Bhoodan-Based Corporate Citizenship: Corporate Accountability Based on Serving and Empowering Land-Owners and Users

Abstract

This paper attempts to conceptualize a corporate citizenship program in the context of land acquisition for commercial purposes in India. At present, instances of land acquisition related sustainability challenges are rampant, which have affected both business and society. Land related socio-economic impasses were also acute especially in India"s post-independence era in the 1950"s. Bhoodan (land-gift) movement, a fusion of servant leadership and social entrepreneurship, was by and large effective to address them. Considering its socio-cultural relevance, business can employ the tenets of Bhoodan to streamline the present situation. In this regard, we propose the Bhoodan-based corporate citizenship that can serve and empower land-owners and users, facilitate spontaneous land transfers, and streamline land acquisition for commercial purposes in India. Implications for research and practice are discussed.