Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration,University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018 / Enterprise development (ED) is concerned with helping entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The business development process is dynamic with rapid technological and environmental change that occurs through the enterprise development life cycle. Business incubation programs play an integral part in the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They offer support services, both financial and non-financial, of which mentorship is regarded as one of the key aspects of incubation programs. This study looked at SMEs across South Africa, operating in different industries to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on SME growth and determine the moderating effect of mentorship on this relationship. The South African government, through its B-BBEE policies, has mandated corporates to implement ED programs as a way of aiding the growth of SMEs. The challenge faced by SMEs within the context of ED is discussed broadly in this study with recommendations put forth in an attempt to assist the successful implementation of ED. Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is an established construct in entrepreneurship literature and its impact on growth is well researched. The three dimensions of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking, as a unidimensional composite is used to assess the level of EO exhibited by the sample. This study however, expanded on the EO-Growth relationship to assess the role of mentorship within the context of ED in South Africa. Mentorship forms part of the developmental process of entrepreneurs and is well incorporated into the ED sphere. This study considered the role of the mentors as it relates to opportunity recognition. The study applied a quantitative method to analyse the relationship between the independent variable (EO) and the dependent variable business growth (BG), with mentorship being the moderating variable. The survey questionnaire was electronically distributed, producing a final number of 215 respondents as the empirical research sample. Growth, the dependent variable, was considered as a measure of success for SMEs. The measurement of SME growth focused on sales, assets, profit, annual turn-over and employment growth. The high failure rate of SMEs in SA is a cause of great concern to the government. This study provided empirical research, which further investigated the reasons attributed to government’s concerns. It further argued for certain interventions that can be of value to SMEs, government, ED practitioners, mentors and corporates. A regression analysis and bivariate correlation analysis was adopted to test the hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis assessed the factorial validity of the constructs. Pearson’s test tested the significance of the correlations, visual tests (histograms) and descriptive statistics (skewness and kurtosis) assessed the normality of variables, before hypothesis testing was carried out, factor analysis determined the empirical analysis to confirm the theory, and to reduce dimensions of variables within constructs. In addition, the overall level of Cronbach reliability (0.68≤α≤0.89), and the corresponding EVA of close to 0.3, showed excellent reliability. The empirical findings of the study revealed that EO had a positive impact on SME growth and that the relationship between EO and growth was moderated by mentorship. As such, this study contributes to the theoretical discourse through its contribution to the existing body of literature. It further adds to literature concerned with the role of mentors in ED, and how this influences the growth of SMEs participating in ED programs. From a practical perspective, it provides recommendations to all stakeholders of ED in South Africa. Finally, this study provides ED practitioners, incubation managers, government policy makers, corporates, mentors, SMEs and entrepreneurs with relevant information to support their strategic planning and the implementation of enterprise development in South Africa. / MT 2018

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 Johannesburg, 2017 / “The obligation for working-mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one did not have a job.” – Annabel Crabb, Author of The Wife Drought Women play a vital role in organisations, yet world-wide remain under-represented in key leadership positions. South Africa is no different. In addition, research indicates that professional women are ‘opting-out’ of the talent pipeline, further reducing the pool of women available to step in to senior leadership roles. Becoming a mother is life-changing, and when combined with a desire for a fulfilling career, role-conflict can occur. The guilt which accompanies role-conflict can often be overwhelming and may lead to professional women exiting organisations, taking with them valuable industry knowledge and expertise. Hence, retaining female talent is increasingly becoming a business imperative. This study aims to contribute to the field of Business Coaching by researching Maternity ‘Transition’ Coaching in an organisational context. As such, the study explored four research questions aimed at providing a systemic view of the experiences of professional women during the maternity transition period, the line manager’s role during this period, the influence of organisational culture on working-mothers, and the emergence of maternity transition coaching as a support mechanism in organisations. Following a detailed review of the literature, the research methodology of a qualitative, multiple-case study approach was selected. Two organisations (cases) were researched using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 15 respondents, as the primary sources of data collection. The research was further supported by an analysis of secondary data, both of which allowed for a full investigation of the research questions. The key findings indicated that maternity transition coaching is a strategic necessity for organisations wishing to attract and retain female talent in the 21st Century. Transitional theory along with an understanding of life and career stages are important aspects of this genre of coaching. Coaching increased support at critical transition points, leading to the retention of the professional women in the study along with a more seamless re-integration with their careers. Further, it surfaced that line managers play a critical role in a successful maternity transition, and as such also require support. It was further concluded that a family-friendly organisational culture is an enabler to a successful maternity transition. Maternity transition coaching therefore supports professional women in their desire for a satisfying career and work-life integration. / 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 in Business Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / Since the lifting of the international sanctions and relaxation of capital controls, South Africa has caught up with the rest of the world in terms of globalisation. This has resulted in a number of South African companies opening job opportunities in other markets. Previous research has highlighted the creation of job opportunities in other markets as an indication of the continuous need for expatriates in future. