In occupational therapy (OT), there is a push to encourage the entry-level doctorate (eOTD) over the master's of OT (MOT), without having identified which degree develops therapists who can best meet the needs of clients, while providing the fewest negative consequences for stakeholders. This collective case study assessed whether there are differences between OTs with MOT and with eOTD. Each supervisor's experiences with the two degree groups represented a separate case, then all were collectively considered. The central research question was whether OT supervisors, who have observational knowledge of clinical performance, perceived differences between MOTs and eOTDs in factors that impact the stakeholders of OT services, as identified using Freeman's stakeholder theory. Ten supervisors who geographically represented the five eOTD programs and diverse areas of OT practice were selected for initial interviews, with four others added to achieve saturation. Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted to begin to identify perceived similarities and differences between OTs with the different degrees. These data were inductively coded and then analyzed using a thematic analysis procedure. The results of this small, exploratory study indicate that eOTDs do not have higher skills and abilities; desire higher compensation, but do not receive it; sometimes bring attitudes of superiority; are not more respected because of their degree; and are negatively affected by higher debt load. Positive social change implications stemming from this study suggest that stakeholder theory can be used to guide policy discussions in professional healthcare associations and that policy makers in the profession of OT should exercise caution in adopting the eOTD as the required entry-level degree until further evidence on the efficacy of the eOTD degree is clear.

This study conducted at the University of Central Florida was of two-fold importance. First, information gathered via this study has served to continually improve the rigor and relevancy of the curriculum and program requirements to issues in education. Second, the research findings from this study served to move forward the national and increasingly international efforts to improve the Ed. D. and other professional practice doctorate programs. The review of literature was organized to present an introduction for the conceptual framework of the efforts to distinguish between the Ph. D. and Ed. D. and strengthen the education doctorate overall. The review presented discussions on the history of the doctorate, history and reform models for the professional doctorate, history of the education doctorate, the Ed. D. versus the Ph. D., differentiation of the education doctorates, and the future of the education doctorate. This study was conducted in the University of Central Florida’s Executive Ed. D. in Educational Leadership program, and employed a mixed methods approach. A series of four surveys were developed to gather both quantitative perception rating responses on a Likert scale of either one to four or one to five, as well as qualitative or open responses to enhance context. Means and standard deviations were analyzed to determine perception ratings, and one-way analyses of variance were conducted to determine differences in perceptions between cohorts and over time. This research illustrated that the perceptions of students in the Executive Ed. D. in Educational Leadership program were positive. Student respondents indicated that their reasons for applying to the program are reflected in the program design, the program is aligned well with iii the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate’s (CPED) Working Principles, and the program was meeting their needs at defined points in the program of study. Implications for practice include using admission and demographic information to inform instructional and advising processes, continuing to gather student perception ratings and open responses to keep the Executive Ed. D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Central Florida aligned with the CPED Working Principles and all programs with the students’ needs, and following up with graduates to gather perceptions on the perceived impact of their study. Recommendations for further research include continuing this study in a longitudinal format to gather perceptions and conduct tests for changes in perceptions over time prior to entering the program, at different points throughout the program, and after completing the program. Also, continuing to gather data on the variable of persistence, to determine relationships between whether or not a student remains enrolled in the program and predictor variables including GRE score, undergraduate GPA, and professional position. Similarly, gathering measurements of program viability including graduation rates and time to degree completion to compare with those measurements on program prior to being redesigned as well as evaluating relationships between admission requirements and time to degree completion and graduation rates.

Mentoring for secondary school headteachers in their first year in post was first proposed as a systematic strategy in the 1980s following research into the first years of headship (Weindling and Earley, 1987). Coaching and mentoring were introduced as part of a response to the concern that new headteachers were not sufficiently prepared before taking up the post. Coaching and mentoring are now incorporated into all National College for School Leadership (NCSL: currently the National College for the Leadership of Schools and Children‟s Services) leadership programmes. However, there is a dearth of current research exploring how secondary school headteachers use coaching and mentoring in their first year in post. Systematic reviews show that previous research has generally focused on improving coaching and mentoring schemes and thus is mainly evaluative. In contrast, this study focuses on the headteacher perspective. The study works within a social constructivist paradigm, taking a grounded theory approach because of the dearth of available theory. Data were collected from six newly appointed secondary school headteachers. Each was interviewed three times during their first year in post. After transcription each interview was analysed and coded and the results informed subsequent interviews. NVivo was used to manage the data and to develop codes. Preliminary findings were discussed with practising coaches and their comments contribute to the discussion. The study finds that new headteachers exercise significant agency in their coaching and mentoring engagements, including the choice of coach mentor, and the coach mentoring agenda. It finds that new headteachers seek coaching and mentoring beyond the assumed formal dyadic arrangements. Contributions to knowledge include the Confidence Loop model; three new models of coaching and mentoring; and a deeper questioning of the place the theory and practice of performativity should have in the coach mentoring relationship.

