DISCIPLINE

CONCEPT AND MEANING-

Good discipline means that employees are willing to abide by company rules and executive
orders and behave in the desired fashion.
Discipline implies the absence of chaos, irregularity and confusion in the behaviour of a worker.
According to Calhoon, ‘Discipline is a force that prompts individuals or groups to observe rules,
regulations and procedures which are deemed to be necessary for the effective functioning of
an organization ’.
Discipline is the backbone of healthy industrial relations. The promotion and maintenance of
employee discipline is essential for smooth functioning of an organization . Employee morale
and industrial peace are definitely linked with a proper maintenance of discipline. Disciplinary
action can also help the employee to become more effective. The actions of one person can
affect others in the group. In the Organization ‘Discipline’ refers to the State of employee’s self-
control and effectiveness in his work. It indicates the development of genuine team work.
Discipline implies a state of order in an organisation. It means proper appreciation of the
hierarchical superior subordinate relationship. The willing cooperation for and the observance
of the rules of the organisation constitutes the essence of discipline.

Since discipline is a behaviour or a mode of life, the emphasis should be on training or

educating the employees to acquire self-control and habit of obedience. Satisfactory results
cannot be obtained if discipline is thought of in terms of control and punishment.

It also aims at enabling the employees to behave in the desired fashion, to have respect for
their seniors, to follow rules, regulations and procedures, to increase output at the least cost, to
boost morale of the employees, to make them feel more confident, to improve human relations
and IR, to discourage violation of rules and regulations by employees, and so on.

Discipline is the orderly conduct by an employee in an expected manner. It is the force or fear
of a force that deters an individual or a group from doing things that are detrimental to the
accomplishment of group objectives. In other words, discipline is the orderly conduct by the
members of an organisation who adhere to its rules and regulations because they desire to
cooperate harmoniously in forwarding the end which the group has in view.
Good discipline means that employees are willing to abide by company rules and executive
orders and behave in the desired fashion. Discipline implies the absence of chaos, irregularity
and confusion in the behaviour of a worker. According to Calhoon, ‘Discipline is a force that
prompts individuals or groups to observe rules, regulations and procedures which are deemed
to be necessary for the effective functioning of an organisation’.
Violation of rules, regulations, procedure and norms is considered as misconduct, that is, any
act which is inconsistent with the fulfilment of the expressed and implied conditions of
service—or is directly linked with the general relationship of the employer and the employee—
has a direct effect on the contentment or comfort of men at work or has a material bearing on
the smooth and efficient working of the organisation concerned.
Every organisation wants its employees’ behaviour to be in conformity with the required
system which it has prescribed in order to achieve the organisational goals. Thus, in brief,
discipline is orderly conduct by the employee in an expected manner. The purpose of discipline
is to encourage employees to behave sensibly at work, that is, adhere to rules and regulations.
Disciplinary action is called for when an employee violates one of the rules.
A disciplined employee will be organized and an organized employee will be disciplined always.
Employee behaviour is the base of discipline in an organization. Discipline implies confirming
with the code of conduct established by the organization. Discipline in an organization
ensures productivity and efficiency. It encourages harmony and co-operation among employees
as well as acts as a morale booster for the employees.

Employee Discipline – 2 Concepts: Positive and Negative Concepts of Employee

Discipline
There are two concepts of discipline-positive concepts and negative concepts.

Positive discipline means a sense of duty to observe the rules and regulations. It can be
achieved when management applies the principles of positive motivation along with
appropriate leadership. It is also known as cooperative disciplines or determinative discipline.

It involves creation of an atmosphere in the organisations whereby employees willingly can

form to the established rules and regulations.

On the other hand, negative discipline is known as punitive or corrective discipline. Under it
penalties or punishments are used to force workers to obey rules and regulations. The objective
is to ensure that employees do not violate the rules and regulations. Negative disciplinary
action involves techniques such as fines, reprimand, demotion, layoff, transfer etc.

