A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (Business and Executive Coaching) April, 2017 / Professional Service Firms (PSFs) contribute significantly to employment and professional development in South Africa and to global economics. People are a PSF’s greatest asset; however, there is little empirical evidence on the implementation of a Leader-as-Coach (L-A-C) approach in PSFs in South Africa. The research aims to establish a framework for the implementation of an L-A-C approach in PSFs in South Africa. Using a qualitative multiple-case study method, the research examines the benefits of implementing an L-A-C approach within a PSF, determines the organisational factors affecting the implementation of an LA- C approach in a PSF and clarifies the individual factors affecting the implementation of an L-A-C approach in a PSF. There are clear reasons for implementing an L-A-C approach within PSFs and benefits range from ensuring a leadership pipeline for organisations, improving client and employee retention, and enhancing the firm’s success due to increased productivity. These benefits, in turn, foster positive benefits for the L-A-Cs (the managers who are coaches) and the employees (the coachees who receive coaching from their managers). Organisational factors include a culture of people-centricity which clearly enables an L-A-C approach, whilst a matrix structure which commonly exists within PSFs is an inhibitor of an L-A-C approach, with mitigating processes recommended for addressing this. The key processes which enable an L-A-C approach are the firm’s approach to: learning and development of L-A-C skills, ensuring tools and support are in place for the L-ACs, and linking coaching to the human resources (HR) performance management and enabling technology. A final key process is recognising effective coaching behaviours through monetary and non-monetary rewards. In addition, the individual skills and attitudes of the L-A-Cs, the attitudes of the coachees, and importantly, the relationship between the L-A-C and the coachee, all influence the L-A-C approach. An integrated and holistic framework is proposed for PSFs wishing to implement an L-A-C approach. This framework suggests that a firm should begin with the organisational strategic drivers, and the clear reasons for implementation of an L-A-C approach, followed by an enabling structure and processes, including the development of individual skills. However, overarching these organisational factors, is the necessity of having an organisational culture of learning and development. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (Business and Executive Coaching) Johannesburg, 2017 / The objective of the study was to explore how a coaching leadership style adopted by Managers in different organisations, influences the relationships they have with their direct reports. The study used the qualitative method and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants, comprising 13 Managers and nine Direct Reports in various organisations in private and public sectors based in Gauteng, South Africa. This study contributes to the research and literature available on coaching leadership style and employee coaching, which occurs when an employee works one-on-one with his/her direct manager to improve his/her work performance and other areas that need attention. Executive Coaching has been extensively researched and refers to when an executive in an organisation is being coached by an external coach who is normally chosen by the Executive and paid for by the organisation. In Employee Coaching however, the coaching is conducted by the direct Manager and the employee has no choice in who the Manager is. Relationships between Manager and Direct Report are therefore crucial and these could be influenced by the Manager‟s leadership style. The findings suggest that within a South African context, the term “Coaching Leadership Style” is not a term that is widely used in organisations to describe a leadership style, however this style emerged through the behaviours that the Managers displayed. The findings further posit that coaching plays a pivotal role in influencing relationships between a Manager and his/her Direct Reports and that coaching may also cause shifts in leadership styles. The research provides insight into the leadership styles that Managers prefer to adopt and deepened understanding of how coaching adds value in a leadership context. The results add to the body of knowledge on how coaching affects leadership effectiveness and how it influences relationships between Managers and Direct Reports. / MT2017

