Published on: April 2026
KARNA’S LOYALTY: LESSONS FOR MODERN ORGANISATIONAL ETHICS
Colonel Prof Dr N N Murthy
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Abstract
Karna is an iconic hero of the Indian Saga Mahabharata, who embodies the clash of uncompromising individual devotion to the person and the inappropriateness of talent to the opportunity. This review paper critically explores the way in which the story of Karna sheds some light on the contemporary human resource (HR) dilemmas of decision-making, especially in situations where the loyalty of a highly talented person contradicts both the organizational fit and ethical alignment. Based on the review of peer-reviewed studies in talent management, organizational behavior and business ethics, we discuss two dual themes of loyalty, as well as talent misalignment. We present the relevance of matching the skills and values of the employees to the organizational roles, the outcome of misfit (reduced performance, turnover, and ethics), and the complicated issue of loyalty as a valuable resource and a liability. The methodology is an integrative review approach, which gathers the research on person-organization fit, commitment of employees, and talent management frameworks.
How to Cite this Paper
Murthy, C. P. D. N. N. (2026). Karna’s Loyalty: Lessons for Modern Organisational Ethics. International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, <i>02</i>(04). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.787
Murthy, Colonel. "Karna’s Loyalty: Lessons for Modern Organisational Ethics." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, vol. 02, no. 04, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.787.
Murthy, Colonel. "Karna’s Loyalty: Lessons for Modern Organisational Ethics." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management 02, no. 04 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.787.
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- •Published on: Apr 30 2026
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