Companies today need to draw on the whole organisational team for the energy, ideas and collaborative approaches that bring sustainable organisational success in an interconnected world. Leadership and organisational studies increasingly support this endeavour by considering relational and interconnected approaches. However the leadership coaching literature tends to adopt a hierarchical approach focused on individuals and teams at the helm of organisations. A ripple effect is the metaphorical focus of the study drawing attention to an interplay of influences in an organisation following a leadership coaching initiative. This initiative is the starting point for this in depth organisational case study which is interested in drawing out the human dimension of organisational life. Multiple methods - interviews, anecdote circles and a company questionnaire - are used to explore patterns of influence flowing from leadership coaching in a small-medium sized enterprise (SME). Thematic network analysis of the experiences of participants in this study produced three categories of findings: personal needs, perceptions of leadership and cultural concerns. Each category is made up of competing influences that signify spectrums of opportunity for learning and development. From this investigation an holistic model of a ripple effect is developed showing the flow from specific coaching outcomes that blend business and human aspects. The concept of reciprocal learning space captures the scope for learning and change by uncovering competing influences that represent the variety of responses to coaching outcomes. An holistic framework for organisation focused coaching offers a practical contribution to coaching by setting out a route to identifying reciprocal learning space and helping to address wider organisational needs. It is argued that remaining in a hierarchical, leader centred mode limits the potential reach of coaching in organisations. This study offers a new integrated approach to coaching that signifies the potential to reach much more widely into organisations.

The slow pace of women’s advancement to senior levels in organisations is an ongoing topical debate. Resolving this issue through appropriate developmental support interventions is the subject of much discussion. An understanding of the use of coaching and mentoring to address this individual, organisational and societal problem is, however, underresearched in a UK context, and more widely. In the coaching and mentoring literature there is limited research concerning the voice of the coachee/mentee and even less research relating to executive women. This study sought to address this deficiency and explore the experiences of executive women who have been coached and mentored, in order to gain an understanding of the role of these interventions and how they assisted the women’s development. Qualitative research was conducted using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology and involved semi-structured interviews with twelve executive women, all of whom worked at senior levels in UK organisations. The data were subsequently analysed using Smith, Flowers and Larkin’s (2009) interpretive framework. The findings highlight the positive impact of coaching and mentoring on the careers of the executive women in this study. Mentoring provided early career and psychosocial support, while coaching provided later support and challenge that encouraged the development of skills, authenticity and identity; aided coping with and adapting to the work environment; and in some cases assisted with broader life decisions. The participants’ subsequent commitment to coach and mentor others was a further outcome of this research. This study contributes not only to understanding the context of a coaching assignment involving executive women, the ‘experience’ of coaching and mentoring, and the importance of the coaching relationship, but also to the application of such learning to assist others. The implications of this research expand knowledge and provide new insights to add to the limited literature on coaching and mentoring executive women in the UK.

Background: Executive coaching has become a mainstay of leadership development practice worldwide. Some aspects of executive coaching such as return on investment are well studied, but the client experience of coaching is underexplored. This study aims to describe how clients perceive their first coaching experience and create a conceptual model of this experience to guide coaching practice. Methodology: 15 executives who had previously experienced their first coaching session took part in semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the interview protocols wasbased on Grounded Theory methodology. Results:Reports of client experiences were used to develop a conceptual Discovering, Agency, Roles, Expectations (DARE) model. The client experience of executive coaching is saturated with discoveries. Discovering of coaching, oneself and also a view of one’s potential from one’s own and third party perspectives are at the heart of the executive coaching experience. Perceptions of the experience are further influenced by client expectations, the conditions surrounding coaching and the different roles taken by coach and client. A sequence of agency emerged from the analysis. Conclusions: The thesis explores the implications of the emerging model of the first experience and how coaches can use this understanding of the coaching experience to enhance the client experience. Further research is needed into some aspects of the experience, such as the roles of coach and client and prevalence of discovering as a core experience in subsequent coaching sessions.

Coaching and mentoring have grown rapidly in the last twenty years, reflecting increased level of interest in these fields. The widespread popularity, however, has been largely attributed to the anecdotal feedback about their effectiveness due to considerable gaps in the empirical research base. The aim of this study was to explore the role of coaching and mentoring in relation to transformational changes with particular reference to housing association mergers in the UK. As a result of constant merger activity, the largest twenty housing associations own 30% of the market share and the trend is likely to continue, making the research outcomes useful for future strategic planning of housing association mergers. This thesis includes empirical work through data gathered by semi-structured interviews and analysed by constructivist grounded theory methodology. The study found that coaching and mentoring play an important role in housing association mergers and transformational changes especially in creating a new shared identity and staff integration after housing association mergers. Integration can keep the merged housing associations together, thus reducing the merger failures in the housing associations. This study makes an original contribution to knowledge by presenting a conceptual framework. The framework incorporates different forms of coaching and mentoring, such as, one to one coaching, team coaching, executive mentoring and peer mentoring used in housing associations for the transformative learning of the housing officials.