A qualidade do serviço público e o alcance de um desempenho estatal mais efetivo tornaram-se um dos grandes desafios da administração pública. Tanto que o legislador incluiu no ordenamento jurídico a obrigatoriedade do Estado capacitar seus servidores, objetivando a melhora na eficiência, na eficácia e na qualidade dos serviços públicos. Este estudo, com a adoção do critério de acessibilidade, teve por objetivo identificar as estratégias de capacitação adotadas pelas Instituições Federais de Ensino (IFEs) do Estado do Paraná para a capacitação dos seus servidores. Identificando se todas oferecem capacitação a seus servidores e as estratégias adotadas e verificando quais as ferramentas de TICs utilizadas na capacitação. Para tanto, a pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: sendo a primeira o envio, via web, de questionários para quatro Instituições Federais de Ensino do Estado do Paraná; e na segunda etapa, foram entrevistados os responsáveis pelas Secretarias e/ou Departamentos de Desenvolvimento de Pessoas, que anteriormente responderam os questionários. A opção de utilizar ambos os instrumentos, questionário e entrevista, visou reunir subsídios para a triangulação dos dados e identificação dos elementos que responderam à problemática proposta neste estudo. Os principais resultados dizem respeito à formalização e ao planejamento da capacitação nestas instituições; à busca constante no desenvolvimento de estratégias para o desenvolvimento contínuo dos servidores; à adoção de estratégias de capacitação variadas e à utilização de TICs na capacitação. Esse conjunto de elementos indicou as estratégias de capacitação adotadas pelas IFES do Estado do Paraná e permitiu a compreensão do cenário atual, além do entendimento de como este importante item vem sendo tratado e desenvolvido pelas IFES-Pr. 2 A qualidade do serviço público e o alcance de um desempenho estatal mais efetivo tornaram-se um dos grandes desafios da administração pública. Tanto que o legislador incluiu no ordenamento jurídico a obrigatoriedade do Estado capacitar seus servidores, objetivando a melhora na eficiência, na eficácia e na qualidade dos serviços públicos. Este estudo, com a adoção do critério de acessibilidade, teve por objetivo identificar as estratégias de capacitação adotadas pelas Instituições Federais de Ensino (IFEs) do Estado do Paraná para a capacitação dos seus servidores. Identificando se todas oferecem capacitação a seus servidores e as estratégias adotadas e verificando quais as ferramentas de TICs utilizadas na capacitação. Para tanto, a pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: sendo a primeira o envio, via web, de questionários para quatro Instituições Federais de Ensino do Estado do Paraná; e na segunda etapa, foram entrevistados os responsáveis pelas Secretarias e/ou Departamentos de Desenvolvimento de Pessoas, que anteriormente responderam os questionários. A opção de utilizar ambos os instrumentos, questionário e entrevista, visou reunir subsídios para a triangulação dos dados e identificação dos elementos que responderam à problemática proposta neste estudo. Os principais resultados dizem respeito à formalização e ao planejamento da capacitação nestas instituições; à busca constante no desenvolvimento de estratégias para o desenvolvimento contínuo dos servidores; à adoção de estratégias de capacitação variadas e à utilização de TICs na capacitação. Esse conjunto de elementos indicou as estratégias de capacitação adotadas pelas IFES do Estado do Paraná e permitiu a compreensão do cenário atual, além do entendimento de como este importante item vem sendo tratado e desenvolvido pelas IFES-Pr. / Achieving a better public service quality and reaching a more effective performance has become one of the greatest challenges for the public administration. That is the reason why the state obligation on professionally training its employees has been included on the law system in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of public services. This study, making use of the accessibility criteria, aimed to identify the training strategies adopted by the Federal Institutions of Higher Education in Paraná State to train their employees, as well as the tools and the methodologies used. For this purpose, the research was conducted in two stages: the first one was sending via web questionnaires to four Federal Institutions of Higher Education in Paraná State. For the second step, the ones responsible for the Secretariats and / or Departments of Personnel Development who had previously answered the questionnaires were interviewed. The option of using both instruments, questionnaires and interviews, aimed to gather information for the triangulation of data and identification of elements that responded to the problem proposed in this study. The main results concern the formal planning and training in these institutions, the constant pursuit to develop strategies for the continued development of the employees; adopting varied strategies for training and the use of ICT in training. This set of elements indicated the training strategies adopted by four Federal Institutions of Higher Education in Paraná State and allowed the understanding of the current situation, and as well as how this important item has being addressed and developed by these institutions.

