Simplistically, policy is a set of guidelines or rules that everyone is expected to follow.
So, imagine you’re playing a game with your friends, and there’s a rule that says ‘no cheating allowed’. This rule is a policy – the set of rules that everyone in the game is expected to follow.
Now, let’s say one of your friends starts cheating anyway. The other players are likely to get upset and want to enforce the policy. They might say things like, ‘Hey, that’s against the rules! You’re not supposed to cheat!’ and decide to impose consequences to the act of breaking the rule such as not allowing the cheating friend to play in the game or give a
penalty.
Policies are also a lot like rules in everyday life. Policies can be developed and set by the government, businesses or institutions to influence decisions, address challenges or establish procedures that ultimately affects YOU, as an individual.
For example, a school policy that says student must wear a uniform. If you, as a student goes to school wearing something different, there might be a penalty involved or the teacher might just ask you to change. Or, a company policy that do not allow employees to use their phones during work hours. The organisation may have a locker where all employees including yourself need to keep their phones in or a supervisor may reprimand you if they see you using it.
Simplistically, policies are put in place to help guide behavior and ensure that everyone is on the same page. They can be useful for creating consistency and fairness, but can also be controversial if people disagree with them or feel like they’re being unfairly enforced. It is important that every individual understand policies so that they know how it will affect them.
Comments