Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / The purpose and motivation of this research study is to establish how Generation Y experiences coaching as an intervention and the influence, if any, it has on their levels of job satisfaction. Coaching’s success lies in its ability to act as a change agent, as well as a tool to develop and ensure individual as well as business success across many levels of the organisation. Generation Y graduates currently entering the workplace are a diverse community and the ideas and contributions that this group can bring are accessible and valuable to the bottom line of any business. The researcher investigated the phenomenology of the coaching experience. This is an empirical case study where the unit of analysis is the experience of seven Generation Y individuals, employed on an investment banking graduate programme in South Africa in 2011. Research data was gathered by means of observation, a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews prior to and following four coaching interventions conducted by the researcher. Content from the semistructured interviews and feedback was analysed and further coded under the most frequent themes. The findings suggest that coaching can help graduates improve their feeling of happiness at work and increase their level of job satisfaction. The extent, however, is dependent on many factors, which include but are not limited to, the relationship between the coach and coachee, the ability of the coachee to reflect and yet be able to move towards a solution, as well as the many influences found within the working environment. Coaching was found to increase levels of confidence and assist in focusing on the bigger picture to develop their long-term potential. The study is of value to those organisations considering introducing a coaching programme; as well as those who want to better understand and develop their young talent for the future. Future research could examine ways to measure increased job satisfaction amongst graduates as well as assess the effect on retention levels.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Emotional intelligence has been a much debated topic in leadership circles globally, since the idea was first conceived in the 1970s, and later made popular by Goleman in the 1990s (Goleman, 1995: 5). In an endeavour to effect a culture change at the Glencore SA operations, a process of emotional intelligence (EI) training has been rolled out to the leadership at the mining operations over the past four years. This has met with varying degrees of success, but it begs the question: What is the value of this training, and how effective is it expected to be? This research set out to assess the correlation between the results in productivity and safety, with that of the exposure of emotional intelligence to the leadership at the Goedgevonden (GGV) coal mining operation. To this end, this research sought to develop a view of the levels of emotional intelligence, or the lack thereof, prior to any form of intervention, and to draw comparisons with the present EI levels. The hypothesis being: EI training of the leadership team at the Goedgevonden operation has significantly improved performance. The research then tested a sample of the GGV leadership for their emotional intelligence quotient using a commercially available test. These test results have been included in the findings. The concept of group emotional intelligence (GEI) was studied in the course of the literature review, and it was further deemed pertinent to examine this concept as to its relevance at the Goedgevonden operation. Tests were conducted with two teams. A distinct disparity arose from the findings of the team emotional tests, which did not correlate with the similar training to which both teams had been exposed. The findings of the team emotional tests also correlated significantly with the performance of the two teams over the past three years. A ten percent discrepancy in performance exists, as with a very similar percentage in test scores. A strong sense of need for emotional intelligence training evolved from the interview process. More significantly, was the need for this training to be aimed at the lower levels of the organisation, as well as for this training to incorporate a strong element of team EI. These aspects are both articulated in the recommendations also.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISCH ABSTRACT: Purpose – The purpose of this research was to explore the role of coaching in enhancing reflective practices in managers. The experiences and perceptions of coachees were explored to answer the research question. Design/methodology/approach – This research was a qualitative study. Using an inductive approach, it sought to explore and interpret data collected from the coachees on their experiences and perceptions of coaching and the extent to which it influenced reflective practices. A purposive sampling approach was used. A total of five coachees from a FMCG company that the researcher is employed at, in the Durban area, participated in the research. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and researcher field notes and observations during the coaching process. Findings –The key findings revealed that coaching played an important role in enhancing the reflective practices and reflection in managers. Coachees found that the coaching process supported and enabled the achievement of their coaching goals. Further it was found that coachee use of reflective practices were enhanced through coaching, leading to greater levels of self-awareness, improved self-regulation and improved decision-making. Reflective practices emerged as a valuable competence for leadership. Reflective tools and practice were enablers to leadership development. Enhanced use of reflective practices led to greater reflection and self-awareness and insights leading to better self-mastery and personal growth. Greater self-awareness and enhanced reflective practices also saw coachees transferring the tools they had used and learnt to others. It was found that as coachees developed self and others their leadership capability improved. Organisational buy in, support and practices that value reflection were found to be critical for effective learning and leadership capability development. Coachees identified in the coaching process, the