Leadership Coaching and Transformation in the South African Mining Sector by Mandlenkosi Sibindi Student Number 1990915 Supervisor: Elona Hlatshwayo 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 Johannesburg, February 2022 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School ii ABSTRACT Transformation in the South African mining sector is moving at a slow pace. This study was to determine how the sector used leadership coaching to resolve its reported transformation challenges. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. The population consisted of human resources managers, coaches and coachees from the mining sector. The key findings from the research were that leadership coaching is used as a support structure for Historically Disadvantaged South Africans (HDSA) identified for transformation vacancies. However, leadership coaching was not the only intervention used and there are other success factors necessary for leadership coaching and transformation to thrive. There are also barriers that hinder transformation and coaching within the mining sector. While research has been conducted on transformation and coaching, it has mostly focused broadly on all industries and not specifically on the mining sector. It is envisioned that this research will contribute towards the body of knowledge in this regard. It is also envisaged that this study will provide a better understanding of the impact of coaching on sustainable transformation in the mining sector. KEY WORDS: leadership coaching, transformation, mining, employment equity. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School iii DECLARATION I, Mandlenkosi Sibindi, declare that this research report is my own work except as indicated in the references and acknowledgements. It is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business and Executive Coaching at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. It has not been submitted before for any degree or examination in this or any other university. Name: Mandlenkosi Sibindi Signature: Signed at Durban South Africa On the 25th day of February 2022 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School iv DEDICATION This research report is dedicated to Him who makes all things possible! Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my research supervisor, Elona Hlatshwayo, for her patience and guidance in this research. I am grateful to all the Wits staff who assisted in me completing this study. I am eternally grateful to the participants who made time for the research interviews and shared their experiences that made this research possible. I am grateful to family, parents and friends who have always challenged me to be a better version of myself. To God be the Glory! Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................... ii DECLARATION .............................................................................. iii DEDICATION ................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................ v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 9 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 9 1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 9 1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM ....................................................................... 11 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 12 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................... 12 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 12 1.7 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY........................................................... 13 1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS ...................................................................... 13 1.9 ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................... 15 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 15 2.2 BACKGROUND DISCUSSION ............................................................... 15 2.3 COACHING ...................................................................................... 16 2.4 LEADERSHIP COACHING ................................................................... 16 2.5 ADULT LEARNING THEORIES ............................................................. 18 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School vii 2.6 HOW IS LEADERSHIP COACHING USED FOR TRANSFORMATION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING SECTOR? ................................................. 21 2.7 IMPACT OF TRANSFORMATION ........................................................... 23 2.8 CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................... 24 CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................. 25 3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 25 3.1.1 RESEARCH PARADIGM ...................................................................................... 25 3.1.2 RESEARCH APPROACH ..................................................................................... 25 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN .......................................................................... 26 3.3 POPULATION AND SAMPLE................................................................. 27 3.3.1 POPULATION .................................................................................................... 27 3.4 THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS .......................................................... 28 3.5 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION .................................................. 29 3.6 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ............................................... 29 3.7 TRUSTWORTHINESS ......................................................................... 30 3.7.1 CREDIBILITY ..................................................................................................... 30 3.7.2 DEPENDABILITY ................................................................................................ 30 3.7.3 CONFIRMABILITY ............................................................................................... 31 3.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................... 31 3.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................ 31 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 33 4.2 CONCLUSION OF THE RESEARCH FINDINGS SECTION ............................ 44 CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS ......................... 45 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 45 5.2 DESCRIPTION OF PARTICIPANTS ........................................................ 45 5.3 ANSWERS TO THE RESEARCH QUESTION ........................................... 48 5.4 UNEXPECTED FINDING ...................................................................... 50 5.5 CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 51 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School viii CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 52 6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 52 6.2 CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY ........................................................... 52 6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................ 53 6.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ........................................... 54 6.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .............................................................. 54 6.6 CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 55 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 57 ANNEXURE A – INTERVIEW GUIDE (HR MANAGERS) ...................................... 