An Assessment of the Impact of Karma Yoga on Performance in Teams

Karma Yoga (KY) is an important Indian philosophical concept that teaches the technique of working selflessly for a higher purpose without the desire for personal reward. The message of karma yoga is very relevant for today’s working professionals. However, there are limited empirical studies demonstrating benefits of belief in karma yoga at the workplace for individuals and teams. The present study addresses this gap by using behavioral games to measure the effect of belief in karma yoga on individuals and teams in a controlled environment. A sample size of 167 respondents was used that included undergraduate and postgraduate students, working and retired professionals and home-makers. The study uses a variant of the multiplayer public goods game and concludes that a higher belief in karma yoga is positively correlated with stronger individual performance in a group. A belief in karma yoga could help drive individual performance in teams and lower instances of employee corruption. The study adds to the scanty literature on the applicability of Indian philosophical concepts in business.