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of executives taking international assignments in South African multinational corporations, and to examine how coaching can support the experience. This study looked at the experiences of expatriates in all three phases of expatriation, that is, (1) to explore the experiences of expatriate executives prior to taking international assignments in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience, (2) to explore the experiences of expatriate executives during the assignment in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience and lastly (3) to explore the repatriation experiences of executives in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience. Qualitative research methodology was chosen to explore the expatriates’ experiences and the world in which they live. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with respondents from three South African multinational corporates (MNCs) in telecommunications, oil and hospitality industries. Out of sixteen respondents, three were Human Resource (HR) managers whose responsibility it is to administer and manage global mobility in the three MNCs. Global mobility includes expatriates’ management. The results of this study have implied that South African MNCs are inconsistent in terms of the way they prepare their expatriates before departure, support expatriates during the international assignments and repatriation. As a result of that, expatriates have also revealed mixed experienced in all three phases of the expatriation journey. For example, during pre-departure, some have experienced a pleasant preparation, such as look-see-visits, medical examinations and CEO on-boarding programmes, whereas others were never prepared (thrown in the deep-end). The misalignment between head office objectives and host country’s objectives came out as the most frustrating experience by the majority of the respondents. In terms of the last phase of the repatriation cycle, the results of this study suggest that a repatriation strategy is ineffective or non-existent in South African MNCs. Expatriates come back and get absorbed by competition as a result of the lack of a repatriation strategy. The glue to the findings of this research implies that coaching does have a critical role to play in all three phases of expatriation, that is, during pre-departure, during the assignment and during repatriation. The key message to South African MNCs is, if they want to use expatriates as their vehicle to succeed in global markets, they must involve former expatriates in crafting their realistic, practical expatriates’ strategy which must be communicated and applied to all expatriates and host companies. / 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 in Business and Executive Coaching Wits Business School November, 2016 / Despite the substantial investment in leadership development made by corporates around the world, limited research has focussed on the lived experience of leadership development, with the research available typically focussed on specific leadership development interventions. In South Africa effective leadership development is particularly critical given both the emigration of experienced leaders in the past twenty years, and the need to have a diversity of leadership which is representative of the population as a whole. The study explored executive development in South Africa through the lived experience of a sample of senior executives, all of whom had reached “C” suite positions in either a Group or business line capacity. The interview process was inductive in approach, so the narrative was not restricted by assumptions as to what development interventions would be described by the research participants. Eighteen senior executives were invited to participate in the research, and twelve were interviewed, at which point saturation was reached. Whilst no quota was established for racial diversity, the racial mix was representative of senior executives in South Africa corporates. A significant theme in the research findings was the importance of childhood experiences in developing the drive, resilience and ambition that would enable the foundations to be built for adult leadership development. Another key theme was that formal leadership development should be supplemented by experiential learning if it is to have significant impact. Despite mixed feedback on formal leadership development programmes, international executive programmes were seen to provide the participants with the opportunity both to network with others and learn from reflection, developing their life purpose and philosophy. The research participants found that coaching and mentoring were important in supporting the development of their leadership skills, as such interventions could focus on their specific development needs. The power of childhood influencers, workplace informal coaches and mentors and other influential counsellors also appears to have been significant. There was a view that successful leaders “breed” other successful leaders. Another key theme was that of self-confidence leading to self-determination. The self-confidence of the research participants appears to have been balanced by humility and a willingness to listen to and learn from others. All the executives had a strong sense of purpose, often developed initially in childhood, and strong values underpinned their leadership identity. The executives also stressed the importance of work-life balance in developing as effective leaders. A crucial finding of this research was that leaders face unique challenges of diversity and empowerment in South Africa, but that transformational leaders with a South African identity and Anglo-US educational and work experience can be highly successful. The challenge of international leadership development and work experience was found to be particularly beneficial in developing leadership skills which were appropriate for the South African corporate culture. The findings from this research therefore suggest that leadership development is a complex process based on some innate