Negative discipline requires regular monitoring causing wastage of valuable time. In the
negative concept of discipline, disciplinary action implies punishment Also punishment causes
resentment and hostility. Satisfactory results cannot be obtained, however if discipline is
perceived only in terms of control and punishment.

Employee Discipline – Causes of Indiscipline: Organizational,

Individual and Environmental Factors
The important causes of indiscipline are analyzed under three heads:
1. Organizational Factors
2. Individual Factors
3. Environmental Factors.
1. Organizational Factors:
i. Where the organization, while hiring the employees, fail to assess the traits of
individuals like attitude, obedience, tolerance and inquisitiveness, it may end up
hiring employees who challenge any decision made by the management. This may breed
indiscipline.

ii. Lack of code of conduct for employees has potential to disorient them thereby
sowing seeds of indiscipline.

iii. Where an employee hired for a job for which he has neither aptitude nor
attitude, he is sure to develop ill-feelings. He may find the job uninteresting and do
everything to evade responsibility.

iv. Ineffective leadership characterised by authoritarianism and incompetency, and

distrustful relations with employees fuel indiscipline among the employees.

v. Indiscriminate use of penal provisions triggers reactionary group indiscipline.

vi. Favouritism and nepotism practiced by supervisors vitiate discipline.

vii. Divisive policies pursued by management and instituting unofficial spy network
spoils the work atmosphere thereby engendering indiscipline.

viii. Biased performance evaluation on considerations of caste, creed, colour,

gender, religion and region promotes ill-feeling and a sense of injustice among
employees which culminate in indiscipline.
ix. Absence of grievance redressal mechanism frustrates employees thereby
breeding indiscipline among them. Delay in handling their grievances is also a
contributor towards indiscipline.
x. Lack of consistency in enforcing discipline contributes to indiscipline.
xi. Certain management follows policy of Divide and rule. This creates quarrels,
rivalries contributing to indiscipline.
xii. When the supervision is faulty, then there will be more indiscipline. The wrong
impression about the supervisors create indiscipline by making subordinates feel
casually and thus making them irresponsible.
xiii. The negligence on the part of management in attending personal
problems of employees will have a bad impact on the behavior of employees and
they will remain worried and irritated all the time, thus decreased productivity.
xiv. Improper co-ordination between Authority and responsibility.

2. Individual Factors:
Individual differences caused by education, experience, values, attitudes, beliefs,
intelligence, personality, etc., cause employees to behave differently in an organization.
Therefore some individuals conform to rules and standards of behaviour in much wider
context than others.
Individual features that lead to indiscipline behaviour are as follows:
i. Individuals with non-conformist values tend to engage in indisciplined behaviour.
ii. Every individual perceives reward and punishment differently and react to
it accordingly. When the reward is not commensurate with his expectation, he may
feel frustrated and indulge in indiscipline.
iii. Individuals differ in work ethics. Those with high ethical values tend to be
committed and involved in the jobs while those with low ethical values show alienation
to their jobs and exhibit negative behaviour.
iv. Illiteracy and the low intellectual level of workers as well as their social
background; for example, there may be indebtedness, drinking habits, casteism and
other social evils from which an employee may suffer;

3. Environmental Factors:
Since an organization is also one of the members of the society, discipline observed by
the society manifests in organizations. Indiscipline prevailing in family, educational
institutions, political system, religious institutions, break down of social control
mechanism, etc., casts its ugly shadow on the organizational climate.
4. Other Reasons

There are several other reasons responsible for creating indiscipline among employees.
They include wrong delegation of authority, faulty ways of fixing responsibility and host
of social and psychological reasons that are responsible for indiscipline among
employees. The indiscipline results among employees interrelated and interwoven
internal and external causes. These causes can be finished and very well handled by the
effective leadership that suits the requirements of attainment of organisational goals.

Employee Discipline – 6 Main Approaches: The Hot Stove Rule, Negative

Discipline, Positive Discipline, Human Relations , Self-control and Judicial Approach

There are several approaches to discipline, though ‘positive’ discipline approach and ‘negative’ discipline
approach have been in much limelight.

