Discipline Without Punishment - Paper Example

Different organizations have various ways of managing their employees for varying organizational purposes. Tampa Electric company is not exceptional as it uses both modern and traditional ways of system and employee management for its success. The paper, therefore, is premised on a discussion regarding employee discipline, performance management, and employee and labor relations in Tampa Electric Company.

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Employee Discipline

According to the Tampa Electric Company report, the punitive disciplinary approach is a progressive discipline system involving a more severe and critical set of penalties each time a worker or an employee break the organizational rules (Campbell et al., 1985). In most cases, to end behavior, counseling might be sufficient. However, if counseling does not work, the employee might be warned verbally, then the next time given a written warning, then suspended in case they repeat the behavior.

Non-punitive disciplinary approach, on the other hand, is a program that replaces the unpaid suspensions of an organization to employees with a disciplinary letter that is equivalent to a suspension, thus, ensuring that there have been previous disciplinary cases if other cases of misconduct arise again (Campbell et al., 1985). Additionally, the non-punitive approach eliminates the adversarial stance of the employees versus the management of the organization, which is critical to gain the commitment of an employee. Unlike punitive discipline, non-punitive discipline replaces warnings and reprimands with performance improvement discussions and reminders.

Moreover, just like the progressive or punitive discipline, there are steps progression in handling the problems and challenges of employees which might culminate in the employee leaving or resigning from the organization. In most cases, termination is often not included in the positive discipline steps. The impact of punitive and non-punitive disciplinary approaches to employee relations is that when the organization pays the employee during the suspension, it reduces the need for the employee to "save face." In contrast, when another employee from Tampa Electric Company returns from an unpaid suspension, the apathy, anger, or resentment provoked by the layoff always lead to subtle sabotage, reduced output, martyrdom, and other expensive anti-organization forms of behavior (Campbell et al., 1985).

Also, issues regarding employee system abuse like intentional misbehavior to earn a free day off are unfounded. Employees often treat their leaves seriously in organizations utilizing the approaches. They always make decisions about maintaining their employment and changing their behaviors. Unlike the unpaid traditional suspension where an employee must work more, the modern system gives the employee the responsibility for future behavior and performance. Nevertheless, in unionized companies, arbitrations and grievances are often viewed differently. The non-punitive system used by organizations often eliminate trials at reducing penalties, inconsistent punitive claims, and making deals (Campbell et al., 1985). They also decrease the number of arbitrations and grievances related to discipline.

Performance Management

The elements of an effective performance management system in Tampa Electric Company are performance planning where reviewing and appraisals are conducted at the beginning of the performance session (Campbell et al., 1985). At the depicted period, the employees decide on the primary areas of performance and targets that can be performed over a specified period within the performance budget. The outcomes are then finalized after a relevant and effective mutual agreement has been made between the employees and the reporting officer. Performance reviewing and appraisal is another element where in most cases, appraisals are often performed in an organization twice in a year in the form of annual and mid-reviews held at the end of every financial year.

In the process, the self-filled-up ratings are first offered by the appraisee in the self-appraisal form describing their achievements over a specific period in quantifiable terms. After the self-appraisal has been made, the appraiser provides the final ratings for the measurable and quantifiable achievements of the person been appraised (Campbell et al., 1985). The entire reviewal process requires the active participation of the appraiser and the employee to analyze the causes of specific loopholes in the performance and ways of solving them.

Nonetheless, there is performance feedback followed by performance facilitation and personal counseling as an element, where the employee acquires the appraiser's knowledge regarding the areas of improvement as well as data on whether the involved employee is showcasing the expected performance levels or not. In most cases, the employee often receives transparent and open feedback and their development and training needs are identified (Campbell et al., 1985). Possible procedures are then adopted by the appraiser to ascertain that employees meet the desired organizational outcomes through effective guidance and counseling, representing and mentoring the employees in various training programs that enhance and develop the overall competencies and productivity.

Rewarding good performance is another element where an employee is recognized publicly for his or her good performance and then rewarded. However, rewarding good performance of employees might have direct impacts on the orientation achievement and self-esteem of the employees. When an organization recognizes the contribution of employees, it might help them cope successfully with their failures and satisfy their affection need

Nevertheless, there are performance plans of improvement where goals are created for employees and deadlines are provided for completing the generated objectives (Campbell et al., 1985). Communication on the relevant areas is done and the employee is always expected to improve within a specific deadline. The appraiser and the appraisee jointly develop the plan then mutually approve it. The potential appraisal is also an element that forms a vertical and lateral employee movement. When various assessment techniques and competency mapping are implemented, the potential appraisal is then conducted to provide important job rotation and succession planning inputs (Campbell et al., 1985).

Employee and Labor Relations

The differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes are in their wages and salaries. The wages of union workers are always created through negotiations between the representatives of the union and negotiation team of the company while for the nonunion employees, the selected candidate or employee discusses their salaries and wage rate. Their working conditions and benefits also differ such that for union employees, working conditions and benefits are part of their collective bargaining process (Campbell et al., 1985). However, for the nonunion employees, there is no luxury of bargaining their benefits and working conditions or their plans of retirement as they can either sign the contract terms or not.

The employee grievances and complaints are also different such that in most cases, union workers express their dissatisfaction by filing grievances according to the bargaining agreement process. The raised grievances are then handled in a systematic manner with various procedures beginning with an informal review (Campbell et al., 1985). However, for the union workers, the complaint procedure is always simpler as it only requires a human resource staff member, the employee, and the supervisor to resolve the related issues of the employee.

The improvements that can be made to a nonunion complaint process include updating the grievance policy of the organization regularly depending on the workplace condition, employment law, and changes in organizational leadership, that will favor both the employees and the organization's needs (Campbell et al., 1985). Also, by reducing the grievances of the employees by ascertaining that the company has effective supervisory training, an employee survey, and an effective performance appraisal system. Moreover, a human capital dashboard management can be created to report real-time data on grievances, disciplinary actions, suspensions, terminations, and turn over by department (Campbell et al., 1985). The action helps to determine various capital hotspots that require managerial support.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Tampa Electric company is no exception as it uses both modern and traditional ways of system and employee management for its success. The punitive disciplinary approach involves warning employees verbally, followed by a written warning, then suspension in case they repeat the behavior. The Nonpunitive disciplinary approach replaces the warnings with reminders which in most cases favor the needs of an employee.

The elements of an effective performance management system include performance planning, performance reviewing and appraisal, performance feedback, rewarding of employee performance, and performance improvement plans, to mention but a few. Some of the differences between union grievance procedures and nonunion complaint processes rely on their wages and salaries, working conditions and benefits, and ways of solving their grievances and complaints.

Reference

Campbell, D. N., Fleming, R. L., & Grote, R. C. (1985). Discipline without punishment-at last. Harvard Business Review, 63(4), 162-+. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1985/07/discipline-without-punishment-at-last