Page 45 - IMDR - Journal of Management Development and Research - March2019-20

person is liberated from internal and external bondages. Freedom and responsibility

are very essential features of making existential choices of leading a self-fulfilling
life. Such a life may or may not meet the criteria of success defined by the convention

or prevalent norms. One cannot reach towards the nobler dimension of higher order
needs without human consciousness.

Socialization in Indian society
It is necessary to recognise that a person can strive to reach towards higher order

needs to use his potential but there are social and cultural limitations to human
aspiration. Maslow believed in values of Humanist psychology of limitless potential

of human development and therefore he mentioned the essential condition of a social

climate of freedom, equality and ethical values that enable us to actualise of potential
of self.

Carl Rogers, another psychologist of Humanistic school recognised the role of family
and social environment of ‘unconditional positive regard ‘as an essential part of

nurturing individual potential. In this context, we should to re-examine the values of
Indian middle-class families. Research has revealed that an adult in India typically

holds the following values:

a. He idealises his parents and himself
b. Holds rigid conception of sex role

c. Has deep concern for social status
d. Values efficiency and rejects imagination, emotion, psychological

sensitivities
e. As parent, he/she nurtures a feeling in children that whatever is helpful in

climbing the social ladder is good and holds a desire to fulfil their social

ambitions through their children
The question is ‘Do these values suggest unconditional positive regard for

children or a desire to mould them with pre-determined norms? Can one discover

one’s potential in the context of such normative pressures in family?

Authority of the self at workplace
No wonder, it is difficult for young men and women in India to recognise and accept

the authority of ‘self’. A typical Indian see ‘authority as something above him
whether it is a boss or parent, head of community, minister and ultimately God. When

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