Men’s underutilization of mental health services continues to be one of the most consistent findings in the help-seeking literature. Many scholars suggest that the culture of therapy may be at odds with masculine socialization and men who might be most in need of help are not seeking or receiving it. Interestingly, this aversion to seeking help is not reflected in the recent growth in the practice of executive coaching. However, no studies have investigated coaching as an alternative treatment option. The purpose of this study was to explore men’s attitudes and preferences about seeking professional help based on practitioner title (psychologist or executive coach), examine the stigma of seeking professional help based on intervention (therapy or executive coaching), and provide additional data on barriers to seeking help. It was hypothesized that men’s conformity to masculine norms would be related to attitudes, stigma, and preferences for seeking help in several important ways. First, most men would have more positive attitudes toward seeking help from executive coaching than therapy. Second, differences in attitudes would be most pronounced for more “traditional” men. Third, executive coaching was expected to be less stigmatizing than therapy. Finally, although men might view a psychologist as more expert and trustworthy, coaching would be a more attractive treatment option. Two-hundred-nine working adult men in the U.S. participated in the online study. After filling out demographic information and assessing their conformity to masculine norms and help-seeking attitudes, participants chose one of three audio vignettes depicting a man getting professional help for a work concern. Afterwards, their attitudes toward seeking help, evaluations of the session, and ratings of stigma for the vignette character were collected. Participants also listed reasons for and against seeking professional help. Results indicate that men in the study had similar help-seeking attitudes for therapy and executive coaching; however, conformity to masculine norms predicted stigma for seeking help, and therapy was viewed as the more stigmatizing intervention. Several interesting themes around reasons for and against seeking help for both modalities also emerged. Implications of the study, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed. / text

Changing student demographics in the state of Texas as well as across the nation make it imperative for educators in K-12 public school settings to develop instructional strategies to meet the needs of increasingly diverse students in multicultural classrooms. To develop greater understandings of this complex issue, culturally responsive teaching was considered through the lens of the instructional coaching professional development model. For purposes of this research study, the culturally responsive/relevant theoretical frameworks of Geneva Gay (2000, 2001, 2004), Ana Maria Villegas & Tamara Lucas (2002), and Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994, 1995) were foundational. Instructional coaching is a job-embedded professional development model for teachers which is gaining increasing attention in K-12 educational settings (Bloom, Castagna, Moir, & Warren, 2005; Kise, 2006; Knight, 2007; Lindsey, Martinez, Lindsey, 2007; Showers, 1984; West & Staub, 2003). Proponents of instructional coaching suggest that coaching is a way to support the reflective practice of educators through a coaching cycle of planning, observation, and reflection. Lindsey, Martinez & Lindsey (2007) further propose a culturally proficient coaching model focused on teachers being responsive to diverse populations of students, and they assert that “coaching and cultural proficiency are integrated sets of tools for guiding individuals and groups to meet cross-cultural issues as opportunities and assets rather than as challenges and deficits” (p. 4). To implement culturally responsive teaching in multicultural classrooms, teachers must develop many skills including the ability to analyze the curriculum-in-use and the ability to implement instructional practices that are efficacious in diverse cultural settings. To support this work, it is further essential that teachers examine their own beliefs and values regarding cultural diversity to enhance their ability to meet the needs of increasingly diverse students. There is strong evidence (Payne & Allen, 2006; Neufeld & Roper, 2003) that instructional coaching contributes to improved teaching and student learning, however, it should be noted that instructional coaching must also be accompanied by rigorous curriculum, on-going formative assessment and feedback for students, strategic planning, and strong local, state and national leadership if educators are to eliminate existing gaps in opportunities to learn between White students and students of color. / text

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No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of imagery and the impact of imagery use on collegiate synchronized swimmers. Swimmers (N=165) completed The Sport Imagery Questionnaire (Hall et al. 2005), reporting their frequency of imaging. Interviews were conducted (N=11) to further ascertain why and when synchronized swimmers use imagery and mechanisms they employ for more effective imaging experiences. Exploratory factor analyses indicated three of Hall et al's (2005) five subscales showed significant differences between skill level groups. Specifically, motivational specific functions of imagery data showed significant differences between elite swimmers and the other three groups (advanced, intermediate, and novice). Cognitive specific and motivational general-mastery functions of imagery data indicated significant differences between elite and novice swimmers, suggesting that novice swimmers are less likely to use these subscales of imagery compared to elite swimmers. Qualitative data provided evidence of elite swimmers having more sophisticated and developed applications of imaging skills. The results suggest the global implications of this study and how imagery improves synchronized swimming training programs. Key findings include: Each progressive skill level had better imaging skills and utilization than the lower levels Years experience, repetition, and training impact synchronized swimmers use of imagery The very nature of certain common synchronized swimming drills such as "think-throughs and land drill" elicit imaging training The sport of synchronized swimming is an excellent instrument to research imaging training techniques.