As instructional coaches are being implemented across the country, their purpose is reviewed, as well as which types of instructional coaching tend to have the most impact on teachers' instructional growth. In this study, I explored instructional coaching and coaches' perceived effectiveness as they work with teachers. A look at the effect of non-evaluative feedback with an instructional coach, and how that helps sustain teachers' pedagogical practice, is taken into consideration as coaches' work towards developing teacher efficacy. I examined instructional coaching through the conceptual framework of professional development and change. This qualitative study included a focus group, personal narratives, and individual interviews to analyze the components of successful instructional coaching models, and how well instructional coaches feel supported as they work with teachers. Findings demonstrated that instructional coaches perceive their work with teachers to be effective and provided information on the practices and conditions that surround their work. The information gained from the study provides a resource for district leaders to evaluate a current coaching model program, or implement a new coaching model program, within their district.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Wits Business School March 2015 / The extensive training that goes into developing engineering professionals is part of the price society pays for infrastructure development. Yet when it comes to developing young engineering managers, their education is often left to chance. Organisations rely on a combination of manager’s intuition and chance to recognise potential new managers and then they are expected to find their own way through the maze of policies, financial reporting, and stakeholder management politics after their appointment. This study was based in a State Owned Company where a group of new engineering managers were interviewed on their experiences as they moved into management in order to identify the challenges they experienced during the transition. The findings in the course of this research contribute to the understanding of the managerial competencies needed in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary engineering environment in order to guide new managers and the way in which coaching can contribute to their successful transition into engineering management. This study used a deductive approach to establish the transition challenges based on selected literature and compared the themes to the data from thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 16 engineering professionals working in a State Owned Company engineering company. The role of new managers as talent trustees and containers of corporate memory is an essential part of skills retention strategy. This implies that dysfunctional behaviour at this level will affect future engineering skills retention and development. The cost of coaching should be offset by the risk of management failure when the new managers do not negotiate the transition challenges successfully. South African companies integrate coaching with the talent or business strategy and they use internal coaches to coach up-and-coming talent and graduates (Steenkamp, 2013). There is an urgent and important need to develop engineers into managers and therefore the assistance given to new managers would be an advantage not just in terms of the general management competencies but also the transition competencies needed in the developing countries, such as South Africa (Denton & Vloeberghs, 2003). The challenges of the transition are exacerbated by the heterogeneous nature of the business world where multiple cultures and generations complicate information exchange in the engineering labour environment. This research uses some of the insights gained from the international management competencies and applies the differences found in the South African context to identify transitionery management competencies for the developing world. The research goes on to determine how organisations and coaches can facilitate the transition of managers in South Africa.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (Business Executive Coaching). / The business environment faces constant change due to the dynamic socio-economic, political and technological landscape. With these changes, there is a demand for organisations to adapt and have the right skills to remain competitive. Organisations have not developed their learning capabilities to adequately cope with change (Senge, 2014). Creating an organization that learns and adapts speedily and continuously is a challenge that faces business. While learning takes place both informally and formally in the workplace, formal learning is seen as less effective in transferring training (Saks, 2002). This study explored the role of peer coaching on the learning process. Fifteen participants‘ experiences were explored using a qualitative approach by means of in-depth unstructured interviews. The qualitative approach enabled the researcher to gain full appreciation of the participants‘ experience by allowing them to share freely and openly. The fifteen participants attended a self-leadership course that included a peer coaching component that involved seven of the fifteen participants. The research revealed minimal differences between the learning experiences of those who were in a peer coach relationship and those that were not. The themes of self-reflection, learning from others and support from others emerged the strongest in terms of its impact on the learning process. While the extensive learning theories were developed to understand how people learn, it was evident in this study that while adult learning is self-directed to a large extent, the structural characteristics of organizations provide the framework of the situations in which experience dictates the expediency of change and learning. The value of the peer coach relationship in facilitating the process of learning was also evident as one of the enablers of learning. This study provides insights on the value of peer coaching as an additional enabler of learning and adds to the body of limited literature on the role of peer coaching within business environments. / MT2016

