Coaching managers to facilitate integration after an agricultural acquisition in South Africa

Abstract

Generally, organisations continuously search for ways to enhance the capabilities of their leaders to maintain pace with the ever-evolving business environment. Leaders frequently lack dynamic leadership behaviour; consequently, they need effective interventions to develop their emotional and social intelligence competencies to achieve their organizational or work-related goals. The current study aimed to investigate the role of coaching in facilitating team integration after an acquisition. Majority of influential managers come from environments where technical, financial and operational knowhow were a priority, and these skills have provided little help when it comes to guiding people through change. The research followed the interpretive worldview. Data was collected from managers who have several people directly reporting to them. The sample consisted of mid-managers leading teams from both the acquired and acquiring companies. Face-to-face interviews were held with the participants—also, observations, detailed notes and researcher reflections. Research findings confirmed that managers have a gap of being more taskorientated and less on being people orientated could be closed through coaching managers through this transition. The findings of the study further suggest that coaching can be used as a tool to develop the required skills to handle most changes that come with the integration stage. Coaching has the potential to assist leaders to recognise their own emotions better and also acknowledge and manage their teams' emotions during the most uncertain period of organisational change. It helps to rely on their strengths and focus on their areas of development to lead and embrace change