Indian wisdom and value systems are one of the most amazing and fascinating strong foundations of knowledge. It’s really commendable to see that Eastern thoughts are blended in this book, which facilitate the integration of knowledge, application, experience and practice on the Indian corporate playing field. This book is going to be one of the very interesting collections for any student, learner, practitioner, thought leader or even for researchers for any kind of reference at any point of time in their life. I wish the authors great success with this book.
Arora and Sinha have put together a useful compilation of case studies and practical examples from the industry. This approach makes the book a valued reference even for experienced HR professionals. The book provides a refreshing perspective, devoid of stereotype and cliched description. Instead, they have leveraged their legendary thirst for reading Indian scriptures and history and have provided a uniquely balanced viewpoint. I feel this book will be a treasure trove not only for the students but also for seasoned HR practitioners.
The need to understand and respond to change, in this everevolving world, will always remain a contemporary pursuit. Heraclitus had aptly observed that change is the only constant. On this vital aspect of leading change, the authors have endeavoured to blend Western thought with Eastern wisdom, particularly Indian values, with examples that illustrate and insights that illuminate, which are easy to understand and are practical in application.
The language we use while shaping change often gets jargonized and becomes daunting. Alchemy of Change shows that simplicity of the language creates a pull that makes changes easier and faster.
It was delightful to read the book Alchemy of Change: Managing Transition through Value-based Leadership. Both the authors, Dr H. N. Arora and Rajan Sinha, are scholarly practitioners. They bring in the text their deep insights to explain various issues pertaining to organizational change. Their deep familiarity with Indian spiritual traditions and value systems has been brought to good use. This can be of considerable value to Indian scholars and those in other countries. Their ‘Indian Model for Driving Change’ is a valuable addition and can be useful for researchers and practitioners.
Rare book on change management where the authors have shared their actual experiences of facilitating change through three case studies, related them with global literature on change theories and ultimately presented change model specifically relevant for Indian culture. A must read for business leaders, human resource professionals and scholars with interest in change management.
The change has been the lifeblood of human kind, who has evolved over thousands of years from amoeba to chimpanzee to Homo sapiens. These changes transform not only the organization but the leaders themselves at many times. The authors, through their in-depth research, bring out a plethora of change practices that seem to be set amid a spectrum of several solutions, provide a coherent yet diverse perspective and create a successful alchemy for change.
Alchemy of Change is indeed a labour of love. It is a product of brilliant combination of academic erudition and professional exploration. Arora and Sinha have narrated in this volume a few Indian corporate ‘change stories’ and how they fit, not fully though, in the conventional (Western) theoretical framework of change management. The book captivates readers with fascinating stories, insightful anecdotes and useful theory frameworks.
Change and its management is inevitable in 21st-century organizations. The authors present the art and science of it in a very lucid manner in this book. They underscore the significant role the mindset and culture (both within the organization and outside in the society) play in this often chaotic journey. Indian leaders, who are either starting on or in the midway of a change journey, will hugely benefit from the authors’ deep expertise shared through this very context-focused book.
I appreciate and acknowledge the immense passion and in-depth, insightful transition process objectively captured by the authors together with more than eight decades of impeccable corporate professional expertise, conceptualising a new paradigm shift to successful change management using Eastern philosophy and aligning with Indian culture.
A few years back, Dr H. N. Arora advised us on change management. He has created a benchmark on value-based leadership that, I’m very confident, will be useful to all professionals in creating hurdle-free change. Chapters and case studies in this book are best examples of transformational leadership where a leader is not blindly followed but respected because of trust-based management aiming at common and collective goal of organizational performance. I’m sure that the book will be beneficial to all leaders and professionals.
“This work derives major strength from its simplicity… The content flows from beginning to end as experiences the authors learn from. Slowly you feel like a co-passenger on this change management journey.”