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / This study was driven by a need that was identified within a sectoral training authority in South Africa to modify its talent management strategy in order to better deliver on its mandate. The need to modify its talent management strategy was identified as a result of a review of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) on their functioning and management commissioned by The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). The aim was to identify critical challenges affecting their ability to deliver on their mandate and to develop recommendations to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness The review exercise was completed and report submitted to the office of the presidency. The report notes that due to the largely negative publicity Setas have received, their ability to source, attract and retain talent for effective and efficient functioning is severely restricted. It also highlights the fact that high attrition rates have resulted in a lack of institutional knowledge and understanding of the purpose of the skills development legislation and policies. It further recommends that an audit of current Seta human resources procedures be conducted, as well as the development of standard competency profiles for senior managers to inform recruitment, performance management, training and development, assessment of current capacity and the development of a generic induction programme. It concludes by recommending the implementation of various interventions to support Seta management, including executive coaching, mentoring and other organisational development support. This study was therefore focused on two parts: the development of a broad talent framework based on the latest literature on the subject of talent management, and secondly, the evaluation of the training authority's current talent management practice based on employee perceptions. The initial part of this study describes the development of a talent management evaluation with a broad talent management framework addressing the themes of planning, development and training, performance management, reward management as well as the related sub- themes. This objective was achieved by means of a literature search supported by input from industry practitioners. The questionnaire consists of 35 statements subdivided into eight categories contextualised under different talent management sub themes. The sample consisted of 44 employees, six of which were at management level and 38 were at non managerial level. Thirty-five questionnaires were returned of which three could not be used. The questionnaire was then administered to examine the perceptions of the 35 employees who provided usable feedback on the training authority‟s performance, based on eight themes of talent management practices. The empirical results revealed that the training authority did not have strategies to ensure that there is a pool of talent to draw from in order to meet current and future needs. Concerns were raised on the training authority's ability to retain talented employees within the organisation. Issues relating to the creation and modification of roles and job descriptions to help individuals realise their career aspirations were raised. Employees were also concerned about the training authority's inability to provide resources for the support of individuals' career plans. Employees further raised transparency issues on expected behaviour, development and factors identifying individual's potential as major concerns. Reward and compensation were found to have a weak link to performance and market offering. Managers were found to have limited flexibility in distributing their pay budget.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / Non-profit organisations (NPOs) play a crucial role in society, largely serving the needs of those members who are most vulnerable. The leaders of these organisations work in challenging circumstances and are often expected to fulfil roles for which they have not been trained. Various leadership development programmes have been designed to equip leaders in this sector with the necessary knowledge and skills to deal effectively with the increasing and more complex demands placed on them. Stand-alone programmes, however, have been shown to have less success in transferring knowledge and skills back to the workplace than blended learning approaches. This means a large proportion of the learning investment is being wasted. Since coaching has proved to be a powerful intervention leading to individual and organisational transformation in many sectors, the main question that this investigation has tried to answer is: To what extent can coaching contribute to enhancing the transfer of learning back into the workplace for NPO leaders who have attended a leadership development programme. Further questions relating to factors influencing the learning transfer process were also addressed during this study, as was the preference for different coaching formats. This investigation involved a case study design and was based on a programme for NPO leaders offered at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, referred to as the NPO Plus programme. The findings of this study are intended to provide insights for trainers on the benefits of using coaching as a component when designing learning interventions, and to shed light on what coaches can expect when coaching NPO leaders. The NPO community, as well as donors, can also get a sense of how coaching can contribute to building and strengthening the overall capacity of leaders in the non-profit sector.