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Human Resource Management outlines the importance of HRM and its

different functions in an organization.

It examines the various HR processes that are concerned with attracting,

managing, motivating and developing employees for the benefit of the
organization. The book discusses the issues in human resource management
in a changing environment and suggests possible ways of leveraging and
managing human resources. Changing trends in human resource
management have been explained using contemporary examples from
Indian companies .
"If you want 10 days of happiness, grow grain. If you want 10 years of
happiness, grow a tree. If you want 100 years of happiness, grow people."

Definition and Concept of Discipline, Aims and Objectives of Discipline,

Forms and Types of Discipline, Acts of Indiscipline or Misconduct, Principles
of Maintaining Discipline, Mc Gregor’s Red Hot Stove Rule, Disciplinary
Procedure, Approaches to Discipline, Preventive Discipline, Positive
Discipline, Disciplinary Actions, Verbal Warning, Written Warning,
Suspension, Demotion, Pay cut, Dismissal, Code of Discipline in Indian
Industry, Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, 1946
Chapter Summary

Some employees, regardless of an organization’s efforts at selection,

socialization, job design, performance standards and reward practices,
create discipline problems for the management. Handling these discipline
problems is a sensitive and challenging task for a human resource manager.

Employees of an organization are expected to conduct themselves in

accordance with the organization’s rules and standards of acceptable
behavior. Employees who cannot be motivated to maintain such discipline
require some degree of extrinsic disciplinary action. The primary objective of
disciplinary procedure is to motivate an employee to conform to the
organization’s performance standards.

The disciplinary problems faced by the HR managers can be classified into

four categories – attendance, on-the-job behavior, dishonesty, and off-the-
job behavior. There are three approaches – incorrect discipline, preventive
discipline, and positive discipline – to discipline the employees. One effective
way to approach the disciplinary process is to follow the Red Hot Stove Rule,
which suggests that administering discipline is more like touching a hot
stove.

The various disciplinary actions that are administered are verbal warning,
written warning, suspension, pay cut, demotion, and dismissal. The severity
of the disciplinary action should be in accordance with the severity of the
misconduct. The Government of India enacted the Industrial Employment
Standing Orders Act in 1946 to ensure uniform and stable conditions of
employment.
Next Chapter

Applying the Hot Stove Rule of Discipline in the Workplace

"Spare the rod and spoil the child". This is the moral to Aesop's fable The Thief and his
Mother. He proves that discipline is imperative. It emphasizes that if we do not take
action in our children's wrong doings we will hurt them in the longer run. Children need
discipline in their lives. It is their only way of learning the difference between right and
wrong. As parents, it is our duty to mold our children in the right direction. The rewards
of implementing discipline are endless, for knowing that they will make the right decision
even when you are not there is comforting, and it pleases you. Discipline is fair, and
open disciplinary procedures are essential to maintain harmony. Therefore, discipline is
an important action taken to encourage compliance with organizational standards and
regulations; whether in the home or at the work place. A popular and effective
disciplinary rule used today by many managers is known as the "Hot Stove Rule of
Discipline." This rule can be defined as the concept that disciplinary…………..(NB)
The Hot Stove Rule - Discipline
Ever-increasing employment legislation makes it harder and harder for
managers to remember how the law operates in the workplace. However,
there are a few simple principles which are easy to remember and which
provide a solid basis in helping both staff and managers understand both the
spirit and the letter of the law.
The Hot Stove Rule is one such principle and relates to disciplinary measures
in the workplace. When you touch a hot stove marked "Don’t Touch" the
discipline is immediate, with warning, consistent and impersonal.
So frequently, I have known managers to become exasperated at an
employee’s actions (or in some cases, lack of action) to the point that they
want to dismiss them instantly or, at the very least, progress to a final
written warning. An angry and emotional response to an employee’s
behaviour or poor performance will do more harm than good, both in terms
of employee relations and with regard to potential financial costs.
Although I may not always give the managers the answer they want to hear,
it is important to take a deep breath, step back and reflect for a moment.

Investigating the situation

Did the employee know that what they have done, or failed to do, is wrong?
It may be obvious to you or me but is this a company rule which is
documented somewhere? If so, has the employee had a copy of this and,
more importantly, can the manager prove the employee has had a copy of
this?
If the issue concerns performance, does the employee have a written and
up-to-date job description with clearly identified standards of performance?
Has previous performance which falls below standard been addressed or has
it been allowed to continue unabated?
If you attempt to formally discipline someone without addressing these
issues, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a very upset and
shocked employee whose defence is that no-one had said anything to them
in the past, that they had seen others do the same thing and nothing had
been said and that they had no idea they’d done anything wrong.

Key principles to remember

Always remember the Hot Stove Rule where discipline is concerned:-
You had a warning – you knew what would happen if you
touched the stove
The penalty was consistent – everyone gets the same
treatment
The penalty is impersonal – a person is burned not because of
who he or she is, but because the stove was touched
The penalty is not delayed
So check out the facts first, follow due process and, if
appropriate, apply the discipline as soon after the event as
investigations will allow. If you fail to be consistent, you may
end up getting your own fingers burnt!