Inter-relationship between discipline, Group Banding and Morale of a workforce

1. ENFORCEMENT & SENSITISATION OF DISCIPLINE, GROUP BONDING & MORALE
OF A WORKFORCE
INTRODUCTION
1. High order of discipline, group bonding and morale of the workforce are mutually
inclusive and basic requisite for a potent work force, especially in the military environment.
These terms are closely interwoven together, synchronised and highly interdependent on
each other; even slightest variation in any one of the above can affect the harmony and
environment of the workplace.
2. Enforcing and sensitisation of discipline, group bonding and morale of the work
force is a painstaking but most important job of the supervisors, leaders and the
organisation.
DISCIPLINE
3. Discipline is a training that makes people more willing to obey or more able
to control themselves, often in the form of rules, and punishments if these are broken, or
the behaviour produced by this training. It is also defined as ability to control our self or
other people, even in difficult situations.
4. Discipline is hallmark of military life and it is ingrained among its personnel
through a strict & well defined regimented schedule at training institutes and it is
continued throughout the life. Discipline ensure that the military functions like a well oiled
machinery and produces desired results during war and national calamities.
MORALE
5. Morale is description of the emotions, attitude, satisfaction, and overall outlook
of employees during their time in a workplace environment. Part of effective productivity is
thought to be directly related to the morale of the employees. Employees that are happy
and positive at work are said to have positive or high morale. Workplaces where
employees are dissatisfied and negative about their work environment are said to have
negative or low employee morale. There are that can affect team morale to dip such as:-
(a) Layoffs and restructuring.
(b) Poor leadership.

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(c) Poor communication.
(d) Lack of empowerment or autonomy.
(e) Difficult co-workers.
(f) Heavy workloads or stress, with no reward or gratitude.
(g) No sense of value to the work being done
6. SIGNS OF LOW MORALE. Too often, authorities don't realize that morale is
poor and they consider it a discipline matter and treat them by adopting strict measures to
curb the menace but it erode the organisation in the long run. Whether or not a team or
organization is facing any of the scenarios above, the following are clues that morale may
be slipping:
(a) Noticeable unhappiness.
(b) Increased complaints about work, or other team members.
(c) Increased absenteeism.
(d) An increase in conflict between team members.
(e) Insubordination or unruliness.
(f) Disorganized work environments.
(g) Decreased productivity
(h) Lack of enthusiasm.
Team Morale First, Group bonding next and Discipline always
7. In order to ensure strong bonding and discipline among the workforce it necessary
to keep the morale of the team at highest standards. Following are some strategies for
building morale:-
(a) Reconnecting with Team such that team members feel close to their leader
(b) Developing Your Team by developing their skills through cross training
(c) Improving the physical environment of the Workplace
(d) Improving vertical and horizontal Communication among the team members
(e) Setting Measurable and clear Goals
(f) Rebuilding Confidence in the team
(g) Focusing on Talent Management
(h) Keeping People Motivated

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GROUP BONDING
8 The essence of a group is shared commitment. Without it, groups perform as
individuals; with it, they become a powerful unit of collective performance. The best teams
invest a tremendous amount of time shaping a purpose that they can own. The best teams
also translate their purpose into specific performance goals. And members of successful
teams and become accountable and highly disciplined.
9. The fundamental distinction between teams and other forms of working groups
turns on performance. A working group relies on the individual contributions of its
members for group performance. But a team strives for something greater than its
members could achieve individually. In short, an effective team is always worth more than
the sum of its parts.
10. Team building in organizations is a common approach to improving performance.
There are various theories for group bonding but commonly followed practical methods
include the following:-
(a) Organised Sports & Games which develops behaviours and skills that
increase team functioning. The coach communicates the goals and objectives to the
team, defining roles and group norms.
(b) Managing Groups and Teams/Discipline. Balancing between disciplining
your team and building your team can sometimes be difficult and is often viewed as
two opposite behaviours. However, by building a stronger team, self disciplined
members can be formed.
CONCLUSION
11. Morale, Group Bonding and Discipline are inclusive concepts we cannot treat them
in isolation. The is a need to revisit and relook whether strict discipline affects group
bonding and keep the morale of the group members high or high morale , strong cohesion
in the group enforce discipline among the team members.