The Gunas – Tamas, Rajas, and Sattva as a Personality Framework: Relevance to Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management

Abstract

Purpose: This research paper undertakes a comprehensive scholarly investigation of the Triguna framework — the ancient Samkhya-Vedantic classification of human personality and behaviour into the three fundamental qualities of Sattva (clarity, purity, and harmony), Rajas (activity, passion, and drive), and Tamas (inertia, resistance, and density) — and examines its theoretical foundations, psychological validity, and practical relevance to contemporary Organisational Behaviour (OB) and Human Resource Management (HRM). Drawing on primary classical sources, including the Bhagavad Gita and Samkhya philosophical texts, and on a growing body of empirical and conceptual research validating the framework's psychological and organisational applications, the paper argues that the Triguna model constitutes a sophisticated, actionable, and psychologically grounded personality framework that offers HRM practitioners and organisational leaders a powerful complement to existing Western personality assessment tools.

Methodology: In this paper, the exploratory qualitative research method is used. The relevant information is collected using keyword-based search in Google search engine, Google Scholar search engine, and AI-driven GPTs. This information is analysed and interpreted as per the objectives of the paper.

Analysis/ Results: The paper is structured in nine chapters covering the philosophical origins of the Triguna system (Samkhya and Bhagavad Gita), a detailed characterisation of each Guna and its behavioural and psychological manifestations, the dynamic interaction of the Gunas and its implications for personality development, contemporary empirical evidence for the framework's psychological validity, detailed applications across core HRM domains (talent assessment, training and development, team building, leadership development, and performance management), and a critical evaluation addressing the framework's limitations and contextual boundaries. The paper includes a comparative analysis table mapping all three Gunas across eight organisational dimensions.

Originality/ Values: The central thesis is that the Triguna framework, far from being a culturally specific or pre-scientific personality taxonomy, provides a philosophically rigorous, empirically supported, and practically generative model of human motivation and behaviour that mainstream OB research is only beginning to approximate through constructs such as mindfulness, engagement, burnout, and psychological capital. The paper concludes with a call for greater integration of the Triguna framework into management education curricula, HR assessment practices, and leadership development programmes, particularly in the Indian academic and corporate contexts where its cultural resonance can serve as a powerful anchor for ethical and effective people management.

Type of Paper: Exploratory Research.