The main approaches are as follows:

1. The Hot Stove Rule:

One view of discipline is referred to as the hot stove rule. In case a person touches a hot
stove, he/she is likely to sustain burn injuries. Hence, the hot stove rule involves –
a. Warning system – It is expected of a good management to warn its subordinates
the consequences of the undesirable behaviour.
b. Immediate burn – In order to maintain discipline, action should happen
immediately so that the accused should see the connection between the act and
discipline.
c. Consistency – As the hot stove burns everyone alike, any employee who performs
the same undesirable act will be disciplined similarly.
d. Impersonality – Disciplinary action is not pointed towards a person; it is meant to
eliminate undesirable behaviours. Punishment should be impersonal in application.

2. Negative Discipline/Progressive Discipline Approach:

Negative discipline is also known as punitive, enforced, autocratic or coercive discipline.
In it, violators of rules and regulations suffer penalties. The purpose of negative
discipline is to scare others, that is, to keep others in line and to ensure that they do not
indulge in undesirable behaviour. It is deterrent in nature.
It involves the use of techniques such as reprimands, fines, lay-offs, demotions,
transfers and the like. In progressive discipline, a sequence of penalties is administered,
that is, each subsequent one is slightly more severe than the previous one.
For example, while the first violation may attract an oral warning within 24 hours of
return to work and a written record of the act to be kept in the file of the employee
concerned, the second violation may invite written warning which is to be kept in the
employee’s file.
The third violation may result in two-week lay-off without pay and the record of the
same to be kept in the employee’s file. The fourth violation may attract dismissal of the
employee concerned. Proper documentation of everything is very important in this
approach.

3. Positive Discipline Approach:

In the foregoing two approaches, the focus is on the past behaviour. However,
employees disciplined in a punitive way may not necessarily build commitment into
their jobs. Hence, a better approach, known as positive approach, came into
prominence, which is future-oriented and aims at solving the problems in consultation
with employees in such a way that the problem does not arise again.
It aims at reformation. In some organisations, instead of issuing a warning, if an act
of indiscipline is committed, only a reminder about behaviour is issued. For repeated
violation(s), instead of imposing fine or suspension, a ‘decision-making leave’ is
sanctioned.
If the employee, even after the aforesaid leave, does not commit to the rules, his/her
services are terminated. This approach recognises that people make mistakes. Although
it de-emphasises punitive action, it uses the most punishing consequence of all, being
discharged.
Positive discipline emphasises the concepts of self-discipline, team spirit, respect for
rules, regulations and procedures, regard for supervisors, greater freedom for
development, and willingness to cooperate and coordinate.
It believes in talking to the employee and counselling him/her to behave. Positive
approach is thus a soft approach and evokes better response when the management
applies the principle of positive motivation.
A few guidelines for establishing a climate of positive discipline are given below:
i. There must be rules and standards, which are communicated clearly and administered fairly.

ii. 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.

iii. While a rule or a standard is in force, employees are expected to adhere to it.
iv. Even though rules exist, people should know that if a personal problem or a unique situation
makes the rule exceptionally harsh, the rule may be modified or an exception be granted.

v. There should no favourites and privileges be granted only when they can also be granted to
other employees in similar circumstances.

vi. 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.

vii. Employees should understand the consequences of breaking a rule without permission.

viii. Employees should be consulted when rules are set.

ix. There should be recognition for good performance, reliability and loyalty. Negative
comments, when they are necessary, will be accepted as helpful if employees also receive
feedback when things go well

4. Human Relations Approach:

Human relations approach, which is also known as humanistic approach, is a soft
approach and aims at healthy interpersonal relationship between the employees and
their supervisors. In it, efforts are made to enable the accused employee to improve
his/her behaviour. Hence, the problem is thoroughly analysed, its root cause is found
out and remedial steps are taken.

5. 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”.

