3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item An exploration of teachers' views and experiences towards the use of Gauteng primary literacy & mathematics strategy (GPLMS) lesson plans with and without coaches: a case study of six teachers in two Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) schools(2016-03-09) Molotsi, GontseThe purpose of this qualitative research report was to explore teacher’s views as perceptions regarding one of South Africa’s Literacy and Numeracy intervention strategy. The specific area in this regard, was to explore the two major tools that are gaining popularity within teacher development studies. These tools namely the usage of scripted lesson plans and coaches were also used in this intervention strategy to develop teachers in the selected underperforming schools throughout Gauteng Province. This research aimed to find out from six participants in two different schools how they perceived using these scripted lesson plans and having coaches in their classrooms who helped them interpret and use the lesson plans they were provided with. The research evaluates the knowledge the participants gained from this experience and once the coaches no longer visited their classrooms and schools, the teacher’s experience of using the scripted lesson plans without the coaches’ supervision. The participants in this report expressed how they appreciated the coach-mediated lesson plans provided for them in the Gauteng Primary Literacy and Mathematics Strategy program. However the participants stated problems with the pacing of the lesson plans where some teachers felt that the lesson plan pacing was too fast for their learners and how some of the activities did not fit the context of their schools. The participants stated that they had a problem with the structure of the content in the lesson plans and the fact they taught too many different concepts in one week. This they stated was confusing for the learners and themselves. With regards to the coaches mediating the lesson plans, the participants showed a sense of appreciation at having someone who would help them unpack the lesson plans, but expressed the need for the coaches to model the teaching pedagogues, which was ultimately never done, rather than just talking them through them. The attitude or interpersonal skills displayed by the coach became one of the big issues that either influenced the reception or rejection of the coaches’ presence in classrooms. The one thing all participants’ concurred on was the supply of other resources such as posters and flashcards, which they stated they found very useful as a stimulus for the learners.Item CEO transitions: the implications for coaching in South Africa(2015) Gray, EdelweissThe study explored the CEO transition process that takes place in the handing over of the organisation from the outgoing CEO to the incoming CEO and how executive coaching can facilitate the transition process. The past two decades have seen a reduction in the tenure of CEOs. In addition the transition period has contracted. This means that the incoming CEO is often faced with many challenges that may have been alleviated in a longer or more structured transition process. As CEO succession has a major impact on the organisation, and is disruptive in itself, executive coaching might present an opportunity to manage the transition and improve the settling in and effectiveness of the incoming CEO and thereby the performance of the organisation. . Friedman and Olk (1995), Garman and Glawe (2004) and Vancil (1987) defined a structured CEO succession and transition process in organisations. The transition process is conceptualised as a settling-in period where the designated CEO and outgoing CEO work together in a dual capacity whereby the organisation would slowly be transferred from one to the other over a period of months or even years (Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2001). The Chairman plays an influential role in selecting the incoming CEO (Dalton & Dalton, 2007b; Engelbrecht, 2009; Fredrickson, Hambrick, & Baumrin, 1988) and in supporting the incoming CEO in his/her initial appointment period (Kets de Vries, 1987). There are various factors that determine the selection of an insider CEO or outsider CEO based on the performance and future strategy of the organisation (Dalton & Kesner, 1985; Friedman & Olk, 1995; Khurana, 2001; Ocasio, 1999; Zajac, 1990). The selection of the incoming CEO is important as it impacts the market value of the organisation and creates disruption within the organisation (Grusky, 1963). The incoming CEO, whether an insider or outsider CEO appointment, experiences many challenges when taking up the position. These challenges include delivering continuous growth, improved performance and profitability of the organisation (Bower, 2007; Giambatista, Rowe, & Riaz, 2005), managing key relationships with the Chairman, Board of Directors, Shareholders, key customers and suppliers as well as the management of people within the organisation. Other challenges are of a more personal nature, such as self-doubt and balancing work-life (McCormick, 2001; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998; Stock, Bauer, & Bieling, 2014). Many of these challenges can be attributed to the reduced transition period that an incoming CEO has (Charan, 2005). iv There are various support structures available to the incoming CEO to supporting the incoming CEO in his/her initial appointment period. These include the Chairman, mentors and executive coaching. Various coaching models were considered in supporting the incoming CEO through the transition period and the challenges experienced (Bond & Naughton, 2011; Passmore, 2007; Saporito, 1996). The aim of exploring executive coaching models was to recommend a coaching framework that could be used in the CEO transition process. The research methodology used in the study was qualitative. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken in order to gain insights from the lived experience of CEOs, Chairmen and Board of Directors of organisations (Ponterotto, 2005; Wimpenny & Gass, 2000). Further to this an analysis of the CEO turnover in the Top 40 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was undertaken, which served to triangulate the results from the respondent interviews. It was found that there was both planned and unplanned CEO succession in organisations and this impacted the transition process and period that took place between the outgoing CEO and the incoming CEO. Planned CEO succession usually arose from the planned CEO retirements and allowed for a long transition period. An unplanned CEO succession arose from the untimely resignation, retirement or death of the existing CEO. This left the newly appointed CEO taking the position with a very short transition period, if at all. Following from the planned and unplanned CEO succession there was found to be a mismatch between the theory of the CEO succession and transition processes and the practice thereof. This seemed to be more evident from a South African perspective as most of the literature on the subject of CEO succession and transition processes was internationally based with very scant South African literature available on the topic. Executive coaching can provide the structure for the incoming CEO to orientate him/herself to the organisational dynamics, setting the vision and strategy for the organisation as well as the effective execution of that strategy. Further, executive coaching can assist the incoming CEO in the personal challenges of leadership, managing people and stakeholders as well as self-doubt and work-life balance that the newly appointed CEO may experience.Item Perceptions and experiences of the role and process of coaching in the Gauteng Primary Language and Mathematics Strategy : a case of four teachers, their coaches and supervisors.(2015-05-18) Kadenge, EmureThis study explores the coaching component of the GPLMS over the past 3 years, how it has been implemented as well as the lessons learnt with the view to understanding the coaching conditions required to assist teachers in changing their instructional practices. The GPLMS intervention consists primarily of instructional coaching which has to mediate lesson plans to teachers. This research specifically looks at the teacher-coach relations, the nature of coaching support and monitoring and its impact on teachers. Research data were collected through interviews of teachers in one FP school and one Intersen school in the Johannesburg South district as well as from two coaches and their supervisors. A Peer Learning Group (PLG) meeting in one school and a School-Based Workshop (SBW) in the other school were observed. GPLMS documents which include lesson plans and teacher observation sheets were analysed. The data analysis reveals that instructional coaching combined with high quality lesson plans are promising interventions with potential to improve teachers’ instructional practices. Much progress, however, depends on the coaches’ interpretation of their role as well as their attributes and qualities as far as the level of their subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge and the respect and trust between themselves and their teachers are concerned.Item Working ourselves to happiness: finding meaning at work through coaching in South Africa(2014-02-27) Bailes, Silvia AnaHappiness and meaning in individual and organisational functioning is addressed, as well as the role of executive and business coaching in supporting this process. Theories of applied positive psychology, as the conceptual framework underpinning happiness, and philosophies of meaning, are defined and tested within a South African context of trauma and violence. Happiness, the science, is controversial, but is explored as scientific research reports positive affects that could be relevant in alleviating related SA-specific conditions of stress and dysfunction. The study is qualitative, with data collected via semi-structured one-on-one interviews. An inductive approach is applied to the interpretation of data to arrive at recurring themes. Happiness is found to be both a concept and an outcome. The outcome is shown to comprise personal needs, intrinsic motivations and balance, the sum of which represents a construct of well-being, that leads to personal growth and performance. Limitations of the intrinsic motivations on personal growth are discussed, and the meaning motivation shown to be ‘unlimited’ and sustainable. Combining the intrinsic motivations with positive behaviours, with meaning, as a central theme, is demonstrated to result in sustainable positive impacts for individuals and their organisations. Happiness and meaning, namely, well-being, are found to be important elements of individual and organisational functioning and effectiveness. Differences in frames of reference relative to happiness are relevant in the South African context and socio-economic environment. Individuals overlook potential opportunities