Kognitiv coaching hjälper individer att utveckla positiva tankar, känslor och beteenden. Kognitiv coaching kan användas av egenföretagare, entreprenörer, företagsledare och privatpersoner. Syftet med denna undersökning är att se hur kognitiv coaching kan framgångsrikt används som metod för att minska stressen samt balansera motivationen och prestationen hos individer. Detta skulle kunna ske genom kognitiva coachingens inflytande på gamla och negativa tankar, känslor och beteendescheman.Vårt arbete har en kvalitativ karaktär och hermeneutiken har använts som metod eftersom tolkning har gjorts utifrån redan befintlig fakta. Avsikten med vår empiriska undersökning har varit att se hur kognitiv coaching uppfattas och tillämpas av individen. Vårt urval består av fem respondenter som genomgått kognitiv coaching för att förbättra motivationen och prestationsförmågan och minska stressen. Resultat härledd ur vår undersökning ger stöd till att den kognitiva coachingen kan ändra och influera på gamla, negativa tanke, känslo- och beteendescheman hos individer samt att kognitiv coaching bidrar till att minska stressen och balansera motivationen samt prestationen.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate factors affecting the job satisfaction of Canadian male university basketball coaches, as it pertained to their goals and measures of success for themselves, their athletes, and their team. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six university coaches. Three higher-order categories emerged: (a) personal variables, which encompassed the philosophies the participants developed based on their athletic and coaching experiences, (b) internal elements, which involved what the coaches did for their athletes' academic, athletic, and personal development and the coaches' personal development, and (c) external influences, which included tangible and measurable positive and negative factors that affected the level of satisfaction derived from the other higher order categories. These results provide a clearer understanding of factors that affect coaches' job satisfaction, as well as the goals that coaches set and how they measure success. In addition, this information may be incorporated into coach training programs.

Analizuojant dabartinę darbo jėgos pasiūlą, galima pastebėti, kad kas trečias bedarbis yra nekvalifikuotas, maždaug ketvirtadalis darbo biržoje registruotų bedarbių – ilgą laiką nedirbę asmenys (Jovaiša, Orenienė 2003). Tokie duomenys rodo atotrūkį nuo Europos Sąjungos socialinio ekonominio modelio – gerovės valstybės, kurioje žemas nedarbo lygis, tvirtos socialinės garantijos, minimalus skurstančiųjų skaičius. Nors šiuo metu užimtumo lygis Lietuvoje auga ir bedarbystė mažėja, tačiau bedarbių skaičius vis dar yra didelis. Bedarbiams būdinga ryški socialinė atskirtis ir pažeidžiamumas, todėl įvertinus specifiškumą, bedarbių integracija į darbo rinką reikalauja specialaus požiūrio ir nestandartinių sprendimų padedant jiems įsidarbinti. Tačiau šioje vietoje galima įžvelgti kontroversiją tarp bedarbių nenoro keistis ir nemotyvuotumo ir darbo biržos misijos tokius žmones įdarbinti. Šioje sistemoje galima pastebėti „uždarą ratą“: didžioji dalis bedarbių registruojasi darbo biržoje po kelis kartus, nenori dalyvauti darbo biržos siūlomuose perkvalifikavimo ar kvalifikacijos įgijimo priemonėse, o jei įsidarbina, neišdirba ilgesnį laiką. Dažnai bedarbiai, o ypač ilgesnį laiką nedirbę turi labai mažas galimybes konkuruoti darbo rinkoje, nes dauguma jų neturi profesinio pasirengimo arba turi nepaklausią darbo rinkoje profesiją ar mažą veiklos praktiką. Ilgai nerandantys darbo praranda pasitikėjimą savo galimybėmis ir nustoja jo ieškoti, taip auga psichologinė įtampa, didėja socialinė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / While analyzing the current supply of the working force, it is worth noticing that every third unemployed person is non-qualified and approximately one fourth of the unemployed, who are registered by the Labor Exchange Office, haven’t worked for long periods of time (Jovaiša, Orenienė 2003). These figures demonstrate the gap between the current situation in Lithuania and socio-economic model of the European Union that features the well-being of the state, low levels of unemployment, solid social guarantees, a minimal number of those living in poverty. Even though the employment rates in Lithuania are going up these days and the unemployment is decreasing, the number of unemployed people is still high. The unemployed are subject to social isolation and vulnerability. Because of these specifics, the integration of the unemployed into the work market needs to be treated with a special attitude and application of non-standard solutions while helping them to find a job. On the other hand, the controversy between unemployed people’s unwillingness to change as well as the lack of motivation and the mission of the Labor Exchange Office to employ these people can be observed here. This system can be compared to a vicious circle, because the majority of the unemployed are being registered by the Labor Exchange Office for several times in a row, and they do not want to participate in the courses provided by the Labor Exchange Office (updating qualification or changing it). If they are... [to full text]

