, and put into writing, a definition of the purpose and scope of the company—can actually translate into profits.

Believed by some to be over 5,000 years ago, the Bhagavad Gita is one of the world's oldest known texts. The manuscript, believed by Hindus to have been inspired by God provides unique perceptions and prescriptions for modern day leaders. The Gita offers advice on humanistic and inclusive leadership, and tells managers to seek a higher level of consciousness when seeking to influence others. The manuscript is useful for Hindus, and non-Hindus alike, and represents an early form of the Western theory of servant leadership.