of benefit to organisations by ignoring the socio-economic environment when restricting the influence of their roles to their internal environments. Organisations can help employees to find meaning in their work that leads to workplace happiness and work satisfaction. Organisational threats to well-being are evidenced in negative affects that impact performance and pose a potential governance risk. Reciprocal benefits to employees and employers are evident when employees are supported by effective embedded organisational well-being programmes that mitigate this risk. Threats to employees in the well-being areas of being treated as human beings, purpose, learning, and balance, are evident. This includes existential angst and loss of hope which is attributed to SA-specific socioeconomic problems of significant proportion. In combination with trauma and violence that is endemic to SA society, this results in negative affects that impact on well-being and performance. These are important areas that could benefit from coaching support. Organisations can implement coaching processes to support employees find meaning in their personal and work lives that are of benefit to organisations. Differing perceptions of coaching needs between individuals and organisations are evident. Organisations do not appear to be aware of employees’ need for coaching in the area of purpose and meaning. Specialists express discomfort when dealing with organisations on soft issues of this nature, indicative of mindsets in need of change if coaching is to be given the organisational emphasis it deserves in supporting sustainable well-being. Findings are synthesised into a conceptual model of meaning for sustainable individual and organisational well-being, with specific reference to the coaching process. The conceptual model outlines the component parts of well-being and their symbiotic and systemic relationships for supporting personal meaning at work.Item Factors in South Africa inhibiting the progression of black executives in their careers and the role of coaching in their development(2014-01-31) Myres, HughThis research was conducted to explore what factors are inhibiting the career progression of black executives in South Africa and to investigate how coaching can contribute to their development. A qualitative approach was chosen for the research methodology, to explore the inhibiting factors and perceived coaching needs in depth. A discussion guide for semi-structured interviews was derived from a theoretical framework developed from the literature review. Thirteen interviews were conducted with senior black male executives in the private sector, many of whom were managing directors of large corporations, but all of whom operate at the level of functional manager or higher, according to the Charan and Drotter pipeline model (Charan, Drotter, & Noel, 2011). The sample was split into executives who were coached and not coached to create some triangulation. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and uploaded into Atlas CAQDAS software for analysis. A codebook was created deductively for the initial coding, with 140 codes, 22 categories and four themes being developed from the subsequent analysis. Regarding inhibiting factors, the findings showed that black executives experience high levels of racism. Achieving a critical mass of black executives would create an opportunity to adopt a blend between the current common Eurocentric management style and an Afrocentric one. Aspects of black culture can be detrimental to executives’ effectiveness, particularly the ability to confront other executives as superiors or colleagues. Experience gained overseas seems to limit this effect. Creating a positive support environment for the black executive is important for the creation of a pipeline of executives. Having a supportive family background, and maintaining a positive attitude is key. Educational background no longer appears to be an inhibiting factor, as most executives have attended historically white institutions (HWIs). Most respondents had co-opted unofficial mentors at work during their careers. A distinct lack of visibility through substitute networks for the historical Anglo American model from schools and universities makes sourcing black male recruits ii difficult. Lack of experience is a limiting factor, and observations were unanimous in condemning the destructive effect of job-hopping on black executives’ careers. Talent management practices were surprisingly positively reviewed; coaching is seen as beneficial for creating a pipeline. Fifty areas for application of coaching were identified and grouped under the Katz (1974) model of skills needed for managerial practice, namely conceptual skills, human skills and technical skills. 