Assignment No.

15
Discussion Questions

1. Identify appropriate standards and expectations; progressive discipline and due process are
linked to employee disciplinary actions.

Employee discipline can be thought of as the degree to which employees act according to
expected standards of behavior. If employee morale is high, discipline will likely be positive
and the supervisor will probably not have to take disciplinary action. Supervisors should
recognize that most employees want to do the right thing. Positive self-discipline means that
employees essentially regulate their own behaviors out of self-interest and their normal
desires to meet reasonable standards. Supervisors should be role models and project positive
examples for their employees to emulate. Unfortunately, employee theft and fraud have been
increasing dramatically, and some CEOs and managers have not set a good example for their
employees to follow.

2. During a major exam, you notice that the student sitting across the aisle from you is
apparently cheating. It appears that he (your school’s star athlete) is using his cell phone to
get information to answer the questions. What would you do, if anything? Why? If he is
caught and confesses to the “crime,” what should the discipline be?

I would not do anything, because that is not my business, the disciplinary action to take is
to give him a warning.

3. Discuss the relationship between discipline and morale. Evaluate the following statement:
“Discipline should be directed against the act and not against the person.”

The kind of discipline and the manner in which it is administered affects the morale of
the employee who is subject to discipline as well as other employees in the company. The
right kind of discipline ensures better employee performance in the future and can even raise
employee morale.

4. Why should supervisors be unafraid to confront disciplinary situations when they occur?
What is meant by “disciplinary action should have just cause”?

Supervisors should take disciplinary action with the objective of improving employees’
behavior. Before disciplining, the supervisor must first investigate the situation thoroughly.
Disciplinary actions should be for just (proper) cause. Emotional and physical responses
should be avoided. The supervisor should determine whether there is sufficient evidence to
conclude that the employee knew about the rule or standard and, in fact, violated it. The
supervisor should consider the severity of the violation, the employee’s service record, and
other relevant factors. If disciplinary action is necessary, normally it should be administered
in private.
5. Define and evaluate each of the following elements of the hot stove rule:
a. Advance warning - For employees to accept disciplinary action as fair, they must
know in advance their expectations as well as rules and regulations. Employees must
be informed clearly that certain acts will lead to disciplinary action, and supervisors
should clarify any questions that arise concerning rules and their enforcement.
b. Immediacy - After noticing an offense, the supervisor should take disciplinary
action as promptly as possible. At the same time, the supervisor should avoid haste,
which might lead to unwarranted reactions. The sooner the discipline is imposed, the
more closely it will be connected with the offensive act.
c. Consistency - Appropriate disciplinary action should be taken each time an
infraction occurs. The supervisor who feels inclined to be lenient every now and then
is, in reality, doing employees no favor. Inconsistent discipline leads to employee
anxiety and creates doubts as to what employees can and cannot do. This type of
situation can be compared to the relations between a motorist and a traffic police
officer in an area where the speed limit is enforced only occasionally. Whenever the
motorist exceeds the speed limit, the motorist experiences anxiety knowing the police
officer can enforce the law at any time. Most motorists would agree that it is easier to
operate in areas where the police force is consistent in enforcing or not enforcing
speed limits. Employees, too, find it easier to work in environments in which their
supervisors apply disciplinary action consistently.
d. Impersonality – All employees who commit the same or a similar offense should be
treated the same way. Penalties should be connected with the offense, not with the
offending employee. It should make no difference whether the employee is white or
black, male or female, young or old, or a member of any other group. The same
standards of disciplinary expectations and actions should apply uniformly.

6. Why is fair treatment important to people? How might thoughts of “It’s not fair!” affect an
employee’s behavior? Look at question 2 above; the student who is apparently cheating does
not get caught. He gets an A and you get a C.
a. On the next exam, it appears that he is cheating. What would you do? Why?
I’ll tell the teacher about what I saw. Unfair.
b. Thorndike’s law of effect (discussed in Chapter 4) states that “behavior with
favorable consequences tends to be repeated.” Assume that in question 2 above you
reported your suspicions to the instructor and nothing happened. Assume that the
student appears to continually cheat, goes unpunished, and gets better grades than
you. What are the consequences of the cheater’s actions?
I should use the hot stove, these requirements are advance warning, immediacy,
consistency, and impersonality.
7. Why should employees or a student have the right to appeal any disciplinary action that is
taken? Look at your school’s handbook. Does it prescribe an appeal procedure? In your
opinion, does it provide fairness? If not, what changes would you suggest?
Yes for the fairness, yes, yes it is.