5. Judicial Approach:
In this approach, the relevant Acts such as the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, and the
Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, play an important role in the
maintenance of discipline. Employees know the consequences of violating the provisions
of the Acts and, therefore, take due precautions in respect of their work behaviour.
There are many labour laws which also help directly or indirectly in maintaining
discipline in an organisation.
Thus, we see that each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Although it cannot be said that which of the discussed approaches is foolproof, positive
discipline approach appears to be a relatively better option because it is not restrictive in
nature and prompts employees to fall in line with the rules, regulations, procedures and
guidelines issued by their respective organisations.

Indiscipline - Absenteeism, insubordination, violation of organisational rules, gambling,

incompetence, damage to machinery and property, dishonesty and other forms of disloyalty
lead to organizational indiscipline. Non - performance of duty is a serious misconduct.

Consequences of indiscipline-
1. Due to indiscipline, the organization fails to achieve its goals

2. There is no co-ordination among employees.

3. The work is either left out or some work might get duplicated.

4. The employee might feel unsafe and insecure which is an obstacle to good performance.

5. No employee is satisfied and unsatisfied employees perform poorly in the organisation which
makes productivity Low.

6. As the productivity goes low, total cost and per unit goes high.

7. The profits of an indisciplined organization are low or no profits at all.

8. The reputation or the goodwill in the minds of general public is not good.

9. The share prices of such company also go down as the goodwill declines

10. The indisciplined organization doesn't progress at all. It lags behind the
companies/organizations of same industry.

11. The wastage is also high in an indisciplined organization.

12. The workplace always feel tensed. There's constant burden on the minds of the employees.

13. As the profit goes down, the salaries and wages also goes down.

14. Absenteeism and labour turnover rate is also high in such an organization.

15. There's no proper utilization of men, money and machinery .

HOW TO MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE AT THE ORGANIZATION?

1. Motivate an employee to comply with the company's performance standards

Employee receives discipline after failing to meet some obligation of job. The failure could be
either directly related to the tasks performed by the employee or ignoring rules and regulations
that define proper conduct at work.

2. Maintain respect and trust between the supervisor and employee

Discipline if not properly administered can create problems like low morale, resentment, and ill-
will between the employees. In such case, improvement in employee's behaviour, if any, will be
relatively short-lived and the supervisor will need to discipline the employee again and again.
On the contrary, properly administered discipline will not only improve employee behaviour
but will also minimize future disciplinary problems through good relationship between the
supervisor and the employee.

3. Increase the morale and working efficiency of the employees. Time by time help , counsel
and monitor your employees so that their morale doesn't go down and so does their efficiency.

4. Apply awards and appreciation model in your organization. Let the employees know about
the rewards and motivate them by linking it to create healthy work environment.

5. Remove distractions from your office. Try to remove everything from your office, that might
act as an unnecessary distraction to your employees. Analyze the way your office space is
arranged.

6. The workplace should be a happy place. The office should be a desirable place for
employees to work. The office should not be a place that people hate coming to every morning.
They should look forward to every day at the office.

7. Be considerate of the generation gap. If you have young people in your workforce, then
dealing with them the same way you deal with elder ones isn't the right way to go. Consider
aspects like age and personality before you tailor an approach for a particular employee.
8. Come up with the set of guidelines. Make sure your employee knows what is expected from
them and understand their obligations to play by the rules. You need to come with the most
important rules you want to be obeyed in your workplace.

9. Take corrective actions. If there are rules, there should be some consequences in place for
people who don't obey them. An employee would be given a fair number of warnings before he
is punished for violating the rules. This would also provide grounds for letting go of an
employee who is indisciplined.

10. Allow enough room for your employees to work. Your employees are well aware that you
are the boss, you don't have to sit on their heads all day. When people are under pressure or
constant observation, they are far less likely to perform their best. So it is vital that you provide
your employees the space to work efficiently.

11. Regularly communicate with your staff. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their
grievances with you whenever they arise. communication is the soul of any organization. Your
employees need to know that you are open minded person.

12. Listen to your employees when there's a complaint against them. Attempt should be made
to know his perception. Make no assumptions beforehand.