64 LEADERSHIP COACHING AND TRANSFORMATION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MINING INDUSTRY ........................................................................................ 64 ANNEXURE B – INTERVIEW GUIDE (COACHES) ............................................... 68 ANNEXURE C – INTERVIEW GUIDE (COACHEES) ............................................. 72 ANNEXURE D COVER LETTER ...................................................................... 76 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 9 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION This chapter highlights the context of the study and the relevance of the research in South Africa. The purpose of the study, problem statement and the research questions form the core of the chapter. The significance of the study, delimitations of the study, definition of terms and assumptions form the end of the chapter. 1.1 Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study was to determine how the mining sector in South Africa uses coaching as a development intervention to resolve the reported transformation challenges within the sector. The study aimed to contribute towards a broader understanding of the role of coaching in resolving a national challenge by focusing on the mining sector. It focused on the use of coaching as a development intervention. 1.2 Context of the Study The South African mining sector contributes almost 8% of the GDP and directly employs approximately 500 000 workers and another 500 000 workers indirectly (Lester, 2014). The mining sector is a significant consumer of goods and services thereby contributing economically towards other industries (StatsSA, 2012), even though over the years, the sector’s input to the Gross Domestic Product has fallen from 21% in 1980 to 8% in 2016 (StatsSA, 2019). Historically, the mining sector had gender and racial imbalances due to the legacy of apartheid. The government has attempted to redress imbalances of the past through the Mining Charter of 2003 and Employment Equity Act of 1998, amongst other instruments. But, Moraka and Jansen van Rensburg (2015) have shown that black people continue to perceive that they are considered incompetent for employment in the mining sector by other groups. Skills shortage has been highlighted as a hindrance to transformation in the sector, coupled with the inability to select and manage a talent pool by mining companies (Esterhuyse, Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 10 2003). Thobatsi (2014) argues that the sector is also under pressure from employees, especially organised labour. According to the Mining Sector Skills Plan MQA (2018), a seven year analysis of the sector indicates the following about the mining sector: i. It is male dominated with males making up 84.9% of labor decreasing from 89% in 2012. The average annual growth rate of females employed within the sector is 1.1%. ii. Blacks make up 86% of the total workforce, but at managerial level Whites make up 52% of the representation. The average yearly growth rate of Blacks in the management over the seven-year period from 2012 to 2019 is 0.2%. iii. Over the seven-year period, the representation of disabled employees over the seven-year period indicates an average growth rate of -1%. In 2015, when the then Mining Sector Minister, Ngoako Ramathlodi, released a media statement on the assessment of transformation in the sector (RSA, 2015), the figures of Mining Right holders that had managed to comply with the 40% target for each of the categories expressed as a percentage are shown in the table below. Table 1 Employment Equity: The percentage of mining right holders that met the 40% target for each category are: Management levels Compliance levels Top management (Board) 73% of the mining right holders Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 11 Senior management (EXCO) 50% of the mining right holders Middle management 56% of the mining right holders Junior management 68% of the mining right holders Core and critical skills 79% of the mining right holders Source: Adapted from (RSA, 2015) The above table indicates the need for sustainable transformation in the sector in a bid to meet the government targets. 1.3 Research problem Transformation efforts without the added support of proven interventions, such as coaching, may be to the detriment of the sector as well as the talent, as they are not likely to be sustainable. As demonstrated above, the existing plethora of interventions introduced by the government and mining companies do not seem to adequately address the required pace of transformation. Myres (2013) highlighted that South African companies are struggling to meet their Employment Equity targets. Thus, there was a need to explore the use of proven interventions, such as, leadership coaching for transformation and succession planning in the mining sector as coaching is a useful tool for leadership development (Kahn, 2011). It is against the backdrop of the relatively slow pace of transformation in the South African mining sector that this study was set. The research sought to investigate the role that has been played by coaching as an intervention in the highlighted context. There is a gap in understanding the role coaching can potentially play in assisting the mining sector to overcome transformation challenges. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 12 1.4 Research objectives Below is the guiding objective of the research: i. To explore the use of leadership coaching in transforming and developing leaders in the South African mining sector. 1.5 Research Questions The research project sought to provide insight on the question below: i. How does the South African mining sector use leadership coaching for transformation and the development of leaders? 1.6 Significance of the study Coaching is a relatively new and growing field (Cunningham, 2017). There are limited studies in the South African mining sector that specifically focus on coaching. While research has been conducted on transformation and coaching, it has mostly focused broadly on all industries and not specifically on the mining sector. It is envisioned that this research will contribute towards the conversation and lead to gaining a better understanding of the impact of coaching on sustainable transformation in the mining sector through contributing towards the literature on the subject. It is expected that the findings from the study will benefit, amongst others, government, organisations, potential investors, regulators, trade unions, and employees through: i. Adding to the conversation on transformation efforts through demonstrating the efficacy and relevance of coaching as an intervention. Existing solutions to transformation have not fully addressed the challenges (Prinsloo, 2017). ii. Assisting the Sector Education and Training Authority i.e., Mining Qualifications Authority on identifying potential opportunities to provide Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 13 discretionary grant funding and align them with the sector’s strategic objectives (Barclay, Van Schalkwyk, & Pauw, 2011). iii. Assisting organisations and Historically Disadvantaged South Africans who are now in leadership positions or nominated in succession plans make informed choices on the relevant intervention, based on identified risks and the impact thereof. iv. As well as assist other sectors gain an understanding of how coaching can be used to assist in achieving transformation objectives since employers are mandated to provide annual progress reports on Employment Equity to the Department of Labour (Vettori, 2018). v. Contribute towards the fight against inequality which is still persistent in our society (WorldBank, 2018), by aiding the process of transformation. 