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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Balancing Command and Control (Discipline) with Organizational Commitment
Every business organization has procedures, rules and regulations that govern its operations. "Employment at will" and "big stick" are factors coming under the command and control of an organization. A dreaded duty of a manager is to discipline an employee when (s)he steps out of line. While I agree that the aspect of discipline has to be there for every organization, it has to be balanced with organizational commitment towards the employee.
However, if individual employees realize that command and control are part of the organizational requirement, but also that the organization respects them and their performance and provides them enough opportunities to grow, that is OK to them.
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Ian van Jaarsveld
Consultant, South Africa
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Balancing Command and Control? My concern with language like "command and control" is that it instills fear and insecurity, and once this is prevalent in an organization culture, people tend to hide in foxholes to dodge what they see as inevitable "bullets".
In this scenario you will not get the results and feedback you desire from your people. If performance management, and the accountability that goes with it, are embedded as a positive measurement with rewards, this would in my opinion be a better language approach. Regards.
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Disciplinary Systems: Hot Stove Rule and OODA Loop  Every business organization has rules and regulations that govern its operations, like every nation having its constitutional provision of capital punishment. This falls under its disciplinary system.
Richard D. Calhoon defined discipline as: "a force that prompts individuals or groups to observe the rules, regulations and procedures which are deemed to be necessary for the effective functioning of on organization".
The dreaded duties of a manager is to discipline an employee when (s)he steps out of line.
But perhaps it is our wrong assumption that command and control affects the loyalty/commitment of employees. This could always be balanced by using:
1. Douglas McGregor's Hot Stove Rule which implies that if the rules and penalties are clear and well understood, a violation creates some natural consequences (just as touching a hot stove). McGregor, also know for his Theory X and Theory Y, mentions the following 4 attributes of an effective disciplinary process:
1A. Immediacy / Immediate Disciplinary Action:
- Disciplinary action follows / should be taken immediately.
- As when you touch a red hot stove you feel the burn instantly.
1B. Forewarning / Advance Warning:
- There should be a warning which must clearly communicate what will happen in case the person does not abide by the rules.
- As when your hand approaches a hot stove, you can feel the heat as a warning that you will get burnt.
1C. Consistency / Consistent Punishment:
- Punishment for misconducts should be in a consistent fashion and not in ad hoc way (sometimes punishment, sometimes not).
- As whenever you touch a hot stove, it always burns you. And a person who repeatedly touches the hot stove, burns his hands as many times.
1D. Impartial / Impersonal Disciplinary Action:
- A person should be punished for any wrong committed, without any bias of who he is and without favoritism.
- As with a hot stove, whoever touches it will experience the effect of the heat, regardless of age, colour, class or creed.
2. Boyd's OODA Loop: Observe - Orient - Decide - Act.
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J. D. Popham, China
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Example of Benefits of Maintaining Discipline Not all cultures embrace the same values. In another country, I was teaching "management" to sophomores (Editor = 2nd year University students) and had a specific rule: Do not use mobiles in class.
In the second class, during my presentation, a female started to use her mobile. I asked why. Her response was, "your class is boring" (said with contempt). I immediately removed her from class and took her to the appropriate authority and recounted what happened and expected her to be disciplined (permanently removed from class). Next two classes, no student.
News traveled fast and I had no problems hence forth in any other class. I was being "tested" for authenticity and consistency.
The outcome? I was awarded "best teacher of the year". I had learned to publicly praise when it was deserved, and when the transgressions were minor, I privately scolded that person. Certain cultures test people to see if they are authentic and consistent and thus can be trusted. Once trust had been earned, the students would follow and do well.
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Balanced Command and Control with Organizational Commitment Consider also the application of balancing command control with organizational commitment in the fields of organizational change or even organization culture change. It will be difficult to achieve those if the organization departments and individuals do not have the ambition to support the change at all levels.
That means a clear sign and support are needed, which can be translated into action by managers and employees. It needs a shared endeavour, attempt.
Where managers, supervisors, employees work together, the results will impressive.
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Samir Desai, India
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Consequences for Acts of Indiscipline Indeed it is my experience that to instill discipline in an organization:
1. It has to be ensured that there is a certainty for consequence of an act of indiscipline. Discretionary decision making process for such an event will demotivate people.
