THE IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE ON ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE

Background Of The Study

 Discipline in an organization ensures productivity and efficiency. It encourages harmony and co-operation among employees as well as act as a morale booster for the employees. According to Fenley [1998] the management of workplace discipline remains a key problem in employee relations, and is one of the most discernible sources of conflict at work. Decenzo and Robbins [1999] define discipline as the conditions in the organization where employees conduct themselves in accordance with the organization‟s rules and standards of acceptable behavior. Redeker [1983] explains that discipline aims to create and maintain mutual respect and trust between management and the employees. He further notes that discipline may have long term cost to the company if it is not well managed and these include legal costs, time lost in preparing or attending court cases, reduction in productivity and expense associated with replacing staff.

Discipline is very essential for a healthy industrial atmosphere and the achievement of organizational goals .Various disciplinary management mechanisms can be manipulated in the organization which includes positive and negative reinforcement of expected behavior in the organization. Organizations can do this through the use of the employment code of conduct, rewarding good behavior, punishing undesirable behavior and other indirect methods of putting trust among employees. Discipline in an organization ensures productivity and efficiency. It encourages harmony and co-operation among employees as well as act as a morale booster for the employees.(monnapa, 2000)

Odiagbe (1998) looks at discipline as “a normal behavior or codes of conduct based on principles of natural justice which modifies or controls behavior to reduce misbehavior and makes organizational goals accomplishment possible. This point shared by Harris (1976) who believes that discipline is “the process of training workers so that they can develop self-control and become more effective in achieving organizational goals”. He goes further to say that “the purpose of the supervisory imposed disciplinary process in the development and furtherance of the type of performance from the individual employee that will be conducive for the achievement of organization goals.

The key word with these two scholars is goal, thus discipline is seen as a tool whose effective use can result in the realization or accomplishment of organizational goal. Harris (1976) argues that both positive reward and negative penalties could be used to encourage the desired behavior. He sees discipline as giving reward or punishment. To him discipline should be visualized as the development of the ability to analyze situations to determine what the correct behavior is and to decide to act favourably in advance receiving specific reward or penalties.

Knight (2014) therefore defines discipline as a pattern of behavior which can be traced back from a particular training. This behaviour is portrayed by a person in order to demonstrate his personal traits. An employee, for example reflects a particular behaviour in a workplace situation and his behavior contributes towards attaining his or her goal at the organization. Dumisan, (2002) define discipline as a system of rules and mechanism for ensuring that disciplinary codes are followed. This implies that every organization has its rules and regulation “dos and don’ts”.Observance of these sets of rules in itself is discipline.

In the view of Odeyemi (2001), ‘Discipline also refers to punitive actions or measures taken by an organization against erring worker, it is punishment for wrong doing by an employee. Discipline has some purpose which includes correcting the erred employee, re-directing of staff to the set objectives and to prevent future occurrence of such misdeed by either the affected staff or the prospective victim. It serves as a preventive and deterrent measure against diversion of attention and goals. Disciplinary measures are guided by basic principle so as to accomplish its desired purposes in an organization.

Odiom (2001) observed that that ‘a fair degree of predictable behavior is needed from individual(s) for the achievement of organizational goals and objectives. One of the means in ensuring decorum, progress and effectiveness in organization is discipline. Where there are no proper disciplinary procedures for erring officers there will be a dislocation of effective organizational functionality.

1.2.  Statement of Problem

Disciplinary issues in most organizations have been handled in a way that creates conflict and hatred in the workplace. In most cases, disciplinary measures are being used as punitive rather than corrective purpose.

Apart from this, the effectiveness of disciplinary measure rests on effective rules and regulations, most times rules are violated, protocol jumped and procedures avoided, these seriously undermines the effectiveness of discipline measures especially in public organizations where violation of laws is at the highest. This has made the disciplinary actions less effective and invariably affects the organization negatively.

Majority of the employee who pursue their issue win most of the labour cases such that the organizations end up reinstating them, which ultimately affect organizational performance. Organizations therefore have not been able to use disciplinary systems that aim at correcting behavior without hurting the worker.