Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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"No damn it, I won't!"
Such insubordination has long been considered a serious offense
in the world of employee discipline. The right of management to
control its business and work force is a strongly rooted concept in
labor relations in the United States. Within the context of organizations,
this right implies that those in supervisory positions can direct
their work force with the expectation that employees will carry out
their directives. Since the traditional purpose of the employment
relationship is to accomplish the work desired by the employer, employees
need to accept the authority of the employer.^ Consequently,
the presence of discipline is a fundamental element of this employment
relationship. Our society, it would appear, has implicitly regarded
respect for authority as an essential and valuable ingredient
in the efficient operations of work groups. A breach of this discipline
by an employee is considered to be misconduct. When em-