2. The consequences shall be swift, delayed response may embolden others in queue or fence sitters.
3. Severe consequences can be an option only where there is a pattern of consistent misbehaviour.
These three elements will go a long way in maintaining discipline and keeping the morale of the personnel intact.
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ernest agbenohevi
Consultant, Ghana
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Balanced Command and Control and Employee Welfare I agree employees need to be controlled, particularly in line with the values of the organisation, which all employees must know and abide by.
When all employees appreciate the values and corporate ...
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Chimbadzwa
Student (MBA)
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Control and Command of Human Capital Has Become Cumbersome and Strenuous Human capital these days is no longer dedicated to duty like in the old days; hence the need for control and command remains. Punishment seems to work more than mere education and correction.
Sometim...
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Prof. Dr. Jekabs U. Leititis
Professor, Germany
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Balanced Command and Control @Ian van Jaarsveld: I do not agree fully with your comments. The terminology used in the "hot stove rule" is not for being published in an organization. It describes the way a good leader should act i...
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VENKATESWARAN
Teacher, India
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Command and Control in Organisations! The issue of command and control in organisations is quite complex and has to be dealt with utmost care and maturity by top management.
The guidelines and definitions of good and bad behaviour at wor...
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jeffrey wallk
Business Consultant, United States
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Perhaps the Problem with Management is Management. The notion the workers need to be 'managed' suggests the need to control and impart discipline to ensure the right results are achieved.
What if we changed the name 'managers' to 'enablers' who are ...
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James Roberts, USA
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Effective Command & Control Equals Leadership In order to obtain a positive environment with effective "command and control", there must first exist the foundation of effective management being: planning, organizing, coordination, and control. Se...
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Charles Juster
HR Consultant, India
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Nurturing Ethics and Values for Command and Control Command and control as construed today is more a curative approach than a preventive approach towards workplace discipline.
For workplace discipline to be sustainable, organizations must focus on eth...
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C.L. Kappagomtula
Professor, Malaysia
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Command and Control are Dual Elements in Any Organizational System Command is specific per individual and also dependent on one's own personality, as well as the structure and dynamics in the organization.
Control is derived from the positional, reward and coercive...
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LOURDES ARELLANO CHAVEZ
Consultant, Mexico
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Control PLUS Organizational Commitment Certainly the controls are effective and significant only when the leaders of a company are 'living' the instruction as the way forward to achive benefits for all members of the organization.
With th...
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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‘Balanced Command Control' Application Areas There are many avenues in which this approach can be used:
1. Physical work environment: workplace layout, work organization-environment, task invariability
2. Psychosocial work environment: avoidin...
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Mahmoud, Saudi Arabia
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Balanced Command and Control A demonstrated disciplined and ethical culture of management that is presented well to all employees is the most positive factor to prompt all to be also disciplined and aligned. Such a disciplinary s...
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Lenyatso
Teacher, Botswana
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The Four Attributes of McGregor are only Half of What's Needed The four attributes of McGregor provides an excellent framework on punitive action.
It should however be noted that discipline cannot be confined only to punishment or negative sanctions. To improve...
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Ian van Jaarsveld
Consultant, South Africa
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Vitality Curve Principle (Welch) It strikes me that this forum conversation should maybe be split into two topics;
- One being the leaders responsibility in an organisation to lead, develop and instill aspirational synergies into hi...
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sachithanandam
HR Consultant, India
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Clarification on McGregor's Theory Good, but there is a contradiction between McGregor's X and Y Theory and the Hot Stove Rule. Kindly try to give more explanation on this......
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Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
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No Contradiction Between Theory X and y and the Hot Stove Rule @Sachithanandam: thanks for bringing this up. I think there is no contradition:
- In Theory X we assume that humans inherently dislike working. In such an environment, we would then have to force the...
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jacinta wamwaki
Kenya
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The Need for Discipline Discipline is important in any organization for it makes it possible for people to have a sense of commitment to the organization and clarifies and gives a control on what is expected from each indivi...
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John limpus
Australia
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The Need for Self Discipline and Professional Discipline Discipline can be subdivided into self discipline and professional discipline. If employees lack self discipline, then you will have constant conflict. Commanding and controlling an organisation is pr...
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KATHRYN STEINER, MBA
Entrepreneur, United States
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Employment At-will is Tenuous Employment at-will is a philosophy of law that says that provided there was no express contract for a definite term governing the employment relationship and that the employer does not belong to a col...
