Top Level Management in Workplaces

CASE STUDY

Punishment and Discipline

In our discussion we find this as an organisation. And it has three different levels of management. They are

1. Top level – Board of Directors, Chairman and the chief executives. Chief Executive may be the managing Director or General Manager.
2. Middle level – Branch manager, area sales manager, office manager, plant manager, sectional heads.
3. Lower level – supervisors, foreman, sales officers, account officer, purchase officer, etc.

We consider Mr. Z as a Top Level Management and also he is the top manager of this organisation ladder as a general manager. He is good in his approaches, listens and takes decisions based on his own judgements. He does not believe in reprimands and punishments. But he is lavish in his praises towards his subordinates. He is also known for his ‘extreme liking’ for disciplined behaviour.

And Y is a Middle Level Manager and of this same organisation. He is not formally qualified in management. But he adopts a management technique that is suited to the organisation.          His style of functioning has been extremely successful. He is an extremely knowledgeable person and has the right pulls at right places to get things done. His approach towards his subordinates is parental and towards his bosses is one of ‘reaching organisational goal at any cost.’ His motto towards his junior officers is freedom, independence and protection and Mr. X has taken him to be his mentor.

Then the last but not least our lower level employee Mr. X. He is a commerce graduate with management qualifications; he is a junior officer in this organisation. He is extremely dedicated to his work and can be called a workaholic. He adopts all modern management techniques to get results; a go-getter and a trouble shooter. He is respected and loved by his subordinates for his approach and knowledge and the workers would go to any length to complete the job given by him.

And the problem raised in this organisation was quiet interesting.  Whenever some good work was done by Mr. X, Mr. Z, the general Manager had showered praises and expressed his appreciation to Mr. X on many such occasions during discussions between Mr. X and Mr. Z. But some occasions Mr. Y let out his temper in public and has taken up with Mr. X for some mistakes, in front of his  colleagues. Mr. X has also been argumentative on such occasions and has been insisting that what he had done is right and that there was only a communication ga or that Mr. Y has not understood the problems correctly.

On one particular occasion Mr. Y really became furious on Mr. X and reprimanded him severely publically. Mr. X felt hurt and the matter was taken to the top level.

Mr. X was arguing with Mr. Z, the top boss that “Praises should be given in public and reprimand in private” and that Mr. Z was praising Mr. X in private while Mr. Y was reprimanding in public and hence both were making things worse for Mr. X and doing a disservice to the organisation.

And Mr. Z explained that he was lavish in praises in private to Mr. X, mainly to encourage and motivate him for better results and never failed to put in a word of appreciation about Mr. X at the appropriate higher levels at appropriate time. Also, if Mr. X was praised in public, this might create jealousy amongst colleagues and may create problems for him by their non –co-operation in convenience him in day-to-day functioning for want of proper horizontal interaction.

Mr. Z was clearing the side of Mr. Y also. Reprimand given publicly will be taken seriously and he will make amends besides making others feel the Mr. Y is not partial or have a peculiar attachment to Mr. X and Mr. Y’s position will be clear before the other colleagues and subordinates. This will also reduce jealousy towards Mr. X by his colleagues and may even result in some sympathy towards Mr. X and there would be better result. If any reprimand or other disciplinary action taken privately, others will not know whether that action was fair or not, and it cannot have a constructive influence on the future behaviour of others.