40% of the findings revolved around human skills, both interpersonal and intrapersonal. The most important topics include: enhancing leadership, performance management, managing corporate politics, building networks, leadership style and team leadership. In the intrapersonal category, topics noted were: raising self-esteem, coaching for performance, raising self-awareness, emotional intelligence, coaching through strengths, and coaching for transitions. South Africa still suffers from a historical legacy, where numerous factors are inhibiting the full participation of black executives in top management at the level required to achieve a sustainable political and economic environment. Coaching was found to be a suitable leadership development tool for many applications identified in the research.Item Factors influencing implementation of executive peer coaching(2014-01-14) Van Emmenis, AllisonPeer coaching within the South African context is not widely promoted or implemented. In the field of coaching, peer coaching is slowly entering the marketplace with a focus on career learning and self-driven leadership development. It is one of the options available to organisations in which to assist leaders with addressing development needs. This research set out to establish the factors behind the rationale to implement a peer coaching program at executive level. The research followed a qualitative design methodology making use of semi-structured interviews to gather data. The richness of the data lay in the semi-structured approach which allowed for the participants to air their views, yet for the researcher to remain true to the purpose of the study. The findings suggest that within the current South African context, there are more constraining factors present which may inhibit the decision to implement a peer coaching program than enabling factors. These include the perceived limited choice of peer coaches available; the challenges of setting up a coach-coachee relationship, which includes trust and confidentiality; the presence of dominant leaders; power dimensions within organisations; environments of mistrust, gossip and competitiveness and the presence of diversity discrimination. It further posits that the leaders of the organisations play a pivotal role in determining the rationale behind the decision to implement a peer coaching program.Item The executive's perceptions and experience of resilience as influenced by coaching interventions in South Africa(2013-08-28) Stevens, TanyaToday’s business world is dynamic and ever-changing, and for organisations and executives to survive and thrive, learning and self-development must be a vital component of their individual and business strategy (Luthans, Vogelgesang, & Lester, 2006). Linked to this, in their roles as leaders, executives have to navigate a constant onslaught of changes and challenges from the environment which makes their ability to ‘bounce back’ from negative events, and thus be resilient, crucial (Avolio & Gardner, 2005; Hamel & Valikangas, 2003). Continued learning and development is therefore required in order to enhance executives’ resilience and their ability to adjust to change and deal with the challenges they face (Moran, 2011; Passmore, 2010; Kaye, 2006). One method that has been identified to assist executives in their continued learning and self-development is Executive Coaching, which has emerged as one of the most important developmental and training tools for these individuals (Jones, Reafferty, & Griffin, 2006). This study aims to contribute to the field of Executive Coaching by investigating how executives who have been coached perceive and experience resilience and well as how executives who have not been coached perceive and experience resilience. The study explores the differences between the perceptions and experiences of resilience between the ‘coached’ and the ‘non-coached’ and examines the coaching interventions that played a part in influencing these perceptions. 18 South African executives were interviewed using an unstructured interview format for this study. These interviews were then transcribed and analysed using methods of thematic content analysis and several themes emerged as a result. The study found that, overall, coaching interventions do influence an executive’s perceptions and experience of resilience, most notably in the areas of increased self-confidence, selfawareness and emotional regulation and awareness. The findings further highlight that participants perceive resilience as a multi-dimensional process influenced by multiple factors, and although all the respondents who had been coached indicated they found Executive Coaching to be both helpful and useful, the influence of coaching interventions on resilience fluctuated across the themes that emerged. A significant recommendation from the study is the need for coaches to address coaching interventions and resilience holistically in order to provide comprehensive support and attention to all of the aspects that impact an executive’s resilience.Item An exploration of coaching practices in leading South African companies(2013-08-27) Attlee, Zia DelphineThis research uncovered the coaching practices of the leading South African companies. The objective of the study was to explore whether these companies use coaching in their organisations and to provide other South African organisations and coaches with an understanding of how the most successful South African companies manage the coaching process and whether they evaluate the outcomes of the coaching process. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The quantitative phase consisted of an online questionnaire completed by 49 of the top 100 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 11 of the top 100 JSE listed companies. Coaching programmes in the leading companies of South Africa have been in place for one to three years and are predominantly used for leadership development and performance management. The main recipients of coaching in these companies are executives, senior managers and up-and-coming talent. Leading South African companies integrate coaching with the organisation’s talent management strategy or the organisation’s business strategy. The leading South African companies select external coaches based on coaching experience, business experience, recommendations and qualifications and contract them to work with executive and senior management levels. They also use internal coaches but mostly to coach up-and-coming talent and graduates. They do not enforce the supervision of coaches and engaging in supervision is mostly decided by the coaches themselves. Measuring of coaching outcomes is important to the leading companies of South Africa and therefore most of these companies measure its impact. This research provides key insights into the coaching practices of the leading South African companies. The research also provides guidance to coaches and organisations in South Africa on how coaching can be used to develop individuals and organisations.Item Developing core coaching competencies using theatre-based techniques(2013-08-22) Ketz, ArleneLeaders in the 21st century face many challenges. To be effective they need to be visionaries and leaders of change, who realise their visions and goals through others. To do this they need to know who they are, be confident of their own abilities and lead with integrity and conviction, maximising the capabilities of their followers to realise their potential while achieving company goals. A coaching style of leadership could help them to do this. However, coaching does not necessarily come easily to leaders and coaching skills may need to be developed. This research explores the use of theatre-based techniques to develop core coaching competencies in leaders who coach. These techniques, founded on the rigorous training that actors have to undertake, are simple, fun and engaging, yet provocative and transformational. They could help leaders to improve their communication skills, build their emotional intelligence and develop the trust and integrity needed for an authentic, credible presence, which is necessary in leaders who coach. To determine whether theatre-based techniques do develop coaching competencies in leaders who coach, several international and local experts, who use these techniques in training leaders and coaches, were interviewed. In addition, theatre-based workshops were observed and feedback was obtained from delegates. Findings were analysed, using inductive content analysis, and these findings were compared to the relevant literature and to the coaching competencies outlined by international coach federations, to determine the relevance of theatre-based techniques for coach education. The findings from this research show that theatre-based techniques develop key coaching competencies such as presence, emotional intelligence, effective expressive communication, trust and integrity, development and transformation, and creativity in leaders who coach and coaches. It is concluded, therefore, that theatre-based techniques do have a role to play within the context of coach education, and combined with other more formal methods of training that include coaching models, could be useful in developing core coaching competencies in leaders who coach and coaches.Item The impact of group coaching on leadership effectiveness for South African women managers(2013-02-18) Reid, M. AlisonEffective leadership is crucial for organisational survival and growth, especially in demanding modern business environments. It is particularly challenging for women leaders who may function in gendered organisations that do not necessarily support their development. Group coaching is more time and cost-effective than individual coaching, is scalable and sustainable and is appropriate for the relational context of leadership. It is, however, in its infancy in terms of cohesive and differentiated research. This study investigated the impact of group coaching on leadership effectiveness in South African women managers. Data was gathered from pre-and-post questionnaire administrations as well as interviews and was analysed using mixed methods in comparative t-tests and thematic analysis. The findings indicated that leadership effectiveness did change significantly over a six month leadership development programme, most notably in the areas of enabling self, enabling others and self-confidence. Specific impacts of group coaching on leadership effectiveness were by increasing awareness of self and values; enabling learning through external input; enabling sharing and support through safety and a sense of direction. These themes relate to factors inherent in a group context: multiple interactions to explore identity and self, multiple feedback inputs and collective sharing and support. The respondents reported less impact in the achievement of personal goals or results. It is possible that there is a trade-off in focus on the individual’s objectives for the learning advantages of multiple interactions and exchanges in group coaching. The effects of group coaching, however, appear to be relevant for current business realities that demand modern leaders to be authentic and confident in complex and hyper-connected social environments. Women who work in male-dominated organisations may benefit particularly from alternative groups that provide safe feedback, validation and a sense of identification with similarly positioned women. This study deepened understanding of how group coaching adds value in a leadership development context. The results add to the body of knowledge on group coaching and leadership effectiveness and help to inform the practice of effective leadership in organisations, particularly for women managers.