Recipient and observer reactions to discipline: are managers experiencing wishful thinking?

A qualitative study of recipients' and observers' reactions to discipline e vents was conducted. Data from 123 recipient interviews and 46 observer int erviews were content analyszed and categorized. Results showed that while b oth groups see positive results from discipline, recipients and observers m ay lose respect for the discipliner, and may develop negative attitudes tow ard the organization as a consequence of the discipline. They are also like ly to perceive the discipline event as unfair, especially when discipline i s applied for informal as opposed to formal rule violations. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.