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The key objective of this research study is the development of junior leaders in the information, communication and technology (ICT) industry by means of formal leadership development programmes, complemented by the application of coaching principles as part of the facilitation and delivery process. In order to remain competitive in the local ICT sector, a leading listed company in South Africa identified the development of human capital as one of its key success criteria. As a knowledge-intensive industry, this organisation is predominantly reliant on the collective human capital of the company for survival, sustained growth and competitiveness. The objective of the programme evaluation is to establish whether the programme, in the form it has been presented during the past few years, has met the set organisational goals via the application of coaching principles, such as: providing insight into personal and business environments, as a voluntary process in a non-judgemental environment. Relationships are built on respect, ethics and trust. Time for reflection and providing feedback in a non-prescriptive manner are principles that a credible and knowledgeable coach will apply, thus ensuring that learning and development takes place. Coaching contracting must have measurable, set objectives and direct the individual toward a desired outcome. Coaching was not part of the original design and development of the programme, either as an enabler or as part of the content. The literature review positions business coaching as a collaborative partnership to develop the client’s performance and potential, personally and professionally, in accordance with the goals and values of the organisation. Furthermore, developing a coaching competency with line managers, will ensure that an internal coaching capability is established, which will assist delegates both during the programme and in their future career development. To eliminate any possibility of bias, triangulation was included in this programme evaluation study. The qualitative research included semi-structured interviews with all stakeholders, conducted via various means, such as focus groups, individual interviews and self-administered questionnaires. The programme evaluation study established that, although the objectives of this junior leadership programme were met and coaching principles were applied, sub-questions that surfaced during research, raised issues that need to be addressed. Improvements are required in order for the programme to be sustainable and support the growth strategy of the organisation. The recommendations are that development programmes should have an integrated organisational focus, involving all the stakeholders; and that the selection process, for individuals attending these programmes, should not only be more comprehensive, but line managers should be more involved.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / The key objective of this mixed method research study was to establish the influence of coaching on the work engagement and burnout levels of a corporate leadership group. Previous literature reviews support the importance and impact of work engagement and burnout on business performance, leadership success and continuity. Leaders are under increased pressure to grow business and deal with the diverse business challenges. A highly-engaged leadership team with low levels of burnout thus becomes critical to sustained and successful business. Work engagement and burnout levels in leadership need to be proactively managed and supported in order to remain competitive in business. The literature review of this study furthermore positions coaching, whether group or individual, as impactful leadership and change interventions. To eliminate the possibility of bias and add to the credibility of the study, triangulation was included in the quasi-experimental study. The study included an analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data on the impact of coaching on work engagement and burnout levels. Quantitative data was collected at three intervals over the period of a year, using a work engagement and burnout measurement instrument in the form of a self-administered questionnaire. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth individual interviews with all participants and coaches, which occurred after all interventions and measurements were completed. This study provides quantitative and qualitative supported insights into the influence of coaching on the work engagement and burnout levels of an executive leadership team in a specific service area of a corporate organisation. Insights were obtained about the variance of work engagement and burnout levels at a group level, after voluntary group and individual coaching interventions. These variances were compared to those of the work engagement and burnout levels of the control group, who received no coaching interventions. The study established that coaching has a statistically significant positive impact on the burnout levels of both the experimental and control groups, due to the ‘carry-over’ effect of the measurement and communication process. This positive impact on burnout can therefore not be solely ascribed to the coaching intervention. The study also established that coaching has a positive impact on leadership work engagement, but which is not statistically significant. Improvements to the measurement and coaching processes are required in order for the coaching support programme to become a sustainable and even more effective part of leadership support in the organisation. The study confirmed previous research on the existence of burnout and engagement challenges in leaders. It also confirmed research that positions coaching as an effective leadership support mechanism. The recommendations are that work engagement and burnout be measured continuously in the organisation as part of its business management cycle to ensure awareness, proactive support and management of work engagement and burnout in leaders. Coaching is recommended as an effective mechanism to assist leaders with their engagement and burnout challenges. Due to the study’s limited scope, recommendations for future research, such as comparative studies, extension studies with larger sub-samples, longitudinal studies and on-going practice in the field have been made.