1.7 Delimitations of the study i. The study focused on the South African mining sector; there are many other sectors that could have added value and perspective to the research but that are not included. ii. The study narrowed its focus to the employment equity aspect of mining transformation. It excluded ownership, procurement, and enterprise development, mine community development and sustainable development. iii. The study focused only on existing mining right holders and no mining right applicants were considered. Artisanal miners were not considered because data is difficult to source. iv. The targeted respondents were Human Resources Managers, beneficiaries of transformation efforts and coaches. 1.8 Definition of terms Client/Coachee - refers to the person being coached in the leadership coaching process (Millar, Gitsham, Bozerx, Sarros, & Santora, 2013). Coaching - refers to “a human development process that involves structured, focused interaction and the use of appropriate strategies, tools and techniques to Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 14 promote desirable and sustainable change for the benefit of the coachee and potentially for other stakeholders” (Cox, Bachkirova, & Clutterbuck, 2014b) Historically Disadvantaged South African (HDSA) - refers to any person, category of persons or community, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination before the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa took effect (Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act 28 of 2002). Transformation - refers to the dismantling of the structures and overhauling of the legal system that facilitates societal discrimination and disparities based on a racial and gender basis that still persist in South Africa, both economically and socially (Prinsloo, 2017). For the purposes of this study, transformation refers to the redress of the gender and racial imbalances in order to have demographic representation that is inclusive of black people, women, and people living with disabilities in all job levels in the mining sector (Moraka, 2016). Succession Management- refers to deliberate and systematic effort to retain and develop the organisation’s talent for the future in line with the strategic vision of the organisation (Talpoş, Pop, Văduva, & Kovács, 2017) . 1.9 Assumptions The assumptions of the research are as follows: i. The participants will answer truthfully during interviews and the survey. ii. The participants have a sincere interest in the research and do not have any other motives. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 15 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction The chapter serves to review the literature relevant to the central themes of the research topic. These include the study’s key constructs on transformation, leadership coaching and exploration of the theories underpinning the research. 2.2 Background discussion Transformation has been a topical issue in South Africa since the dawn of democracy in 1994. The mining sector has faced transformation challenges, given the legacy of apartheid. Empirical evidence has demonstrated that racial discrimination, as was the case during apartheid, causes loss of self-esteem, stress and anxiety (Hocoy, 1998). This has led to feelings of incompleteness and inferiority post 1994. There has been the introduction of legislative frameworks in the mining sector, namely the Minerals and Petroleum Development (MPRDA) Act (Act 28 of 2002) subsequently revised in 2010, Employment Equity Act (Act 55 of 1998), Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act of 2003, the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998), as well as the Broad-Based Socio- Economic Empowerment Charter, commonly referred to as the ‘Mining Charter’. The above pieces of legislation have laid the foundation for transformation. However, the post-apartheid effects of institutionalised racism still exist, based on income, positions and the expertise of different demographics (Ndinda & Okeke-Uzodike, 2012). There are skills gaps in the sector which the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) (2018) attributes to the following, amongst others: i. Lack of specialised knowledge ii. Lack of management skills iii. Employment equity iv. Lack of project management skills v. Lack of skills pipeline Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 16 2.3 Coaching Naidoo and Xollie (2011) establish that the modern workplace has a need for leadership development that accentuates coaching, amongst other interventions. Coaching has been conceptualised in multiple ways by different authors. Cox, Bachkirova, and Clutterbuck (2014a) defined coaching as a structured and focused human development process wherein suitable strategies, tools and techniques are used to encourage sustainable transition for the benefit of the client and other relevant parties. Palmer and Whybrow (2018) understand coaching as holding a psychology within and argue that coaching psychology is an enhancement of the wellbeing and performance in personal life and work domains, based on models of coaching grounded in established andragogy or psychological approaches. Kilburg (2000) accentuates that there is a coaching agreement bond formed between a coach and a coachee that has managerial authority and accountability in an organisation. According to Grover and Furnham (2016), coaching is used in organisational settings to help shorten the learning curve in a new organisation, role, succession management and leadership and management skills, amongst other reasons. The coach uses a plethora of methods and behavioural techniques to assist coaches attain pre-agreed goals to enhance professional performance and personal satisfaction - this in turn, improves the organisation. It is generally accepted that coaching is effective. Clutterbuck and Megginson (2011) posit that attempting to define and dissect coaching diminishes its essence and meaning. 2.4 Leadership Coaching Naidoo and Xollie (2011) maintain that the modern workplace has a need for leadership development that accentuates coaching and mentoring, amongst other interventions. Cox et al. (2014a) summarised leadership coaching as a professional and confidential partnership between a senior leader and coach. This involves the primary goal of improving the executive’s leadership skills through regular confidential meetings for a duration of half a year or longer. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 17 Table 2: Differences between Leadership coaching, Workplace Coaching and Life Coaching Leadership Coaching Workplace Coaching Life Coaching Context Leadership / Management Employment Whole of life Content Coachee’s career issues and performance – guided by executive’s and organisation’s agenda Job task and performance focus – guided largely by organisation’s agenda Guided by client’s agenda Key Consequences Organisational performance and personal career development Personal and team performance Personal satisfaction Client Executive and organisation Employee and organisation Private citizen Adapted from Cavanagh and Grant (2004) Cox et al. (2014a) give further insight into coaching by elucidating that adult learning theories are the heart and foundational theory of coaching practice. