What is Discipline

Discipline is the regulation and modulation of human activities to produce a controlled performance. The real purpose of discipline is quite simple. It is to encourage employees to confirm to established standards of job performance and to behave sensibly and safely at work. Discipline is essential to all organised group action.

Discipline Definition

Discipline should be viewed as a condition within an organisation whereby Employees know what is expected of them in terms of the organisation’s rules, Standards and policies and what the consequences are of infractions.· —Rue & Byars, 1996

From the above definitions, you can find the following elements:

The objective is orderly behaviour.
Orderly behaviour is a group desire.
Orderly behaviour assists the attainment of organisational goals
When members behave appropriately as per rules, there is no need for disciplinary action. This is self-discipline.
When some members violate the rules and regulations, punitive actions are needed to correct them.

Discipline implies a state of order in an organization. In absence of discipline, there will be chaos, confusion, corruption and disobedience in an organization. In short, discipline implies obedience, orderliness and maintenance of proper subordination among employees. Work recognition, fair and equitable treatment of employees, appropriate salary structure, effective grievance handling and job-security all contribute to the organizational discipline.

Discipline Aspects

Discipline involves the following three things

Self-discipline implies that a person brings the discipline in himself with a determination to achieve the goals that he has set for himself in life.
Orderly behavior refers to discipline as a condition that must exist for orderly behavior in the organization.
Punishment is used to prevent indiscipline. When a worker goes astray in his conduct, he has to be punished for the same and the recurrences of it must be prevented.

Who is responsible for discipline?

The immediate supervisor is responsible for maintaining discipline and morale among the employees he supervises and for initiating appropriate disciplinary action where the facts warrant such action. The line supervisor is responsible for the enforcement of company rules. It is an important responsibility requiring impartiality, good judgment, and courage. Disciplinary action should, therefore, be done by the line supervisor. However, to avoid embarrassments and violation of company policies and rules as well as of union contract, before taking disciplinary action involving warning letters, suspensions or dismissals, he must first consult with his superior and the personnel manager. He must know the background of why the particular policy or rule was established.

Effective Disciplinary System Characteristics

Discipline should be imposed without generating resentment. McGregor propounded the “red hot stove rule” which says that a sound and effective disciplinary system in an organization should have the following characteristics-

Immediate- Just as when you touch a red hot stove, the burn is immediate, similarly the penalty for violation should be immediate/ immediate disciplinary action must be taken for violation of rules.
Consistent- Just as a red hot stove burns everyone in the same manner; likewise, there should be high consistency in a sound disciplinary system.
Impersonal- Just as a person is burned because he touches the red hot stove and not because of any personal feelings, likewise, impersonality should be maintained by refraining from personal or subjective feelings.
Prior warning and notice- Just as an individual has a warning when he moves closer to the stove that he would be burned on touching it.

Discipline Conundrum

The first step is to establish and maintain a reasonable, but firm discipline line.

TOO HIGH – People are insulted. Productivity drops.
TOO LOW – People take liberties. Productivity drops.

Positive Discipline

Positive discipline in a business is an atmosphere of mutual trust and a common purpose in which all employees understand the company rules as well as the objectives and do everything possible to support them..

Few guidelines for establishing a climate of positive discipline are given below:

There must be rules and standards, which are communicated clearly and administered fairly.
Rules and standards must be reasonable and should be communicated so that they are known and understood by all employees. An employee manual can help with communicating rules.
There should no favorites and privileges be granted only when they can also be granted to other employees in similar circumstances.
Employees must be aware that they can and should voice dissatisfaction with any rules or standards they consider unreasonable as well as with working conditions they feel hazardous, discomforting, or burdensome.
Employees should understand the consequences of breaking a rule without permission.
Employees should be consulted when rules are set.

Negative Discipline

Generally, negative discipline is interpreted as a sort of check or restraint on the freedom of a person. Discipline is used to refer to the act of imposing penalties for wrong behavior. If employees fail to observe rules, they are punished. The fear of punishment puts the employee back on track.

Self Discipline and Control

Behavioural scientists view discipline as self-control to meet organizational objectives. Megginson clarified the term thus- “By self-discipline we mean the training that corrects moulds and strengthens. It refers to one’s efforts at self-control for the purpose of adjusting oneself to certain needs and demands. This form of discipline is raised on two psychological principles. First, punishment seldom produces the desired results. Often, it produces undesirable results. Second, a self-respecting person tends to be a better worker than one who is not”.

Progressive Discipline

The concept of progressive discipline states that penalties must be appropriate to the violation. If inappropriate behaviour is minor in nature and has not previously occurred, an oral warning may be sufficient. If the violation requires a written warning, it must be done according to a procedure. After written warnings, if the conduct of the employee is still not along desired lines, serious punitive steps could be initiated.

In case of major violations such as hitting a supervisor may justify the termination of an employee immediately. In order to assist a manager to recognize the proper level of disciplinary action, some firms have formalized the procedure.

The Red Hot Stove Rule

Without the continual support of the subordinates, no manager can get things done. But, disciplinary action against a delinquent employee is painful and generates resentment on his part.

According to the Red Hot Stove rule, disciplinary action should have the following consequences:

Burns Immediately: If disciplinary action is to be taken, it must occur immediately so the individual will understand the reason for it. With the passage of time, people have the tendency to convince themselves that they are not at fault.
Provides Warning: It is very important to provide advance warning that punishment will follow unacceptable behaviour. As you move closer to a hot stove, you are warned by its heat that you will be burned if you touch it.
Gives Consistent Punishment: Disciplinary action should also be consistent in that everyone who performs the same act will be punished accordingly. As with a hot stove, each person who touches it is burned the same way.
Burns Impersonally: Disciplinary action should be impersonal. There are no favorites when this approach is followed.

Pre-Discipline Issues

Matters to consider before disciplining employees include: ensuring that employees know what is and is not permitted in the workplace; how to discipline with fairness; and how to properly conduct an investigation into allegations of employee wrongdoing.

Establishing a Workplace Code of Conduct

First and foremost, employees must have fair and reasonable notice of what is expected of them. They must know the parameters of permissible and prohibited conduct in the workplace. Rules should be:

Clearly communicated to all employees in writing.
Compliant with state and federal laws.
Consistently and fairly enforced.

Employer rules generally fall into one of the following categories:

Rules governing day-to-day matters, such as attendance, tardiness, and dress.
Rules defining what is permissible within the culture of the company
Rules governing more serious conduct such as drug or alcohol abuse, workplace safety, or sleeping on the job.