MBA HRM – PAPER – 401

Susanta kumar gangopadhyay

Role and responsibilities of the HR department in administration of discipline.

Discipline which is essential for the smooth running of an organization and

for the maintenance of industrial peace is the very foundation of industrial
democracy. Without discipline, no enterprise would prosper. The HR
department which manages human resources and administer the rules and
regulations and statutes has the cardinal task to maintain discipline in an
organization in addition to other various task and responsibilities like
selection , recruitment , manpower planning, pay roll administration etc . It
is an established fact that success of any rules of discipline depends on the
existence of a high degree of cooperation between the employers and the
employees faith and belief in one another’s motives on the fulfillment of
mutual obligations and on the management enlightened attitude towards its
employees and its overall efficiency and on the good sense of the workers
trade unions. J.D.Mooney in his book ‘Principles of organization’ has rightly
observed that when the employee and the boss are bound by the same
common understanding of some common purpose, discipline is on a plane
which no other form can reach.
While it is commonly believed that every supervisor is a personnel manager
in respect of human resource under his direct control, the very attitude and
control exercised by the line supervisor often lead to performance of act of
indiscipline by the worker. While some supervisors are so efficient and clever
that they develop among their subordinates a willingness to observe rules
and regulations of the organization while there are many who can function
only by holding out threats to their subordinates they rule by fear. Again
there are yet others who cannot enforce any obedience of their orders with
them and employees behave in manner exclusively of their own.
In the administrative set up in a factory situation, the workers are
governed under provisions of certified standing orders which contained
among others, specific acts and behavior as misconduct and violative of the
code of discipline in an organization.So far as the supervisors and officers
are concerned most of the organizations have the service rules containing
different acts and behavior termed as misconduct and violative of the code
of discipline. In large and medium sized organization, there are the labour
welfare officers holding statutory positions to look after the welfare of the
workers are acting in the position of independent identity, as a buffer zone
and a bridge between the workers and the personnel department of an
organization. In the practical scenario misconduct committed in the
department of the works reported at the very initial stage to the Labour
Welfare Officer and routed through them to the Personnel department for
deciding upon necessary action.
It is one of the pivotal task of the personnel department to keep a vigilant
eye on day to day administrative affairs and human behavior and activities
in different departments. It is a commonly known factor that majority of
workers tend to conform to discipline and conduct their activities in
accordance with their assigned tasks, violation of code of discipline often
occur due to ignorance or committing of behavior and actions without
specific intentions. It is the avowed duty of the personnel department also to
train up and make them known of the activities committing of which may
invite penal action.
In the backdrop of globalization and change in the concept of management
functioning thereby accepting the employees as resource and input to the
production process and also in view of the fact that the workers to day are
more educated and aware of their rights. Therefore, an integrated approach
based on healthy human relations oriented towards establishing good
relationship with a systematic approach is call of the day.
While the personnel department is the rule enforcing arm in an organization
acting as the watch dog against indiscipline it requires a multidimensional
approach towards developing a comprehensive and integrated framework of
disciplinary procedure which are robust enough to deal with factors the way
ahead. It is the task of the personnel department to implement such
integrated procedures with due approval of the apex management along
with involvement of key stake holders that include shop floor workers ,the
line supervisors and the Union leaders. It is one of the principle task of the
personnel department to maintain also a harmonious industrial relations
scenario to ensure that discipline reins supreme in the interest of assured
production and productivity. It is the job of the personnel department to
eliminate indiscipline through training and education and multipronged
motivational strategies and proper job allocation creating commitment of its
employees.
Indiscipline basically arises out of poor management and errors of
judgement. Lack of commitment may also instigate indiscipline. There is no
readymade solution for the personnel department to deal with indiscipline in
an automatic manner. It is for them to advise the apex management and
with their approval to develop a positive approach among the supervisors
and managers so that by counseling and education, the workers are prone to
adopt self discipline.