coach- coachee relationship, trust and coachee goal accountability as important enablers and from an organisational context, identified leadership support for time for reflective practices as a critical enabler. Research limitations/implications – A small sample size was used in the study. These findings, whilst true for the coachees who participated, may not be generalised to the general population of leaders and or managers. The results however, could be useful to other coaches developing reflective capability in coachees, to organisations and leadership development practitioners focussed on establishing competencies for leaders and development programmes for leaders. Practical implications – The implications of this research include: Business and executive coaches To give consideration to the deliberate development of reflective practices in leader coachees thus enhancing their reflection, shifting awareness and leading to effective coaching outcomes. For leader coachees To be committed to the coaching process, development of reflective practices and committed to their self development. Further they are encouraged to focus on developing behaviours important for their leadership effectiveness. Organisational human resource development practitioners To include and address within leadership competency frameworks and development programmes the development of reflective practices and the value of reflection. In an organisational setting, reflective practice must be valued as a competency in order for benefits to be derived and the culture and leadership behaviours adopted be in alignment. Coaching academies or training providers and professional coaching bodies To position development of reflective practices as an important and primary outcome of a coach-coachee relationship linked to goal realisation and make reflection and reflective practices, an explicit competency in the coaching capability development framework linked to assessments. Originality/value – The study adds to the body of knowledge on understanding the impact of coaching in enhancing reflective practices in managers and contributes to the positioning of reflective practices in leadership competency frameworks and leadership development programmes. Future research around reflective practices is needed and recommendations have been made.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Coach and Mentors of South Africa (COMENSA) coach/mentor supervision policy of 2010, which was updated in 2013, aims to convey COMENSA’s official position on coaching supervision as well as inform members about this practice. The policy offers a framework for best practice for coaching supervision and serves as a benchmark against which to compare the goals and competencies of coach supervisors in South Africa. COMENSA’s policy on supervision includes a list of seven goals. The policy further recommends that, throughout the supervisory relationship, the supervisor must be able to demonstrate a range of behaviours and competencies, as well as be able “to pay attention to, work with and balance” the three functions of supervision, namely: developmental, resourcing, and qualitative. Currently it is unknown whether the coach supervisors offering supervision in South Africa actually meet these behaviours, competencies and goals. In addition, it is unknown what qualifications and experience the coach supervisors have and whether their supervision meets the supervisees’ expectations. This study assessed whether coach supervisors in South Africa actually meet the COMENSA supervision policies’ competency requirements and supervision goals and whether these goals and requirements are necessary and sufficient for quality coaching supervision sessions. The study also explored whether coaching supervision met the supervisees’ expectations. The research design was an empirical qualitative study using a multi-method approach involving interviews and documents. The study was interpretive and exploratory in nature. Primary data was sourced through semi-structured interviews with 23 participants comprising five supervisors and 18 supervisees from three regions in South Africa. Secondary data came from the two COMENSA coach/mentor supervision policies (2010 and 2013). The data was analysed using ATLAS.ti. It was found that supervisors focused their goals on learning and support first, then relational dynamics and professional practice issues. In the COMENSA coach/mentor supervision policy the emphasis differs. The policy focuses predominantly on relational dynamics, then learning and professional practice. Supervision as support was mentioned only briefly in two goals. According to the perspective of their supervisees, supervisors were competent in terms of the requirements set out in the COMENSA coach/mentor policies (2010 and 2013) and supervision largely met their expectations. Supervisees identified areas for improvement in supervisor facilitation skills, providing a safe space and stronger contracting. A surprising result emerged with 11 of the 18 supervisees either already using supervision to discuss the business of coaching or wanting this to be an added element of the process. The business of coaching covers topics such as marketing and how to run a practice and is not typically included in coaching supervision. The competency of raising cultural awareness and respecting diversity and difference was not mentioned by any of the participants, a surprising omission given the diverse socio-political environment of South Africa.