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 18 2.5 Adult Learning Theories Cox (2006) posits that there are eight adult learning theories that are relevant to coaching: andragogy, transformative learning theory, reflective practice, experiential learning, learning styles, life course development, values and motivation and self-efficacy. Cox emphasises that an understanding of adult learning theories is necessary for effective coaching practice. In later research, Cox et al. (2014a) add that adult learning theories are the core and foundation of coaching. Two theories that were identified to be most relevant to this research are transformative learning theory and andragogy. a) Andragogy Knowles (1980) refers to andragogy as ways or techniques to teach adults. He elucidated andragogy as a basic element of coaching that describes the unique adult learning experience that is relevant to coaching. The learning theory of andragogy has parallels with coaching which in practice, can also be aligned to the Graduate School Alliance for Executive Coaching (GSAEC) Coaching Skills Competencies as shown in the table below. Table 3 Link between andragogy, coaching principles and relevant GSAEC Competency. Andragogy Assumptions about Adult Learners Coaching Principles Relevant GSAEC Competency to facilitate adult learning assumption Adult learning is self-directed Coachee sets the agenda 8.1 Cluster1: Co Creating relationship- Coach must be socially intelligent to encourage coachee to take the lead in discovering own truths based on trust. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 19 Adults are goal oriented: need to know why they are learning something before they learn it i.e., learning needs be relevant. Every coachee has his or her own concerns 9.1 Entry and Contracting Setting clear boundaries, objectives and roles manages expectations and an understanding of coaching process. Adults bring vast wealth of experiences to their learning The coachee is resourceful and the role of the coach is to facilitate 8.2 Making meaning with others. 8.3 Helping others succeed. Adults are interested to solve real life dilemmas. Learning needs to be relevant Coaching is a collaborative, solution focused, result oriented and systematic process 9.3 Goal setting and Planning 9.4 Facilitating Change and Development Adults have practical orientation. Their learning needs to have application in their personal and professional lives Coaching addresses the whole person, past, present, and future. And people seek to engage in those activities that help them meet their needs. 9.4 Facilitating Change and Development Adults respond more to intrinsic motivators (increased self- Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to 9.5 Outcome evaluation Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 20 esteem and quality of life than extrinsic motivators such as qualifications maximize their own performance Source: Adapted from Cox (2006): An Adult Learning Approach to Coaching b) Transformative learning theory Transformative learning is a profound structural shift in fundamentals of thinking process, emotions, and actions (Kitchenham, 2008). Transformative learning draws the closest parallels with the coaching processes and goals in particular (Sammut, 2014). The theory was postulated by Jack Mezirow, founded on Paulo Freire’s emancipatory philosophy of transformation. The theory argues that people learn by deriving meaning from their experiences (Mezirow, 1991). The table below highlights the phases of transformative learning Table 4: Phases of Transforming Learning Phase Description Phase 1 A disorienting dilemma that challenges learner world view Phase 2 Critical self-examination on beliefs assumptions and values that shape current perspective Phase 3 Development of a new perspective to deal with identified discrepancies triggered by disorientating dilemma Phase 4 Integration of new perspective into one’s life Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 21 Source: Adapted from Kitchenham (2008) A summary of the above phases in relation to coaching is that a disorientating event can be a coaching dialogue that forces critical self-reflection leading to a development and adoption of a new worldview. This is relevant for this research in terms of HDSA being supported as they transition into more senior roles as well as the succession of planning candidates. Terblanche (2019) posits that to attain transformation, there is a need for organisations to provide transition coaching based on transformative learning to support leaders when they transition up the corporate ladder. 2.6 How is Leadership Coaching used for Transformation in the South African Mining Sector? The first priority listed in the Mining Sector Skills Plan, MQA (2018) is facilitation of transformation in the sector through skills development. Coaching is rated amongst the top five most effective human resources development instruments (Treur & Van Der Sluis, 2005). As a discipline, it is relatively new in South Africa and as such, there is limited academic research on coaching in South Africa (Stevens, 2013). A fundamental question is whether the mining sector takes cognisance of the perceived effectiveness of coaching for leadership development and transformation of the sector. The Mining Sector Skills Plan MQA (2018) announced that 53 coaches were placed by the Mining Qualifications Authority within mining companies to reduce the burden on employers to mentor learners. The relatively loose interchangeable use of the terms ‘mentoring’ and ‘coaching’ in the report may suggest that there is a lack of understanding at the Mining Qualifications Authority in the distinction between the two interventions. Klofsten and Öberg (2012) have argued that these two are parallel but complementary which renders the feedback on coaching in the mining sector report imprecise. 2.6.1 Factors influencing Transformation in the South African Mining Sector. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 22 The need for transformation and leadership development are influenced by several factors. The main factor are: i. Legislation ii. Union demands iii. Competitiveness (a) Legislative requirements Transformation in the mining sector is governed by several legislative frameworks, like the Minerals and Petroleum Development (MPRDA) Act of 2002 revised in 2010, Employment Equity Act of 1998, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act of 2003, the Skills Development Act of 1998, and the Mining Charter. None of these laws is prescriptive on the use of coaching for transformation purposes and as such, mining houses are not required to report on the use of coaching for transformation and leadership development. Prinsloo (2017) posits that there is a lack of evidence on how organisations facilitate transformation for their employees. (b) Union Demands The mining sector is consistently affected by labour unrest (Moraka & Jansen van Rensburg, 2015). Lester (2014) maintained that the domineering position of organised labour in the mining sector is inevitable, given that the National Union of Mineworkers is affiliated with COSATU who in turn, have a tripartite relationship with the ruling party, the African National Congress, and the South African Communist Party. The areas of concern for organised labour include skills development, career progression, mentorship, internship and bursary, and employment equity (Madolo, 2014). (c) Competitiveness Booysen (2007) recalled that during apartheid, white males had political, economic, managerial, and social power, which only cascaded by association to white females. In this regard, it can be argued that the talent pool for Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 23 organisations was limited during apartheid and as research has shown, there is a link between diversity in management teams and financial performance of an organisation (Catalyst, 2004). However, Catalyst’s research was not done in a South African context and may have limitations when applied to the local mining sector. 