Insubordination

Willful disobedience to, defiance of, or refusal to obey orders from an authority person or group is known as insubordination. Though it is more frequently associated with the military, the phrase can also be used to describe situations in the workplace where a person rejects management, a higher authority, or the company as a whole. Let's examine insubordination in more detail. First, let’s learn insubordination definition.

Understanding What Is Insubordination

Disregarding a reasonable directive from your boss is called insubordination. This usually happens when the manager or supervisor gives instructions. Insubordination occurs when an employee ignores these instructions. The owner(s) of the company may also be considered authority figures. Three conditions must be met for insubordination to occur:

The employer issues a valid and reasonable directive to the worker.
The worker takes the order.
The worker purposefully declines to carry out the directive

You can give a written or verbal order. It may also manifest as responsibilities included in the job description. The employee may express their acceptance verbally or nonverbally by nodding their head. The employee may refuse in a nonverbal or spoken manner.

What Constitutes Insubordinate Examples?

Particular instances of insubordination will be particular to the person or group in question. Nonetheless, the following are some typical instances of conduct and acts that may be categorized as insubordinate behavior:

• Refusing to carry out a straight order from a superior. For instance, a worker may decline to finish a task that their management has given them.
• Disregarding the policies or procedures of the organization.
• Obstructing or impeding work output.

It's critical to separate insubordination in the workplace from other inappropriate behaviors, such harassment or chronic absence. However, other types of misbehavior frequently accompany insubordination.

Questioning or showing disrespect for authority. Arguing with someone in a leadership position is one example of the disrespectful or aggressive behavior that frequently precedes or follows insubordination (as opposed to respectfully and effectively communicating disagreement).

Destroying power or upsetting group dynamics. An insubordinate worker may also participate in actions that weaken the authority of their manager or the company, like encouraging others to disobey their orders or disseminating rumors or gossip against them.

This conduct has the potential to negatively affect other team members and impede work completion.

What Is Considered Insubordination at Work?

According to SHRM, insubordination at work has officially occurred when any one of the following three circumstances has occurred:

• An employer requests anything from a single employee or from the group of employees in a legal and reasonable manner.
• The order is given to the employee.
• The worker declines to comply with, follow, or execute the directive.

A worker may get instructions verbally, in writing, or through a job description. It may come from the company owner, a supervisor to their direct reporting, or another person in a position of responsibility. The employee can get the instruction informally by showing up for a meeting or by reading an email that contains it; a formal acknowledgement is not necessary.

The main distinction between insubordination and other types of misconduct is the employee's intentional desire to defy an order. This can be achieved by their verbally expressing their intention to stop the directive, ignoring it (a nonverbal form of denial), or taking an unduly long time to complete it.

It is not considered insubordination when a worker misunderstands instructions, disregards guidance, or runs into another difficulty that keeps them from finishing a task. Furthermore, refusing to complete a duty that is illegal, immoral, or dangerous is not considered insubordination on the part of the employee.