attributes, enhanced through critical childhood influences and trigger events, and developed to full potential through a combination of formal and informal leadership development interventions. Achieving full potential relies on readiness to learn and the opportunities to gain valuable experience, particularly in adversity. In the context of South Africa it appears that “western” leadership development experiences can be adapted by executives to enhance their effectiveness in a South African corporate culture. / 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 in Business and Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / This qualitative study explored the leadership journeys of black women executives (BWEs), to understand those elements they perceived to enable and those they perceived to inhibit their career progression, as well as to establish implications for coaching. Eighteen participants were interviewed. The sample included BWEs who had been coached, those who had not, human resources managers, and line managers to create some triangulation. The BWEs were all in the top two organisational levels, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. A semi-structured interview guide was utilised for the BWEs and another for HR and line managers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and uploaded into ATLAS.ti analysis software. Coding was conducted inductively to identify themes that emerged. The study highlighted the importance of ensuring that all parties to the coaching intervention are fully briefed, aligned, and coaching-ready before implementation. If readiness is not ensured, the process can be negatively affected. A key finding was that a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, but preferably a postgraduate degree, enabled the career progression of BWEs. Once in the workplace BWEs need to continue with self-development. Elements that were found to enable career progression for BWEs were hard work, networking, self-development, and access to mentors. Resilience was found to be important in managing the challenges the BWEs’ experience in the workplace. Elements that inhibit BWEs’ career progression were found to be lack of implementation of employment equity (EE) or transformation in the workplace. It was also found that BWEs operate in challenging work environments where they experience marginalisation, stereotyping, and racism. Work-life integration is an issue as they are the homemakers. Another key finding was that coaching could contribute to BWEs’ career progression. It is important that all parties in the process are coaching-ready. It was also found that coaching heightened resilience for BWEs. Coaching was shown to be utilised for leadership development, including improving communication skills. Line managers were unsure of the objectives for which their BWE charges were being coached. This highlighted the importance of aligning all parties and ensuring coaching readiness before coaching implementation. This point is also important because to be successful, coaching needs the support of organisational leadership. It was encouraging to realise that the line managers viewed coaching as confidential between coach and coachee; however, they appeared to have had no input into development needs identification. This could point to a missed opportunity to align coaching with business needs. The intrapersonal skills of self-confidence and self-awareness were shown to have been developed through coaching. These skills are vital to effective leadership. The BWEs’ experiences of coaching were found to be challenging, and uncomfortable, and BWEs found that the coach did not understand or trivialised the coachee’s issues. Coaching conversations are meant to be challenging, however too much challenge can derail the process. BWEs experienced coaching as uncomfortable because the conversation delved directly into deep personal issues without preparing the coachee or building rapport and a trusting relationship. Two BWEs felt that their coaches had trivialised or misunderstood their issues. The finding that line managers were unaware of the development needs being addressed in their BWEs’ coaching, the BWEs’ experiences of discomfort in the coaching process, and coachees feeling that the coach had trivialised the coachee’s issues, highlights the important matter of coaching readiness. Coaching readiness is important to the success of any coaching engagement. Without participants being fully ready for coaching, the process might be compromised. Coaching was found to be an appropriate tool for leadership development and improving the career progression prospects of BWEs. It was also found that it is important to ensure that every party to the coaching is coaching ready. / 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 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.

No abstract available / Business Leadership / Ph. D. (Business Leadership)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the years before South Africa's new political dispensation, many people were denied their fundamental right to be developed to their fullest potential. They could only dream of enjoying a more meaningful and fulfilled life. As a result South Africa was rated internationally as the lowest on the scale for human development. With the first free elections held in 1994, all South Africans were promised the freedom to be equal as citizens. Much rested upon the shoulders of the newly-elected political leadership. President Mandela performed his new leadership role with admirable integrity. He engendered a spirit of enthusiasm among many to rise up and meet the economic and social challenges facing the fragile democracy. One of the most significant challenges was to develop and grow a depleted skills base in a manner that would build unity and respect amongst its learners. Learning is central to any social and economic reform, and is an important vehicle to achieving desired goals. As a result, legislative changes were introduced to South Africa's education, training and development system soon after the elections. In 1995 the South African Qualifications Authority Act was passed. This allowed for the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework, the objectives of which is to create an integrated national education framework, and to promote a culture of lifelong learning. In 1998 the Skills Development Act was subsequently introduced. Its primary aim was to spearhead South Africa's Skills Development Strategy, which aims to provide a broad scope and context to that which the country requires in order to make it globally competitive. The Strategy links education and training interventions to labour market realities, and social and economic reforms, providing an operational and national yardstick for learning. It sets out to ensure that people become more involved in, and assume greater responsibility for their education, training and development. In order for education, training and development to build individual, organisational and national capacity it must infer alia, be aligned to the new legislation. To facilitate the meeting of this requirement, training interventions must be outcomes-based. Alignment to the new legislation will promote the aims and objectives enshrined in South Africa's Skills Development Strategy, and in so doing will achieve social and economic reforms. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die jare voor Suid-Afrika se nuwe politieke bedeling is baie mense die fundamentele reg ontneem om tot hul volle potensiaal ontwikkel te word. Hulle kon net droom van 'n meer betekenisvolle en vervulde lewe. As gevolg hiervan is Suid-Afrika internasionaal as die laagste op die skaal van menslike ontwikkeling geëvalueer. Toe die eerste vrye verkiesings in 1994 gehou is, is alle Suid-Afrikaners beloof dat hulle voortaan gelyke burgers sal wees. Daar het dus 'n groot verantwoordelikheid op die skouers van die nuutverkose politieke leiers gerus. President Mandela het dié leiersrol met bewonderenswaardige integriteit vervul. Hy het talle Suid-Afrikaners met entoesiasme vervul om uit te styg en die ekonomiese en sosiale uitdagings wat die brose demokrasie in die gesig gestaar het, die hoof te bied. Een van die grootste uitdagings was om 'n uitgeputte vaardigheidsbasis te ontwikkel en uit te bou op 'n manier wat eenheid en respek onder leerders sou kweek. Leer vorm die kern van enige sosiale en ekonomiese hervorming, en is 'n belangrike instrument waarmee verlangde doelwitte verwesenlik kan word. Gevolglik is die wetgewing wat Suid-Afrika se onderwys-, opleiding- en ontwikkelingstelsel reël, kort na die verkiesings gewysig. Die Wet op die Suid-Afrikaanse Kwalifikasie-owerheid is in 1995 aanvaar. Dit het tot die daarstelling van 'n Nasionale Kwalifikasieraamwerk gelei. Die doel hiervan is om 'n geïntegreerde nasionale onderwysraamwerk te skep en 'n kultuur van lewenslange leer te bevorder. Daarna is die Wet op Vaardigheidsontwikkeling in 1998 aanvaar. Die hoofdoel hiervan was om Suid-Afrika se Vaardigheidsontwikkelingstrategie te ontwikkel met die doel om 'n breë omvang en konteks vir dit wat die land nodig het om internasionaal mededingend te wees, te bied. Die Strategie lê die verband tussen onderwys- en opleidingsingrepe en die werklikhede van die arbeidsmark, en sosiale en ekonomiese hervorming deur 'n operasionele en nasionale maatstaf vir leer daar te stel. Dit wil verseker dat mense meer by hulle onderwys, opleiding en ontwikkeling betrokke raak en verantwoordelikheid daarvoor aanvaar.

No abstract available / Business Leadership / Ph. D. (Business Leadership)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / When the new South African Government was elected to power in 1994 it had a special mandate to provide appropriate services to all the people of the country. This was, still is and will continue to be a massive responsibility of government and one that requires total commitment by people at all levels of government. However, the negative effects of the legacy of the past apartheid education and training system cannot be over emphasised in this regard. The need for redress and re-skilling of public servants as a result of the changing and ever-increasing demands for quality service delivery puts a lot of emphasis on further development and underscores and further supports the issue of lifelong learning in the Public Service. However, far more complex are the people leadership and shifts in management mind-set that must happen. Yet, unless people in the government sector change how they think and work, service delivery outcomes will fall short of what the poorest and most vulnerable citizens need. The legislative frameworks seek to transform a culture of Public Service delivery from prescribing service packages to citizens, to putting citizens at the centre of service delivery through the Batho Pele (“meaning” the People First) Principles. In giving credence to the above and the enormity of the challenge of quality service delivery, the researcher of this research report narrowed down the scope of the research to the Provincial Government Western Cape. The “new” Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC), after the 2009 national democratic elections, has embarked on a process termed “modernisation” The modernisation project spans across all activities that are under the control of the PGWC. The human resource development function of the province is one such function that is being repositioned in terms of the modernisation project objectives. This, therefore, means by implication that the training and development aspects of the human resources development were reassessed. This was re-enforced by the following statement from a provincial document titled blueprint- provincial training (2010) – “One of the major causes of poor service delivery is the fact that employees are not adequately skilled or that skills have become out-dated”. This brings into focus the rational for the topic of this research report: Exploring the need and use for management coaching to develop senior management competencies within The Provincial Government Western Cape, v and the stated aim of this research report: Exploring the need and use of management coaching to develop the management competencies of the Senior Management Service (SMS) employee component within the Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC) and furthermore, make recommendations based on the findings of the study as to the need and application of management coaching within the PGWC. This research is exploratory and used qualitative research techniques. The study is undertaken as not much actual literature is available on the topic that is being researched. This in essence justifies why the research is exploratory as qualitative methods are particularly well suited to studies which canvas a variety of opinions and stakeholders (Ebrahim, 2008). The data analysis method used is content analysis which is defined as a systematic, research method for analysing textual information in a standardised way that allows evaluators to make inferences about that information. The research followed the steps in using content analysis as the method to analyse the results from semi-structured, open-ended interviews conducted with 14 individuals identified as the stakeholder group. To assert that the research result based on content analysis is valid is to assert that the results do not depend upon or are generalisable beyond the specific data, method or measure of a particular study.