2.7 Impact of Transformation Business leaders in the mining sector are challenged by the seemingly paradoxical situation of having to place transformation as a priority strategic objective at par with cost, production and safety (Schoeman, 2011). This is complicated by employment figures in the sector which have been steadily declining over the years (StatsSA, 2019). Alexander (2006) describes Employment Equity as a sensitive topic, not because it is wrong, but because it has had unintended consequences of further perpetuating inherited class inequality in society. Alexander adds that the appointment of designated persons who are clearly inexperienced and undertrained has had detrimental effects in both the public and corporate sectors. Prinsloo (2017) agrees that transformation is a sensitive topic and adds that it is to be discussed with caution. However, a common thread in the literature shows that the need for transformation is indicated as an imperative. Horwitz and Jain (2011) opine that to identify effective processes of assisting managers to lead and institutionalise the more rigorous and difficult process of transformation, there is a need for a qualitative study. There is limited evidence in literature on the use of coaching by the mining sector. However, transformation is still an imperative component for the minerals sector due to legislative demands, union pressure and the need to be competitive. Significantly, the literature review has led to the following proposition: Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 24 Leadership coaching is used as a support structure for HDSA identified for transformation vacancies in preparation for roles in the South African mining sector. 2.8 Conclusion of Literature Review There is room for the use of leadership coaching in the South Africa mining sector for the purposes of transformation because the framework is in place, with reference to legislature and literature that is available to assist organisations in setting this up. However, there is little evidence to demonstrate that leadership coaching is currently being utilised for transformation in the South African mining sector. The literature review is emphasised in the consistency table shown in table 5 below. Table 5. Consistency table: research questions and propositions RQ # State Research Question or Objective State Proposition 1 How does the South African mining sector use Leadership Coaching for transformation and development of leaders? Leadership coaching is used as a support structure for HDSA identified for transformation vacancies in preparation for the roles in the South African mining sector Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 25 CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction This section provides a detailed description of the research methodology used in this study. It begins with an outline of the methodology and the paradigm that guided this research. A description of the research design, data collection methods, as well as the research instrument used, followed. The chapter ends with a summary of the ethical considerations, validity, reliability, and the limitations of the study. 3.1.1 Research Paradigm Relativism posits that there are many truths and that facts are reliant on the perception of the observer (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, & Jackson, 2012). It is relevant as an ontology for research on transformation and leadership coaching as it allows for detailed and different observations from the sample. Moon and Blackman (2014) avowed that in relativism, reality is relative to the observer who encounters it at a given time and place. This was relevant for the research as it consisted of a sample with human resources managers, coachees and coaches. This allowed for truth to be sourced from different contexts. 3.1.2 Research Approach The study followed a qualitative research methodology to gain a deeper understanding from the research. Qualitative research provides richer information and process improvement ideas compared to quantitative research (Zikmund, Carr, & Griffin, 2013). Brink (1993) postulates that in qualitative research, there is emphasis on individual experiences and beliefs of the participants. Fossey, Harvey, McDermott, and Davidson (2002) buttress that qualitative research is ideal for research on developing an understanding of the meaning and experiencing the extent of humans’ lives and social worlds. This research was open to unearthing Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 26 new issues – qualitative methodology was ideal in this regard (Neuman & Neuman, 2006). Creswell (2014) established that qualitative research is conducted when there is need for in-depth understanding from direct conversations with people, allowing them to narrate their stories without being hindered by the researchers’ expectations. This resonated with the research objectives and influenced the choice of the approach for this study. 3.2 Research design Semi-structured interviews were the selected research design for the study. The interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis. The planned open ended questions sought short essay type responses from the participants (Zikmund et al., 2013). The data collection was done through video recording of the interviews. The extensive notes taken during the interview also helped in framing follow-up questions and the research journal assisted in reflections on the interviews. Semi-structured interviews allowed for faster interpretation and are relatively more cost-effective compared to in-depth interviews. Original quotes from the interviews were used to bring colour and life to the research subject (Harvey- Jordan & Long, 2001). This research design allowed for specific issues to be addressed on leadership coaching, transformation, and succession management. This provided opportunities for various themes and sub-topics to emerge (Harvey-Jordan & Long, 2001). The disadvantages of semi-structured interviews, such as requiring the interviewer’s sophistication with the added drawbacks of being time consuming and intensive, were mitigated through adequate preparation and setting up ample time to conduct effective interviews and subsequent analysis (Newcomer, Hatry, and Wholey, 2015) Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 27 For a topic of national significance, such as transformation, semi-structured interviews presented the shortcoming of lacking in flexibility and on novel elucidations. This can be interpreted as limiting as to what can be added to the body of knowledge through the research and innovative solutions to transformation challenges faced by the mining sector. 