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was inspired by the quest of a South African public utility confronted with complex challenges which necessitated requisite leadership behaviour change, to understand what differentiated executive-level leaders who chose to engage in executive coaching from those who did not. Executive coaching was offered as a support mechanism to accelerate the absorption and application of learning for behaviour change during an executive-level leadership development programme. For the duration of the programme though, requests for executive coaching remained relatively low for the total executive-level leadership population. The study’s research question was: Is level of self-awareness in executive-level leaders a differentiator for openness to engage in executive coaching? This was delineated from the broad definition of self-awareness as the extent to which individuals see themselves as others see them. To answer the research question, three hypotheses were tested based on the three secondary objectives of this study in order to determine: 1) Differences in self-awareness from an emotional perspective for leaders who engaged in executive coaching versus those who did not; 2) differences in self-awareness from a developmental perspective for leaders who engaged in executive coaching versus those who did not; and 3) differences between leader self-awareness from and emotional perspective versus a developmental perspective. An exploration of existing literature on the focal topics of this study suggested that openness to both learning and behaviour change is positively associated with leadership self-awareness. The researcher postulated that an informed interpretation of such association could present worthwhile information to be employed towards the optimisation of executive coaching as a support mechanism to leadership development programmes. This study was conducted from a post-positivist paradigm. This allowed for researching a complex aspect such as openness to deep personal change and growth, through a quantitative exploration of associations between variables as well as the offering of possible explanations for those. Secondary data was analysed through the application of descriptive and inferential statistics. The study did not find statistically significant evidence to support the three research hypotheses postulated regarding a possible association between leadership self-awareness and openness to engage in executive coaching. However, at a descriptive statistical level, the study did reveal a general trend of a positive association between well-developed emotional-capacity on constructs commonly related to pro-change behaviour (adaptability, flexibility, impulse control and stress management) and a high level of self-awareness from a developmental perspective. Due to the inability of this study to find statistically significant evidence in support of the hypotheses postulated, the researcher had to conduct a further exploration of findings and conclusions from studies related to the current study, in an effort to interpret the current study’s findings. A comparison of the current study’s findings at a descriptive statistical level with other related studies generated a number of additional questions and recommendations for further research. It also brought to light support for executive coaching as a primary mechanism available to organisations to cultivate leadership self-awareness and adaptability to change. This study indeed produced more questions than answers, and the researcher is of the opinion that the value of this research lies in the reflections, further questions and recommendations for further research produced during the struggle to overcome the limitations of the study.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite workplace bullying becoming more prevalent today, limited focus has been placed on this phenomenon within the organisational research context. It is important to note that this particular field of study still seems to be fairly new. Preventative measures for workplace bullying have focused on organisations taking responsibility through revisiting organisational leadership and culture, implementing policies and programmes, one of which includes coaching interventions. The present study set out to state that through effective and well-directed coaching interventions, awareness regarding workplace bullying can be created on both an individual and organisational level. The main objective of the study was to explore what coaching interventions and techniques can be used in coaching to address workplace bullying in South Africa. This study, positioned in the interpretivist paradigm, explored the personal experiences of 13 qualified and registered business coaches with COMENSA in South Africa, regarding their understanding, experience and knowledge of coaching related to workplace bullying from the sample group, through qualitative data. The sample group participated in individual semi-structured interviews relaying their experiences by answering specific questions, formulated as guidelines to the study. The questions were grouped into four categories, in order to analyse the qualitative data by using the content analysis method. The study found that coaches are increasingly faced with the responsibility to coach individuals related to workplace bullying, that it is a definite problem in South African organisations, but that organisations are currently not addressing it. The sample group in general had an average understanding of the concept of workplace bullying. However, their experience in workplace bullying contributed to insight on a number of factors, not obtained from literature. This also included the identification of several approaches, techniques and tools, which have been used with great effectiveness, whether coaching bullies or individuals being bullied. The sample group also emphasised a number of critical areas that coaches need to be aware of, including the importance of coaching supervision, proper contracting with clients and the effect that workplace bullying have on the coach himself, to mention just a few. The study focused on discussing the findings of this study by analysing and comparing the specific results, with previous literature, research and studies. The literature mentioned a number of theoretical underpinnings that can be used in workplace bullying coaching, but the study found more value in the processes followed by the coaches regarding effective coaching interventions, combined with approaches, tools and techniques, which are indicated specifically in the study. It was also found that an effective workplace bullying coach should have a good knowledge of organisations, organisational culture and the dynamics in business. In relation to South Africa’s focus on workplace bullying, the study found that this is greatly lacking, and special attempts should be made to create awareness of the topic in South African organisations. Investigations are proposed to incorporate workplace bullying into the South African labour legislation and to establish a Workplace Bullying Body to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate and regulate workplace bullying in South Africa.

