HR MANAGEMENT - How Does Leadership Style Matter in Relation to Handling Employee Insubordination?

How Does Leadership Style Matter in Relation to Handling Employee Insubordination?

by Jason Gillikin, Demand Media

A leader's management style shapes her response to insubordination.

The office malcontent storms into the staff meeting 20 minutes late. The manager asks if he has a status report ready on a major project and he says no. When pressed for details, the employee says, "Don't worry about it; just quit hassling me." When faced with such a situation, the manager could respond several ways. Her leadership style will dictate the way she handles such employee insubordination.

Setting Boundaries

No matter how lenient the supervisor, employers should establish clearly-documented behavioral standards for employees. These standards preserve the company's right to discipline or terminate employees for bad behavior, and set guidelines for employees to understand the boundaries. As business writer Janell Hazelwood notes, "When it comes to insubordination, there’s usually a fine line crossed or a professional boundary overstepped, and the mishandling of such behavior can lead to bad company morale, loss in productivity, and a toxic work environment."

Accommodation

Laid-back or accommodating bosses tend to allow employees the benefit of the doubt. This approach works well with staff who may be gruff or sarcastic but who fundamentally respect the boss and are committed to the company's success. However, accommodation may irritate less-tolerant co-workers and potentially undermine an employer's credibility in dealing with behavior issues.

Strictness

Conversely, some employees are exceptionally particular about civility and respect, to the point of creating an environment where disagreement with the boss is considered inappropriate. Although employees clearly understand just how little leeway they have, super-strict bosses lose out on honest and unvarnished employee feedback and develop a culture of fear and low morale.

Inconsistency

Bosses whose approach differs according to the day of the week or identity of the employee often wreak havoc on morale. When some employees are treated more favorably than others, or when a joke or challenging question permitted on Tuesday is forbidden on Thursday, employees lack certainty. This confusion often leads to cynicism and low morale.

Constructiveness

Employers who firmly but politely address insubordination immediately when it occurs, often do the best job of maintaining a stable work environment. In being objective about the transgression without overtly pulling rank, a supervisor gains not only the upper hand in the moment, but also sets the standard that some behavior is inappropriate due to the act itself, not because of the personalities involved.