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Midas Sekgabo, Botswana
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Balanced Command and Control with Org Commitment - Still a Must From the above posts, balanced command and control is the only viable option for any institution.
We are looking here at taking responsibility and accountability for the life-line of the company and ...
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Command and Control and Employment At-will @KATHRYN PAWLEY STEINER : Even if an employee has signed the employment agreement at-will, the employer cannot terminate the individual for reasons that are illegal under state, central or federal gov...
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KATHRYN STEINER, MBA
Entrepreneur, United States
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Right to Work States in US Favor Employers @K. Narayana Moorthy: hello and thank you for your encouraging comments that should be considered by more right to work state employers.
I believe that unfortunately there is no loyalty toward employ...
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Balance Command and Control Kathryn Pawley Steiner, how nicely said.
Yes, it is always good to bargain/negotiated settlement of an issue between employer and employee.
Every relationship needs give and take between the partner...
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C.L. Kappagomtula
Professor, Malaysia
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Culture and Ethnicity Play a Dominant Part in Command and Control of Organizations While a plethora of problems surface in most of the western management dominated organizations, there is a glaring exception in China. From my own experience in peoples republic of China for 17 years,...
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jacinta wamwaki
Kenya
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Us versus Them As long as employers see themselves as "'we'' and the employee as 'them'', things will continue to be bad, since the employees will never feel the ownership of what they do.
This while for any succe...
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K.Narayana Moorthy
HR Consultant, India
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Balancing Command and Control My concept of right to work is ownership of the work itself, both of the employee and the employer, for the success and growth of an enterprise.
Both have to strive for it, because both have a desir...
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KATHRYN STEINER, MBA
Entrepreneur, United States
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Commitment Must Be Reciprocal Between Company and Employee There is agreement in this discussion that the commitment must be equal between the employer and employee. Honesty has to be present, in addition to open dialogue and communication. An open door polic...
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Tessema Bekele
Director, Ethiopia
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Command and Control and Corporate Governance Any company should have a functional directive to provide guidance to employees, executives, directors, and shareholders of companies with a comprehensive summary of the corporate governance framework...
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Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
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The Modern Organization Agreed! On one hand, some level of command and control, discipline, is needed for any organization. Without it, we can't even speak about an "organization".
On the other hand, the optimal level of co...
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giorgio barbetta
Manager, Italy
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Pure Madness C&C is a legacy of Taylor's scientific principles developed in another world. To think that the inanimate rules of the scientific world can still be applied to manage the animate world of companies wh...
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SHAIQ ALI MIRZA
Manager, Pakistan
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Balanced Command and Control @ Prof. Dr. Jekabs U. Leititis: Sir, I fully agree with your above remarks on the topic Balanced Command and Control, very useful remarks....
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Molokanova
Professor, Ukraine
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The Modern Organization In the management of an organization, values serve as an incentive, a necessary condition for any kind of interaction. Complete identification of the employee with organizational values ...
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Maurice Hogarth
Consultant, United Kingdom
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How to Apply and Communicate Command and Control C&C is the stuff of life. It cannot be avoided. It is in the nature of the laws and norms of every society. Everyone does it all of the time in every one of their relationships, be it overtly or cover...
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Anonymous
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Motivation @J. D. Popham: The said student who said "boring' should be asked to handle a session instead!
Also, she should be asked to spell out the inputs that would make the classes interesting and worth list...
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Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
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Not Motivation But Disrespect @Anonymous: I think you somewhat misunderstood the case of J.D. Popham.
That is not a case in which somebody "just" found a lesson boring… It is a case of purposely not obeying to a valid and reasona...
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V.SHRIDHAR
Business Consultant, India
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Discipline Should be Cultivated; not Imposed People are highly valuable resources in any company, whether a machine shop, foundry or forge shop, and to utilize them fully the leader/manager is responsible. There once was a case in my shop where ...
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V.SHRIDHAR
Business Consultant, India
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Discipline Starts from the Top Discipline starts from the top and not from the bottom! I always reached the work spot 15 minutes before the shift time and left 15 minutes after the shift was over. This had a great affect and I coul...
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Maurice Hogarth
Consultant, United Kingdom
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Command & Control is not in Automatic Conflict with Organisational Commitment I'd like to comment on @Ian van Jaarsveld's valid point that the "Command & Control" (C&C) term tends to create an emotion based in negativity, with its implications of autocratic, bullying, dictatori...
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