This research developed a qualitative Case Study to explore the role of coaching and mentoring in supporting the alignment of academic staff and organisational strategy. The study employed documentary data, interviews and a questionnaire to examine a four year period of a seven year change programme at a University in Southern England. Documents provide background to the case. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen leaders, two external coaches and eleven internal mentors. A questionnaire completed by thirty six academics preceded six semi-structured interviews with academic staff. Participant perceptions of alignment and their experiences of coaching and mentoring were analysed using a data coding approach influenced by Grounded Theory. As a result of this study, the researcher developed a Model for Improving Credibility in Insider Research to demonstrate how they dealt with the challenges of being an employee of the organisation in which the research was completed. The study shows how a new Strategic Plan impacted on academic staff roles. In responding to the changes, academics were faced with career, role, time and psychological challenges. The findings indicate that the alignment of academic staff and organisational strategy does not need to be a tension, but that it can provide opportunities for both organisation and individual if they can identify and focus on ways to fill the gap between them. The Individual and Organisation Alignment Map, developed from this study, demonstrates a new understanding of alignment of the individual within the organisational context. Coaching and mentoring helped academics to respond to the challenges by providing support for a focus on the future and forward momentum, as well as role implementation and psychological support. A new model showing how The Transitional Space Provided by Coaching and Mentoring can provide support for outer and inner world challenges has been developed as a result of this research. In addition, the new definition of ‘Emerging Academics’ developed during this study provides a different starting point for considering the career development of academic staff.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of first-generation Hispanic students who have obtained a doctorate degree (EdD or PhD). The Hispanic population continues to increase in the United States, particularly in the state of Texas. However, the level of Hispanics' educational attainment lags behind that of the U.S. and Texas populations in general. The overall economic impact of low Hispanic educational attainment, coupled with continuing growth of this group, presents a pressing issue for future workforce educators and human resource development professionals. It is critical to understand educational experiences of first-generation Hispanic students to address the lack of educational achievement among this group of people. Within the naturalistic inquiry research paradigm, I adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to collect rich and thick data that could shed light on the "lived experiences" of six doctoral recipients who are first-generation Hispanic students. Through multiple rounds of in-depth interviews, supplemented by personal observations and multiple email exchanges with participants, I generated extensive personal stories, developed a meaningful relationship with the participants, and discovered the essence of the participants' experiences. Four themes emerged from an in-depth analysis of interview, pictorial, and observational data: (a) support systems, (b) personal attributes, (c) identity struggles, and (d) socialization struggles. These themes led to discovery of three components that shaped participants' experiences: a journey of support, a journey of self-discovery and self-development, and a journey of identity development. The findings not only have implications for Hispanic students who aspire to higher educational goals; they point to areas for improvement for educators, human resource development practitioners, and policy makers. Directions for future research were proposed to encourage further research on the topic and issues related to first-generation Hispanic students.

Mentoring receives a consistently favourable press and its merits and benefits are widely researched and acclaimed (for example Clutterbuck, 1995 and Harrington, 2011). Some advocates appear almost evangelical in their perspective and responses to the mentoring process. From offender schemes (Tarling, Davison and Clarke, 2004), to initiatives for small businesses (NWDA, 2010), the UK government continues to invest heavily in the concept of mentoring. Despite these plaudits mentoring relationships can occasionally founder and, due to the intensity of the relationship harm can be inflicted on both mentor and mentee alike. Such failing relationships are usually ascribed the provocatively charged label of 'toxic' mentoring (Feldman, 1999; Gray and Smith, 2000). Both the human and financial implications of failed mentoring relationships are a serious problem for government investment. Although a relatively under-researched phenomenon the incidents of negative mentoring experiences are not uncommon (Simon and Eby, 2003). Investment in mentoring has grown, with a proliferation of progressive schemes addressing an array of specific issues, from adult substance misuse (Welsh Assembly, 2009) to workplace gender inequalities (EC, 2007). With investment ranging from thousands of pounds in small scale schemes to hundreds of thousands of pounds, the economic implications of failure are potentially significant. Hamlin and Sage (2011) argue that while research has studied the benefits of mentoring, there is little focus on what constitutes effective mentoring in formal settings, or the interpersonal processes involved. Allen and Poteet (1999:70) noted that research was "desperately needed to assess the specific design features" of successful mentoring programmes. The focus has been on the programmes themselves rather than the individuals within them, and findings have centred on programme improvements and objectives or better matching processes in order to understand successful mentoring (Eby and Lockwood, 2005). The measurement of mentoring success however, is problematic and a uniform model for evaluation remains elusive. In one study (Gaskell, 2007) just 34% of organisations were able to successfully measure the impact of coaching, despite the availability of adequate resources and substantial investment in the programmes. Demonstrating return on investment for enterprises involving soft skills can be challenging, particularly when endeavouring to separate the mentoring aspect from other influencing factors. Establishing return on expectation is however, a more manageable proposition and can prove valuable. Attempts to identify the impact of professional development interventions have generated some innovative approaches such as the 'isolation factor' identified in research by McGovern, Lindemann, Vergara, Murphy, Barker and, Warrenfeltz (2001). The study separates out the effects of coaching but is generated purely from the perspective of the participants, which arguably lacks objectivity. However its success is measured, the popularity of mentoring continues to grow and its benefits remain appreciated (CIMA, 2002). Ineffective mentoring may be avoided through understanding its characteristics and the rationale of failed relationships may prevent repetition, providing a valid objective worthy of further research.