Meaning of Discipline and Grievance | Grievance Handling Procedures

Maintenance of harmonious human relations in an organization depends upon the promotion and maintenance of discipline. No organization can run properly without discipline. Discipline means orderliness in any field of activities. It implies the absence of irregularity, confusion, disorder and chaos in human behavior and activities.

In an industrial organization, discipline means the situation in which all the workers and employees follow the rules, regulations and procedure of the organization. A disciplined work force can meet the challenges of the organizations and contribute to the organizational objectives in a better way. Discipline can pave the way for co-operation among the task force and result in good human relations.

According to the Richard D. Calthoon, “Discipline may be considered as force that prompts individuals or groups to observe the rules, regulations and procedures which are deemed to be necessary for the effective functioning of an organization.”

Hence, in conclusion, it can be said that discipline is a process of training the employee so that he can develop self control and can become more effective in his work.

Nature/ Characteristics/ Features of Discipline

1. Discipline does not merely mean a strict and technical observance of rigid, inflexible rules and regulations.
2. Discipline simply means working cooperatively, and behaving in an orderly and normal way, as any responsible person would expect an employee to do.
3. Discipline requires punishment or chastisement.
4. Discipline is the training that correct, moulds, strengths or perfects.
5. Discipline means orderliness: - the opposite of confusion and chaos.
6. Discipline is the control gained by enforcing obedience.

Discipline is essential for the smooth running in an organization and for the maintenance of industrial peace, which is very foundation of industrial democracy.

Grievance

A grievance is the feeling of dissatisfaction among the employees, working in the organization. Grievance, whether real or imaginary, valid or invalid, genuine or false, is a complaint affecting one or more workers within the organization. Dissatisfaction or discontent expressed by employees brought to the notice of management, it becomes grievance. Grievance is defined as:

According to Dale S. Beach, “Grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of injustice in connection with one’s employment situation that is brought to the attention of management.”

Causes of Grievance
The main causes of grievance may be classified under four following categories

1. Grievances resulting from management policy:
1. Leave
2. Transfer
3. Promotion demotion and discharges
4. Hostility toward a labor union
5. Wage payment and job rates
6. Lack of career planning and employee development plan
7. Over time
8. Seniority
2. Grievances resulting from working conditions:
1. Changes in schedules or procedures
2. Bad physical conditions of workplace
3. Non-availability of proper tools, machines and equipment for doing the job.
4. Poor relationship with supervisor
5. Light production standards.
6. Changes in schedules or procedures
7. Improper matching of the worker with the job.
3. Grievances resulting from personal maladjustment:
1. Excessive self esteem
2. Impractical attitude to life etc.
3. Over ambition
4. Grievances resulting from alleged violation:
1. Central or state laws
2. Company rules
3. Management’s responsibility
4. Past practices
5. The collective bargaining agreement

Grievance Handling Procedures

A grievance handling procedure is a series of steps arranged in a hierarchy of increasing complexity and involvement. Every organization has need for a consuming process of conciliation to facilitate settlement of controversies and to assure an employee with a grievance that his case will be given a fair hearing. The number of step in grievance procedures varies with the size of the organization. A small organization only have two or three steps while a large organization may be having eight to ten step of grievance handling procedure. In general while handling grievance, the following steps are followed.

Step – I Defining and describing the nature of grievance as clearly as possible

– defining or describing grievance implies that it has been expressed.

Step – II Collect all facts that help to explain how, when, where, why and to whom the grievance occurred

– After defining the grievance, the next step is to gather all pertinent facts concerned with the case. The person handling the grievance must know the alleged grievance was first experienced, whether it has been repeated or not, how and where it took place and the circumstances under which it transpired the employee should be fully convinced that management are perfectly sincere in seeing that justice are done.

Step – III Establishing tentative solution of the grievance

– After getting the clear picture of the grievance, the next step involves the establishment of tentative solution.

Step – IV Collect additional information to check the validity of tentative solution

– On the basis of the tentative solutions, facts are gathered. The executives establish a tentative solution and then observing critically whether his hypothesis is right or wrong. If the thinkers are wrong, he sets up another tentative solution and proceeds this until he finds the right answer.

Step – V Applying the solution

– For applying the solution, the executive may hold conference with aggrieved employee and questions other employees. Having reached a final decision it should be applied without delay.

Step – VI Follow up

– The executive should not conclude that grievance has been until a check is made to determine whether the employee attitude has been favorably changed. Checking can be done through causal observation while the employees are working, decision taken favorably or unfavorably. The other method includes to ask from the other employees about the aggrieved employee’s reaction.

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• Organizational Behavior and its Emerging Trends

• Participative Management in Public Administration

• Behavioral Approach in Management and Administration

• Means for Effective Motivation

• Problems and Prospects for Management of Public Services

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• Result Oriented Administration / Result Oriented Management