3.3 Population and sample 3.3.1 Population The population consisted of human resources personnel in the mining sector, coachees who are also historically disadvantaged South Africans in the mining sector and leadership coaches who have coached in the mining sector. The chosen population was expected to give a description of their experiences relevant to the research, given their respective roles in transformation initiatives in the mining sector. Human resources managers are the custodians of transformation and recruitment in organisations and were relevant for this research. Coaches were expected to bring about an external view based on their observations of mining organisations obtained while coaching. Coachees were particularly relevant for shedding light, based on their experiences and the impact of coaching. The population was ideal to validate congruency as they are all different stakeholders who possibly might have different experiences. Furthermore, due to the sensitivity of the transformation topic and taking into cognisance how the diverse cultures engage on the topic, the participants were informed of the level of confidentiality to be expected during the interviews and afterwards. Due to the sensitive nature of the transformation topic and the level of trust required, sampling was done through judgement; purposive sampling and snowballing was used for two of the candidates. The sample was expected to be derived from the researcher’s existing professional network. An assumption made in this regard is that the experience of the researcher was adequate Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 28 enough to make an informed personal judgement about the participants (Zikmund et al., 2013). A total of eight interviews were conducted until saturation was perceived to have been reached. The interviews were conducted via video conferencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Table 6: Profile of respondents by position Description of respondent Number interviewed Human Resources Manager Coachees (HDSA Transformation Beneficiaries) Coaches 3 2 3 TOTAL targeted number of respondents 8 3.4 The research instruments The research instrument consisted of a formal introductory letter and a semi- structured interview. The instrument had been appropriately split to relevantly interview human resources managers (Appendix A), coaches (Appendix B) and coachees (Appendix C) as per the population above. The questions were in-depth semi-structured with a view of eliciting information that was perceived to be relevant to the research question and proposition. They were ordered to be less threatening in the beginning as Babbie and Mouton (2001) suggest that the sequencing of questions in this manner impacts interview responses positively. Pilot interviews were conducted prior to the actual interviews to test the instrument prior to the actual research. This was judged as beneficial to novice researchers by Kim (2011), who asserts that it assists in self-evaluation of the Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 29 researcher’s readiness and capabilities. The feedback received was recorded in the research journal and reflected on. This contributed to refining some of the approaches to the interview sessions, such as ensuring that the participant was familiarised with the chosen video conferencing app. 3.5 Procedure for data collection Participants were sent calendar bookings for the interviews together with the video conferencing link. The Zoom video conferencing app was used for the meeting or Microsoft Teams where the participant indicated the need. All participants were initially engaged telephonically to request them to participate in the interviews and consent to record the interviews were obtained. The interviews were recorded and transcribed using the Otter app. This was subsequently checked for correctness as sometimes, the transcribing software application failed to transcribe correctly, especially on non-English terms and some accents. Stuckey (2014) declared that the accuracy of the transcription influences data accuracy and the degree of dependability of the data. 3.6 Data analysis and interpretation Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. Thematic analysis examines classifications and present data related themes (Alhojailan, 2012) . The analysis of data in the study followed Braun and Clarke's (2013) data analysis approach. The research study aimed to discover using interpretations and hence, thematic analysis was appropriate for eliciting the interpretations. Thematic analysis can detect and identify elements and variables that influence any issue stemming from the interviews. In coding and categorising of data, processed data can be shown and categorised according to its similarities and differences (Miles & Huberman, 1994). Thematic analysis will produce and present data more effectively. This was to ensure that the research data was effectively analysed and interpreted compared to Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 30 conventional content analysis which is best used for a study where there is insufficient literature or a gap in the existing theory (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). 3.7 Trustworthiness Trustworthiness is dependent on the four criteria - transferability, credibility, dependability, and confirmability (Elo et al., 2014). To try and increase chances of transferability, participants from different mining organisations were approached. The research targeted HDSA from differing ethnic backgrounds. For example, African male, Indian female, Coloured male. This was unsuccessful as some persons declined to participate. Evocative storytelling creates resonance and transferability (Tracy, 2010). This was taken into consideration during the interviews. 3.7.1 Credibility The research involved different stakeholders in transformation for multivocality purposes: human resources managers, coachees and mining industry coaches. Credibility in qualitative research is achieved in multivocality, triangulation and thick practice, amongst other practices (Tracy, 2010). 3.7.2 Dependability To ensure dependability of the research, all attempts to ensure consistency throughout the research process were made. As posited by Baxter and Eyles (1997), dependability has, as a focal point, the self-reflection of a researcher as an instrument and the consistency of interpretation. Self-reflective journalling and accountability to the supervisor while conducting the research enhanced the self- reflection of the researcher. A few benefits of self-reflective journalling are that it assists in unearthing meaning, values building and development of critical thinking (Blake, 2005). All these aided in enhancing the self-reflection of the researcher and ultimately, the research. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 31 In data collection, documentation of the process of data gathering, analysis and interpretation was done to make the process auditable. The decision trail makes the entire process auditable and relatively easier to replicate (Johnson & Rasulova, 2016). 3.7.3 Confirmability The strategies used for achieving confirmability are like those employed for credibility. In data collection, it is important to keep notes and journal. This will assist in reflecting on the researchers’ thoughts, assumptions, and feelings, amongst other points. Furthermore, respondents were asked to confirm transcriptions and interpretations of their statements (Amankwaa, 2016). In data analysis, it is important to be ethical and to adhere to the ethics prescribed in the ethics clearance. Systematic coding and data reduction are relevant in ensuring confirmability (Cope, 2010). 3.8 Limitations of the study • Purposive sampling and snowballing are subjective since participants’ selection is limited to the researcher’s and participants networks respectively. This potentially limits the views obtained for the research. • The study was limited to a specific set of stakeholders and does not include other key stakeholders in the mining industry like the Department of Mineral Resources, Trade Unions, and the Mining Qualifications Authority. This limited the range of opinion that could have been obtained. • The fact that the research was conducted during a pandemic possibly impacted some of the views of the population as these are extraordinary times. 3.9 Ethical considerations Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand prior to conducting the research. Prior to the interviews, the participants were informed Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 32 about the purpose of the study. They participated in the research out of their own free will. They were also assured of their privacy and anonymity in participating in this research. They were informed that no benefits or risks were expected to emanate directly from participating in the study. The interviews were conducted via video conferencing in a private and confidential setting. Participants were also made aware that the research would only be accessed by the researcher, the supervisor, and the University. 