The executive's perceptions and experience of resilience as influenced by coaching interventions in South Africa
Date
2013-08-28
Authors
Stevens, Tanya
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Abstract
Today’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.
Description
Thesis (M.M. (Business Executive Coaching))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2013.
Keywords
Executives, Coaching, South Africa, Training