Employees Discipline
Employee Discipline can be described as the actions imposed by a firm or an organization on her employees in the event of failure to follow the policies, standards, and rules of the organization. According to Calhoon, a scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, ‘Discipline is a force that prompts individuals or groups to observe rules, regulations, and procedures which are deemed to be necessary for the effective function of an organization” (Calhoon,1967, p 11). Good discipline is an indication that employees are willing to abide by the rules as well as the orders issued by the executive hence behaving in the desired manner. Discipline among employees eradicates chaos and the confusion that comes with it as far as the behavior of a worker is concerned. Structuring the approach to employee discipline is a vital practice for the management since it determines the relationship between them and their subordinates. Some of the traditional methods, such as punishment, have promoted the adversarial relationship between the two. Discipline among employees is termed as the backbone of a healthy relationship within an industry, and it has to be supported for the organization to perform smoothly. As changes take place, in terms of innovation, globalization, and technology, the approach on employees also discipline changes, which is the focus of this research.
Literature review
Scholars have embarked on research to determine how employees’ discipline has changed. Research done by Raccucci and Wheeler shows that there are massive innovative approaches towards employee discipline (Riccucci, & Wheeler, 1987, p 49). According to literature, a lot of changes needed to take effect to ensure that discipline is maintained within an organization without violating the law and more so without ruining a working relationship between the employees and their superiors. Some of the changes included replacing the use of punishment, which in most cases violated the human rights act (Riccucci, & Wheeler, 1987, p 49). ‘’Workplace Discipline and Organizational Effectiveness’’ is another literature showing the transformational changes of employees’ discipline which have taken place (Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 12). The research indicates that employees are considered the life-blood of an organization. However, their conduct and behavior must be in tandem with the organization’s policies and rules for the goals and objectives of the organization to be achieved. The research further states that, as internal and external changes take effect, so should employees discipline. A case study ”workplace discipline at Abia State Polytechnic” concluded that time was gone when bigotry weighed heavily on employees discipline due to how they were treated at workplaces as such, the time had come for better ways to instill discipline to be put in place(Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 43). Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Changes
Changes are inevitable and when they are in effect they should be embraced if they are positive or dealt with if they are negative. Globalization and technology innovation are some of the significant changes that have widely changed the world of business and human interaction globally. Due to this changes, much has taken place both positive and harmful to human nature. In regard to employee’s discipline, this changes had brought about effectiveness on the way employees are viewed in an organization by raising their bar to such a state where they have a voice to be heard by their employer (King, & Wilcox, 2003, p 192). As indicated earlier, changes to eradicate unwarranted mistreatment of employees at workplaces in the name of instilling discipline has been largely eliminated. Some of the significant changes in employee discipline includes
Employee’s evaluation
This is a formal or informal process of disciplinary action taken by the management. In most organizations, the official assessment is usually adopted and completed regularly to allow the discovery of deficiencies, which should then be discussed with the employee. In the event that employees violate the rules, a behavior change is sought. Small organizations finds it easier to take corrective action as compared to large companies due to the supervisor’s closeness to every work situation. For larger organizations, this is impossible since a supervisor can be in charge of fifty employees or more. Upon breaking the rules of an organization, employees are usually in need of assistance to see to it that they change their behavior, which would allow them to work within the stipulated parameters(Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 15). The assistance could be informed of coaching or counseling, which should take place prior to disciplinary action. Upon effecting a disciplinary action, an employee is expected to change behavior; if it happens, further disciplinary action is not needed. In case the employee does not change their behavior, then further action should be taken one which abides by the rules and regulations of both the organization and the state or country.
Proper selection of employees
This is one of the latest changes approaches towards employee’s discipline. Adequate selection of employees involves the adoption of recruitment and selection policy by an organization that sets the pace for the best performance of the firm(Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 13). Organizations have embarked on ensuring that the employees selected are predicated on soft skills, which includes integrity, honesty, maturity, and diligence. The characteristics of the employees usually determine the internal discipline in an organization; as such, to avoid indiscipline within the firm, employees with impressive personal traits should be selected.
Provision of an adequate system of motivation
The use of hush disciplinary measures usually ruins the relationship between the employee and the executive, and more so, some may lead to unnecessary lawsuits against the employer. Better approaches towards instilling discipline are psychological methods such as motivation (Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 13). For example, rewarding employees who are obedient and disciplined has been proven more effective and brings employees and the employer closer together. This also helps to boost the effectiveness of the employees as well as for the organization.
Rules and regulations that are necessary
A recent discovery concerning employees’ discipline is that it is not necessitated to have excessive rules and regulations in an organization. Firms come up with laws and regulations on a regular basis to help them achieve particular goals(Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 13). Upon obtaining such a purpose, such rules should be discarded. Organizations are therefore requested to perform periodic reviews on the regulations to ensure that employees are not subjected to too many irrelevant rules, which may lead to the ineffectiveness of the organization.
Rules enforcement awareness
The organization should ensure that employees are fully aware that rules are enforceable upon breaking them(Nduka and Ijedinma 2019, p 13). This is because workers have a tendency of abiding by the established regulations if they are fully aware of that high possibility of receiving a sanction after violating such rules.
In conclusion, rules are what make people better, irrespective of where one is. If a company is to have an employee disciplinary procedure that is effective and successful, the employees and the management have a role to play. Rules and regulations have to be in place to ensure that employees maintain their discipline at workplaces at all times. Changes in how to approach the discipline of employees are changing with each instant since more effectiveness if required from both the employees and the organization at large. However, as the latest changes indicate, the more significant role lies in the management court. Since it’s their duty to ensure that the employees’ selection policy is set and implemented, employees are adequately evaluated, unnecessary rules are eradicated, and also ensuring that employees are fully aware of what befalls them upon breaking the rules.
Calhoon, R. P. (1967). Personnel management and supervision. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Riccucci, N. M., & Wheeler, G. R. (1987). Positive employee performance: An innovative approach to employee discipline. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 8(1), 49-63.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0734371X8700800104
Nduka, Oyediya Ijedinma: Workplace Discipline and Organizational Effectiveness, 2019
King, K. N., & Wilcox, D. E. (2003). Employee-proposed discipline: How well is it working?. Public Personnel Management, 32(2), 197-209.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/009102600303200202