STUDENTS' CORNER -7

Discipline comes as the third principle of Management in the list of Henri Fayol. Let us see now what are the facts associated with Discipline.

For any institution to function normally properly it requires discipline from those associated with it. The goal of the institution cannot be reached without discipline. The goal of an institution is the common focus of the institution; therefore, all must work to achieve the goal which means the common effort of all the people concerned must be the prime factor. To achieve this common effort, a framework of discipline is indispensable.

 In essence, discipline implies accepting and genuinely obeying certain principles, some regulations which aim at common good. And this set up of regulations which constitute the basics of discipline differ from institution to institution. For example, the discipline in a military organization has to be different in nature from discipline in any other institutions.  Discipline in an industry must be different from discipline in an educational institution.  There must be discipline in a family too; otherwise, the family cannot be managed smoothly to the benefits of all.  Without discipline, nothing productive happens. There is discipline in nature as well.  The endless sequence of day and night, the cyclic movements of seasons and many more on such lines only firmly underscore the importance of discipline in the universal existence of all living things. And a business organization also is a living thing essentially;   not just in terms of the fact that it has living people managing it all round , but in the sense that an organization to sustain itself must be vibrant and dynamic and it should never become static. So, everywhere, there is discipline; and the backbone of any framework of discipline is conformity through implicit obedience to the contextual regulations which are thoughtfully conceived for advantageous implementation. 

When you are in an institution which expects conformity to its discipline, the intelligent way will be to voluntarily accept conformity.  If the discipline of the institution does not appeal to you, you have two approaches to it: either you do not join the institution or, having joined, remain loyal to it so long you have to be there.  A forced conformity breeds conflict in the individual as well as in the organization and conflict is anything but unproductive.  So, the first attribute of discipline is conformity to the discipline of the institution.  Some more points are there for discussion with regard to discipline and we will take them up in our next session. 

 Try to feel how disciplined you are where you are.