Factors influencing the use of managers as performance coaches in a human settlement organisation in South Africa

Abstract

Organisations in today’s competitive economy have come to appreciate some of the inherent benefits to be gleaned from using managerial coaching in their existing people and performance management strategies to create a learning organisational culture. While there is recognition of the importance of the role of managers as performance coaches, the concept has not been fully embraced. This study investigated the factors influencing the use of the manager as performance coach concept within the Human Settlements organisational context in South Africa. The primary research problem being that the concept of managers as performance coaches, as a critical element of the organisation’s performance management policy, was ostensibly not being conducted within the organisation, which in turn impacted on the organisation's overall performance. Moreover, the study explored the potential reasons why performance coaching was not taking place, from the perspective of the supervisor. An exploratory qualitative methodology was selected to conduct the study at a Human Settlements organisation in Gauteng, South Africa. A purposive sampling technique was followed to select the fifteen (15) supervisors/managers as participants, having not complied with the performance coaching requirements of the organisation’s performance management policy. The study builds on the emergent research on managers as performance coaches and presents the practical implications for practitioners and organisations seeking to implement performance management systems that incorporate managers as performance coaches to enhance organisational performance. The importance of understanding the organisational culture and context when selecting a performance management system that incorporates the manager as performance coach concept cannot be underestimated. The study illuminates the vital role of Leadership in driving organisational performance if performance management systems incorporating the manager as performance coach concept are to succeed.