case study: organizing system within a sikh gurudwara … of... · 2019. 7. 8. · sikh gurudwara...
TRANSCRIPT
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Case Study: Organizing System Within a Sikh Gurudwara Management
Committee
Harman Shah Singh
MIMS Class of 2018
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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Introduction
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in Punjab, India during the 15th century. [Christopher
Partridge (1 November 2013) Introduction to World Religions]. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism include
unity and equality of humankind, engaging in selfless service and striving for social justice for the benefit and
prosperity of all. [Sewa Singh Kalsi. Sikhism.] The Sikh community has been proactive in helping people
around the world in ways such as providing free food to all (called Langar), providing shelter to the homeless,
making basic education accessible to everyone and significantly contributing to the multiple relief activities.
Figure 1 Figure 2
Free Food for all (Langar) at the Gurudwaras
Figure 3 Figure 4
Free Medical Care at Sikh Charitable Hospitals Sikhs Contributing Towards Disaster Relief Activities
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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These activities are made possible through the donations made by the devotees at the Gurudwaras (The sikh
place of worship).The Gurudwaras are managed by a state-level Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. This
case study focuses on the Organizing System (and the organizing principles that govern it) behind the
organization and reorganization of monetary and material resources (donations) at the level of the Delhi Sikh
Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in Delhi, India.
What is being organized?
The Gurudwaras organize the donations, both monetary and material, along with the information about these
donations. The Gurudwaras use the principle of hierarchical categorization, with the two properties: type of
donation - monetary or material, and mode of donation - with or without a receipt, as the basis for creating the
categories of donations. The donations are classified into three categories, namely cash donations - put into the
donation box by the devotees, monetary donations against a receipt - relatively larger sums of donations given
through any mode of payment such as cash, cards etc., and material donations against a receipt - pulses, rice,
fruits, vegetables, flour and blankets.
Figure 5 Figure 6
Donation Box at a Gurudwara Receipt for Monetary Donation at a Gurudwara
(Monetary Donations Without Receipt) (Information Resource - Monetary Donations With Receipt)
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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Figure 7
Material Donations at a Gurudwara - Fruits and Vegetables
(Material Donations)
Why is it being organized?
The donations are organized so as to reallocate resources for the various tasks and initiatives. Although this is
the primary interaction enabled by the organizing system, multiple other interactions augment this primary
interaction. These supporting interactions include the diversion of monetary and material resources towards
developmental activities such as the renovation of Gurudwaras, and the multiple social initiatives which
comprise of free food and medical care for everyone, free elementary education for children and tie-ups with
Non-Government Organizations for uplifting the poor and needy.
Other necessary interactions are legal and administrative in nature. These include declarations to be made to the
tax authorities (while the donations are tax exempt, a declaration is still required for ruling out unethical and
corrupt practices), laying down the roadmap for the social initiatives and providing approvals for the allocation
of resources towards the same.
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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How much is it being organized?
The level and granularity of organization varies with the type of interaction to be supported and the kind of
resource. For instance, material resources are organized in terms of the size and number of sacks/units of each
of the resource types viz. pulses, rice, fruits, vegetables, flour and blankets. Monetary resources, on the other
hand, are organized in terms of the mode of donation (cash, card, check etc.), the respective denominations in
case of cash donations, and the total donations received on a particular day. Moreover, for donations received
against a receipt, the receipts serve as information resources and are organized both in terms of the mode of
donation and the day they were received on.
When is it being organized?
Like in the previous case, when the resources are organized depends on the type of interaction to be supported
and the kind of resource. The monetary and material donations received against a receipt, along with the
information about these donations, are organized on their way in - when they are received by the Gurudwara.
The cash donations received through the donation box do not have an associated receipt and are organized on
their way out - during the counting process. Moreover, the organization happens at two levels : Gurudwara
level, where the donations are organized on a daily basis (once or multiple times a day depending on the
donations received everyday); and at the DSGMC level, where the donations received at each of the
Gurudwaras within the state are organized on a weekly basis.
When looking at it from the perspective of DSGMC, the primary resources and associated information
resources received from each of the Gurudwaras on a weekly basis are already organized at the Gurudwara-
specific level. However, this information needs to be organized into a central system to enable interactions at
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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the DSGMC level. Hence, all the resources are organized on their way in - consolidating all the resources and
information when they are received by the Committee.
Figure 8 Figure 9
Organization of Material Resources (Donations) Received at a Gurudwara - On Their Way In
Figure 10
Counting of Cash Donations Received From The Donation Box - Organization on The Way Out
(Picture from The Hola Mohalla Times)
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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How, or By Whom, or By What Computational Process, is it being organized?
The primary organization of resources is done by the employees of the Gurudwaras and the DSGMC. While the
material resources are organized in a stacked manner based on the type of resource, the monetary resources
received against a receipt are organized based on the mode and date of receipt. Additionally, the cash donations
received from the donation boxes at the Gurudwaras are counted and segregated into the respective
denominations on a daily basis. As already mentioned, this counting happens once or multiple times a day and
varies by the Gurudwara. The counting is done in a room that is closely monitored by Closed Circuit Television
(CCTV) cameras, to avoid any potential theft attempts. A record of each counting, in terms of the total amount
of cash donations, date and time of counting, and the respective denominations of currency received, is
maintained in a record book (called a khaata, or ledger).
The scanned copies of the receipts (for donations received against a receipt) or the record of cash donations are
organized in a Gurudwara-specific management information system (MIS) on a daily basis. The records from
the Gurudwara MIS for all the Gurudwaras in the state are subsequently sent to the DSGMC where they are
organized in a central MIS.
Where is it being organized?
The primary and associated information resources are either organized and stored within the Gurudwara
premises or at a relatively safer warehouse, depending on how secure the Gurudwara facility is. The resources,
along with the corresponding information resources (Receipts and MIS records) are then sent over to the
DSGMC office at the end of each week. These resources are then reorganized in the central DSGMC office.
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Harman Shah Singh MIMS Class of 2018
This Case study is based on the research work done by Harman Shah Singh (MIMS 2018). The information presented in the case study has been derived from personal observations and interviews with people that currently hold administrative positions within the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (on the condition of anonymity). Citations have been provided wherever applicable.
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Other Considerations
While the DSGMC organizing system as presented above has been in place for a long time, slight changes are
incorporated from time to time. A recently proposed change involves organizing the information resources at
the Committee level, while organizing the resources at the Gurudwara-Level only, in order to avoid
transportation risks and costs. The proposal may be implemented starting from January 2017. Additionally, a
monumental change in the Organizing System revolves around the recent demonetization (discontinuation of
old currency) in India. This change involves segregating old currency from the new currency during the
counting process, for donations received through the donation box, and exchanging them with new currency at
nationalized banks. A record of these transactions is required to be maintained, in addition to the receipts and
MIS records. Moreover, the Gurudwaras can no longer accept old currency for donations against receipt, as
mandated by the Government of India.