Interactions between business counterparts have become increasingly free from boundaries, as technological innovation brings the world closer together (Adler, 2002). Locally, the typical South African organisation employs workers from a multitude of cultural backgrounds, at various levels of acculturation. Organisational coaches must be prepared to engage with diverse national and international client populations. Coaching bodies such as the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches (WABC, 2008) and the locally-based Coaches and Mentors of South Africa (COMENSA, 2009; COMENSA, 2010), require coaches to provide culturally responsive services to coachees. If the coach differs culturally from the coachee, he/she may incorrectly use his/her own understanding of what is appropriate for a situation to make sense of the coachee’s behaviour, possibly leading to the misinterpretation of the diverse coachee’s situation. In addition, the coach may also project his/her own cultural bias and stereotypes onto the coachee. This in turn may lead to barriers in communication, and ultimately to the inhibition of efficiency of the coaching process as possible outcomes. Inefficient coaching may not allow for the achievement of the desired results, leading to financial losses for the company. Therefore, it is imperative that the coach is aware of his/her own culturally-laden values, beliefs and expectations which may include biases, prejudices and stereotypes held about the coachee, i.e. his/ her cultural self-awareness. The purpose of the current research study was to explore and describe the experiences and perceptions of South African organisational coaches in terms of cultural self-awareness. Specifically the study investigated how eight South African organisational coaches (N = 8) develop, maintain and promote cultural self-awareness, and what the perceived consequences of such awareness were. The study was conducted within the constructivist research paradigm and utilised a qualitative research approach. The multiple case study research strategy employed in-depth interviews to collect the research data. A grounded theory research methodology was used to analyse and explore the experiences and perceptions of South African organisational coaches in developing and utilising cultural self-awareness. Eight findings were obtained from the interviews, namely: the cultural self-awareness cultivated during coaching developed as part of a general process of cultural self-awareness, which in turn formed part of the participants’ personal development; both intentional strategies and happenstance led to the coaches’ cultural self-awareness; situational and internal factors contributed to changes in their cultural self-awareness; cultural self-awareness is maintained through self-management involving internal and external strategies; future cultural self-awareness is promoted through pursuing experiences that would cause them to question bias; a change in cultural self-awareness held consequences for the personal developmental process as well as for the coachee, and the coaching process; the meaning of cultural self-awareness was explained by using metaphors. The most prominent metaphors the coaches used were ‘sight’, ‘the past’, ‘internal work’, and ‘managing’; additional psychosocial processes that occur during intercultural coaching which can be grouped under macro, meso and micro issues, contextualised the process of cultural self-awareness during intercultural coaching. The findings were interpreted to show that various levels, developmental paths, and applications of cultural self-awareness exist amongst organisational coaches. On the basis of the results obtained from the research study, recommendations were made for future research, coaching education and training programmes, coaching clients, and current or prospective coaches. / Thesis (MA (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

While there is an abundance of empirically based information on the broad subject of executive leadership and executive leader development, opportunity for further research is driven by complexity of the executive’s world and the related need to function at high levels of learning agility. In fact, learning agility has been identified by Korn/ Ferry (Korn/Ferry, 2011) as the single most important predictor of executive success. This study seeks to explore non-traditional forms of executive leader development based on an integrated theoretical lens, including learning and executive development theories as they relate to learning agility. Executive Coaching is of primary interest as an executive development theory, with a diagnostic element designed to provide insight about development issues, particularly those around leadership pipeline cross points. The Competing Values Framework, as applied here for individual executive growth and development constructs, offers an additional theoretical lens as well as a structure for practical application. Using an engaged scholarship approach through Action Research, this is explored with a focus on executive development options that go beyond traditional leadership training models, and with research, insights analyzed through the CVF assessment and structured interviews. Among the findings are insights which confirm the learning agility construct claims that it is a key predictor to executive success as executives traverse career transitions. More specifically, the insights which proceed from this study also support the reasons that self-discovery learning interventions impact learning agility for senior executives. They include: The Participants in this study demonstrated Learning Agility Development as defined for this research, providing evidence that Learning Agility can be developed Executive Coaching and Related Self-Discovery Constructs contribute more to Learning Agility Executive Development when the executive coach offers a fluid approach which includes significant engagement and mutual dialog as well as inquiry. Learning Agility Development is related to one’s ability to manage Competing Values, especially Competing Values that are unique to the individual. Individual Awareness, its connection to reflexivity, and the movement of tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge is a key finding related to senior executive learning agility development. A Systems Approach to Learning Agility Executive Development which includes a systemic framework, a defined process/structure, and individual customization is indicated for senior level executives. The study offers extensions to existing theories as well as a practical theory-and-findings-based executive development methodology.