EXPLORING EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS OF FAIRNESS OF DISCIPLINARY MEASURES IN THE WORKPLACE

Abstract

Disciplinary action and measures must be implemented to remedy undesirable workplace behaviour and channel employees’ performance towards the attainment of organisational objectives. However, to achieve this, disciplinary measures should be designed and implemented in a fair and reasonable manner in the workplace, failing which, undesirable and negative outcomes may be experienced by the organisation. This paper’s objective was to explore employee perceptions and perspectives regarding the implementation of disciplinary measures in the case organisation. To achieve this, a qualitative research design was adopted through the use of a case study strategy, utilising semi-structured interviews for data collection. A total of ten participants were purposively sampled within the case organisation, where responses from participants were analysed using content and thematic analysis. The study’s findings revealed that disciplinary measures were inconsistently applied, where toxic leaders implement disciplinary action in an unfair manner. Findings further revealed that these perceptions of injustice and unfairness have resulted in the development of anger towards management and empathy for employees who were victimized through disciplinary action. It is recommended that the case organisation adhere to its disciplinary policy and code; eliminate the wasteful expenditure of state funds on disciplinary cases without merit, in addition to the appointment of senior based on merit.