The purpose of this research programme was to propose a new structure for judo coaching. Judo coaching predominantly uses traditional methods emphasising progression through belts rather than success in competition as the measure of achievement. The research programme examined this issue in four stages involving seven studies. Stage 1 involved a qualitative examination of five elite coaches on what constitutes an effective coach, leading to the initial development of a 39-item judo coaching scale. Given the importance of demonstrating measures are valid, stage 2 investigated the validity of the scale among judo players and coaches. Factor analytic studies on data from 260 (130 coaches and 130 players) yielded a 7-factor solution; 1) Coaching is about winning, 2) Attitudes to coaching at different levels, 3) Attitudes to judo structure, 4) Relationships with players, 5) Presentational issues, 6) Technical knowledge link to coach level, and 7) Coach-player interactions. Multisample confirmatory factor analysis found support for the invariance of the model between coaches and players, thereby showing that relationships are consistent between different groups. Stage 3 used a multi-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Responses to the judo coaching scale indicated perceptions of coach effectiveness vary as a function of being a player or a coach, and by level of participation (elite-v-non-elite). Qualitative results emphasise the importance of emotional control, an aspect not focused on in the interviews completed in stage 1. Stage 4 of the research investigated relationships between judo coaching scale scores and emotional intelligence. The study also investigated levels of emotional intelligence between elite and club coaches. High emotional intelligence is associated is proposed to be indicative of being able to manage the emotional states of other people and so should be a desirable quality in coaches. Results show significant relationship between judo coaching scale score and emotional intelligence factors, with further analysis showing that elite coaches reported higher emotional intelligence scores than club coaches. Based on the findings from the studies completed above, a revised judo coaching structure is presented. An elite structure should be based on players having specific performance targets including technical and tactical skills, psychological, and physiological, aligning judo more closely with the structure used in other Olympic sports. Coaches should also be given targets related to developing emotional control among players and instilling players with a self-belief to attain performance targets related to the above. Effective integration and usage of such personnel is required including developing and inculcating sport science knowledge into the practice of elite coaches, and then modifying this knowledge for use in the club system. It is hoped that findings from this research stimulates discussion, and action in the British Judo Association to revise the current system, which could lead to better judo coaching, better players, and ultimately enhanced Olympic success at London 2012.

The aims of this research were to describe the role that coaching plays in the development of educators and to make recommendations for the way in which schools can make use of coaching as an educator human resource development tool at the workplace. According to the findings from the literature review, coaching plays an important role in the success of novice educators. Educators who are coached typically develop a strong self-concept, become consistent in the implementation of policies and procedures, show a greater focus on the teaching and learning purpose within the classroom and display more confidence in themselves, which increases their personal ability and selfefficacy to help and develop learners, and thereby increasing the learners' love for learning and academic achievement. Educators who display the personal traits mentioned in the above paragraph, according to the findings from the literature study, become effective and expert educators who have something to offer to the learners and are recognized as professionals in their field. Various researchers in the reviewed literature stress the need for coaching for its inherent potential of being a panacea for educator attrition and turnover which are always the result of job dissatisfaction. The qualitative research method in the form of focus group interviews was used to elicit primary empirical data from a population sample of eighteen educator participants who were all at post level one. This educator participant population sample was engaged by the researcher on a three-day coaching session in Outcomes-Based Education and Training as a new teaching and learning system in South Africa. After this three-day coaching session, the participants were interviewed to determine the role that coaching plays in the development of educators, with a view to making recommendations for the way in which schools can make use of coaching as an educator human resource development tool at the workplace. The results of the empirical research revealed that educator participants who formed the population sample of this research experienced the three-day coaching session which the researcher conducted as follows: developmental; providing support and guidance; leading to paradigm shifts; setting aside any power differences to offer a relaxed atmosphere; and eventful. Recommendations for educational practice and further research were made. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

