This aspect of play has three facets.
[1] The leader and caller of a party might order one course of action while various players state that their characters do otherwise.
Your DM will treat such situations as confused and muddled, being certain to penalize the group accordingly.
[2] Obedience also applies to hirelings and henchmen. Loyalty and morale are factors here,
as is the existing situation where obedience is called for.
[3] Finally, certain magic items, particularly magic swords, tend to be argumentative and may refuse to obey uncertain,
demanding, weak, or foolish masters.
If in doubt regarding obedience, the sure test is the one where you ask yourself if your character would do it.
This test applies only to creatures, not magically endowed items. If you ask a henchman to try on a cloak,
it is probable that he and all of your other henchmen and hirelings will expect that the garment will become his.
Likewise, if a servitor is asked to sample the contents of a potion bottle, the item is then regarded as the servitor's property by all onlookers. Obedience is based on such considerations, i.e. fairness, justness, rewards, hazards, love, respect, fear, and similar repute and emotion.