The Hot Stove Rule - Douglas Mc Gregor

Hot Stove approach by Douglas Mc Gregor shows that if the rules and penalty are clear and acknowledged clearly to all staff, a violation of rules prescribed would create some consequences as stated in the penalty, just as if someone touching the hot stove, the consequence is to burns his own hands.

Four principles of the hot stove rule in employee discipline is immediacy, warning, consistency and impersonal / impartiality.

i. Immediacy. In discipline employee, a manager should take immediate action to investigate the case and if the employee found guilty of violating the rules and standards of the organization, immediate action should be taken to punish / or penalty should be impose according to rules of the organization. And the employee should be informed of his violation and penalty soon after the manager or the authority of the organization has decided. This would prevent the case from fading away and misjudged. This as if someone touches the 'hot stove', the effect and burning sensation is immediate.

ii. Warning. Each and every employee, higher level or lower level ones should be given notice or acknowledgement of the organization's latest rules, standards and regulations. What penalty and punishment would be set to each violator should also brief to the employees as a warning. As pictured by the 'hot stove', the hot red burning stove is the warning so people would not touch it, if anyone touches it (ignored the warning), his hands would burn as the result (punishment) of touching hot stove.

iii. Consistency. The punishment / penalty for violating rules of the organization should be consistent. This would ensure that all employees are satisfied with the fair treatment and recognize that if anyone violating the rules, he/ she would get the same punishment. This would not only ensure that the employees be loyal to the organization, feel safe when working in the organization and also satisfied when being punished. The 'hot stove' would always burn one's hand if touched, the consequence is consistent, so is discipline.

iv. Impersonal /impartiality. Discipline applied to every member in the organization, regardless of what position ones in, gender, race or family background. A manager should impose the penalty or punishment of violator without bias or favorites. The punishment should be on the subject (the violation), not on the person. This is as if the hot stove, whoever touched it, burn their own hands, the hot stove does not chose to burn certain people or because of who they are, but whoever touched it, get the burn.