Coaching has increasingly been used in organisations to develop leadership capability. However, due to a lack of empirical research, very little is actually known about what it is and how it works, resulting often in organisations experiencing difficulties and frustration when they come to use and review its effectiveness. Coaching carries many different definitions, none of which is accepted as ‘universal’. This implies that the term is complex. In order to understand coaching more clearly the thesis dedicates a separate chapter to each of the following eight sub-questions: 1. What is understood by the term coaching? 2. What impact does the retail organisation have on the coachee? 3. What are the desirable characteristics of the coachee? 4. What skills does a person need to be able to coach? 5. What does the coach do? 6. What does the coachee experience during a coaching session? 7. What are the outputs from coaching for the organisation and the coachee? 8. How can the organisational sponsors control the quality and consistency of the coaching? Qualitative research is gathered from coachees in a major UK retailer to suggest four key coaching insights. Firstly the majority of coachees experience a change in their ‘self’ as a result of their coaching. Secondly coaching is valued highly by coachees as the only opportunity they get to talk about themselves. Thirdly many of the potential benefits from linking coaching to broader theories and philosophies do not appear to be evidenced in this research. Fourthly there is little evidence to suggest there has been any explicit transfer of capability from the coach to the coachee. The thesis concludes that coaching is a complex that can be used to raise awareness in the multiple elements that constitute the self. In this way the coachee becomes more conscious of how they interpret events, more considered in choices they reflect, more precise in decisions they make, and more adept at controlling their reactions. Coaching can focus on different dimensions of the self and change in what is done accordingly. For example it can consider past events having similarities to therapy: it can consider current events with a focus on organisational performance and goals, and it can consider the coachee’s future potential to influence transformational change with a focus on theories and philosophies. Although changing depending on the element and dimension of self, coaching often involves talking, listening, and reflection to increase understanding. By focusing on deepening self-awareness, coaching has the potential to create a spiral of self-development. For this to be possible the coachee must prepare for independence from the coaches by taking responsibility for their own development. This is possible by firstly developing their own self-learning mechanisms and secondly by developing a ‘life goal’ or ‘guiding philosophy’ capable of igniting an inner drive to carry out these self-learning mechanisms on a continuous basis. The coaching stakeholders are responsible for what coaching achieves. The coach has a responsibility to make the other coaching stakeholders aware of its complexity as well as providing a profound appreciation of its potential. However the need for the coachee to be of the right mindset for coaching (i.e. willing to face themselves and commit to the rigors of intrinsic development) is a vital stakeholder characteristic if it is to be potentially successful. Coaching impacts the coachee’s self-awareness, which leads to greater ‘self-leadership’ capability, which is likely to impact their behaviours and actions and enhance the interpretation they give to others who recognise traits that may attract their followership.

Paper one: The use of coaching programmes is on the increase, including within the field of education. However critics have raised concerns regarding the limited research base concerning their use and the fact many models do not appear to be underpinned by a theoretical basis. One psychological approach to coaching used within the education sector are Solution Focused Approaches, with psychologists including Educational Psychologists taking on the role of ‘executive’ coaches. This paper explores the experiences of school staff and executive coaches involved in one such Solution Focused coaching programme delivered within schools. The paper focuses on exploring the impact of and relationship between contextual, process and outcome factors. Key findings included the fact school staff were not always clear about the aims and purpose of the coaching, that factors such as relationship building and increasing coachees’ sense of ownership were central processes within sessions and that measuring the outcomes of the coaching presented a range of challenges. Within the paper the findings are explore in relation to psychological perspectives including Self-determination theory. Paper two:Following the increased popularity and use of coaching approaches, including within the education sector there is evidence that training courses are being marketed to school staff wishing to implement peer coaching programmes ‘in-house’. Educational Psychologists (EPs) are one group of professionals involved in the delivery of such training and in supporting school staff in implementing coaching following training. This paper focused on exploring the experiences of school staff involved in a Solution Focused peer coaching programme, following training from EPs. Particular focus was placed on exploring the impact of and relationship between contextual, process and outcome factors. Key findings included evidence of potential challenges related to schools not commissioning follow up sessions after training and a perception that the peer coaching had resulted in improvements in OFSTED ratings. Implications for practice include the importance of EPs drawing on and sharing research literature regarding factors which may promote or inhibit changing practice and EPs supporting staff in developing outcome measures which can sit within a SF framework.