3.10 Conclusion of the research methodology The research methodology section provided a detailed description of the research methodology and paradigm that guided the research based on literature. These were followed by a description of the research design, data collection methods as well as the research instrument used. The chapter then highlighted the data analysis and the related interpretation. The chapter then concludes with a summary of the ethical considerations, validity, reliability, and the limitations of the study. The next chapter presents the research findings. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 33 CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction This chapter depicts the findings from the semi-structured interviews conducted. It outlines the themes, the related findings and how they are construed with the relevant literature. Figures highlighting the relationship between the theme and the related codes act as visual aids. The transcripts from the video recordings of the interviews were analysed and codes developed from them. The codes were categorised and grouped to derive broader themes from the research interviews with the aim of answering the research proposition below: i. Leadership coaching is used as a support structure for HDSAs identified for transformation vacancies in preparation for roles in the South African mining sector To protect the identity of the interview participants, they are described as Participant 1 to Participant 8 in the interview transcripts. The English language errors were not edited even though it was not the first language of some of the participants, to ensure accuracy, as well as to ensure that analysis is done based on the experiences described by the participants. All direct quotes from the transcripts are in italics. A diagrammatic expression of the Word Cloud of the words used the most in the research is shown below: Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 34 Figure 1. Research Transcript word cloud Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output There were a total of 52 codes that emerged from the research through the thematic analysis, and they were distributed as across the transcripts: Figure 2. Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 35 Theme 1: Motivation for use of Leadership Coaching This theme describes the participants’ response on how coaching is used in the mining industry. Insights shared by participants showed that coaching is used in career progression support, leadership development and performance improvement. It is used as a means to meet legal compliance objectives, manage anxiety, learn new behaviours, and assist in self-management. Career progression support emerged as the highest motivation for using leadership coaching, based on responses from the participants. Participant 1 comments below: “…we have used executive coaching as a tool to support a leader who has been identified for, for career progression within the organisation. And even those leaders who have not been identified for career progression, but leaders who are showing potential for growth within the organisation.” Research shows that executives utilised coaching when transitioning in their career or when faced with challenges (Cox et al., 2014a). They further state that executives use coaching for an independent sounding board as well to learn and adapt their behaviours. This is compatible with the position that the learning of new behaviours emerged as a motivation for using leadership coaching amongst participants. Participant 5 shared some of the feedback she had received from employees who had undergone leadership coaching: “…I actually learned this through executive coaching it really taught me out. I can't do this I must do it this way…” Grover and Furnham (2016) posit that coaching is used in organisational settings to help shorten a learning curve in a new organisation, role, succession management and leadership development. These are coherent with insights shared by the participants. Some participants shared that coaching is used by mining organisations to meet legal obligations in the social and labour plans and to obtain tax rebates from the South African Revenue Service (SARS). A perception shared by the majority of participants was that coaching is underutilised by the mining sector. This can be interpreted in alignment with the Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 36 relatively loose interchangeable use of the terms ‘mentoring’ and ‘coaching’ in the Mining Sector Skills Plan (MQA, 2018). The alignment between responses from the participants and the literature on motivation for use of leadership coaching points out that the main motivations for coaching in the sector include career progression support, leadership development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning new behaviours and to assist in self-management. Below are some of the quotations from the participants: Participant 1 “…we have used executive coaching as a tool to support leaders who have been identified for career progression within the organisation. And even those leaders who have not been identified have not been identified for career progression, but leaders who are showing potential for growth within the organisation…I have found that people who were not coached fail to adjust. First of all, before the adjusting process, were not ready enough emotionally, to go into the next level. So that is where I bring coaching, I don't believe in bringing in a coach for a person only because they are already in a leadership role.” Participant 2 “…they have someone to talk to you about the anxieties that go with their transition” Participant 5 “…to lead different and diverse workforces and then the other one is just around supporting people.” Participant 7 “Yeah so this one client in Limpopo was purely doing it for rebates…” Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 37 Figure 3: Illustration of the themes and codes showing the motivations for coaching Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output Theme 2: Barriers to Coaching and Transformation This theme describes the responses given by the participants on the reasons for the slow pace of transformation and perceived lack of coaching growth in the sector. Perspectives shared by the participants indicate that transformation enables coaching growth in the sector, because coaching, together with other interventions, is used to support career progression. The barriers enumerated by the participants include lack of knowledge on transformation, misconceptions about coaching, low staff turnover, organisational restructure, remuneration strategy, use of expatriates and general resistance to transformation initiatives. Global organisation expectations and use of psychometrics were also cited by participants as barriers to transformation. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 38 Previously, evidence on the extent of transformation in the South African mining sector has been described by industry reports as unreliable. Mitchell (2013) maintained that it is due to a lack of systematic surveys which use an agreed upon baseline and a lack of trust amongst the stakeholders - government, individual mining houses and the Chamber of Mines. Moraka and van Rensburg (2015) cited lack of collaboration amongst mining sector stakeholders as one of the contributing factors in failing to comply with transformation targets in the mining sector. They listed others responsible factors as fear and uncertainty amongst white males, resulting in a negative spirit of transformation, lack of skills amongst HDSA, mistrust and antagonism between mines and communities. Most of the barriers to transformation and coaching revealed by the participants are different from the ones cited in literature. Based on the responses given by participants, this does not indicate contradiction, but rather it could be interpreted as additional barriers emerging from the research. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 39 Figure 4: Illustration of the relations between the codes and the barriers to coaching and transformation theme Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output Below are some of the participants’ comments: Participant 1 “…a hinderance to transformation is that when an organisation is not growing, so when an organisation is not growing, it means the opportunities are not growing, either. So, you may want to bring in fresh blood, you may want to transform. Transformation - it's not just about moving the right kind of people into the next levels, but it's also bringing external people into the organisation. So when the organisation is not growing, then it affects transformation as well… Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 40 Participant 5 “…with the years that I have, I’ve come to note that the end user, the African end user is not conversant with Psychometrics and therefore that their use is actually a low light in terms of transformation, we really do struggle to find candidates…” Participant 6 “The resistance of multinational senior executive teams to transformation especially if they have a mine in Africa anywhere on the country or continent, they will continuously resist and act as if the transformation mandate is not useful to their organisational development...” Participant 8 “…there isn't a structure structured approach in terms of assisting you know transitioning, you know and, and, this is one of the things that I picked up during my, you know coaching…” Theme 3: Success factors for transformation and coaching success in mining sector The theme represents the responses given by the participants on success factors that enhance the success of transformation and coaching success in the mining sector. The participants highlighted the following factors: legislative compliance, leadership drive and support, remuneration strategy, performance incentives for transformation, amongst other conditions. Some participants mentioned talent pipelines and workforce planning as additional conditions favourable for transformation and coaching success. Kahn (2018) noted the coaching success factors as the systemic environment in which a coachee operates. This is divided into the organisation’s mission, values, and phenomena such as business model, strategy, structure, and basic assumptions that underlie them. Legislation, compliance monitoring, skills development, partnerships with other stakeholders, career awareness and adequate incentive structure to motivate and retain human resources are Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 41 amongst some of the critical success factors for transformation (Musonda, Gumbo, & Okoro, 2019). Here, there was alignment between the literature and participants’ responses. The diagram below illustrates the collated findings in relation to the theme: Figure 5: Highlighting the codes for success factors for leadership coaching and transformation. Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output Below are some of the quotations from participants: Participant 8 “retention schemes do literally attract and retain the you know the black people and also women” Participant 6 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 42 “…transformation in mining operations I would say transformation is as big as the incumbent leader of the operation…” Participant 7 “It was because of DMRE and it was it was an audit finding, so they were doing that to close audit findings.” Theme 4: Complementary Interventions also used in Leadership Development and Transformation The theme explicates the responses given by the participants displaying the interventions utilised by the mining sector to develop leaders to complement leadership coaching. Participants listed mentorship, training, peer support programmes and women in mining initiatives as the main interventions employed. Other interventions mentioned were information sharing, regular meetings and engagements with supervisors, community and youth development initiatives and diversity and inclusion programmes. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 43 Figure 6: Illustrating the relation between the theme for Interventions complimenting leadership coaching and the codes. Source: Researcher’s Atlas TI Output Below are some of the participants’ quotations related to the complementary interventions used in leadership development and transformation: Participant 2 “…the other highlight is the women in mining...they gave them a sense of, you know, belonging and accountability as women in the mining industry.” Participant 4 “…I see we've also made a move to online support like Percipio which some information it’s does have not always easy to navigate to online training, but there are some shorter modules and books that you can use online as well…” Participant 6 “…providing mentors because coaching is not the only thing it's one thing...” 4.1.1 Summary of key findings The findings from the research are summarised quickly below: I. The findings indicate that the main motivations for use of leadership coaching in the mining sector are career progression support, leadership development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning of new behaviours and self-management assistance. II. The barriers to transformation and coaching that emerged from the research, include lack of knowledge on transformation, misconceptions about coaching, low staff turnover, organisational restructure, remuneration strategy, use of expatriates and general resistance to transformation initiatives. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 44 III. Mentorship, training, peer support programmes and women in mining initiatives are the main interventions used to complement coaching in leadership development and transformation in the mining sector. IV. Legislative compliance, leadership drive and support, remuneration strategy, performance incentives for transformation, amongst other conditions, are the main success factors for transformation and coaching success in mining sector. The above summary of findings viewed with reference to the research proposition indicate that leadership coaching is used as a support structure for HDSAs identified for transformation vacancies. However, leadership coaching is not the only intervention used and there are success factors necessary for leadership coaching and transformation to thrive. These are barriers that hinder transformation and coaching within the mining sector. 4.2 Conclusion of the research findings section The chapter presented the researched findings under the themes that emerged from the thematic analysis. Atlas TI diagrams illustrating the relation between each theme and the related codes coupled with the original quotes from the interviews were used to bring colour and life to the chapter. The findings were viewed with reference to the research proposition and are further discussed and interpreted in the subsequent chapter. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 45 CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS 5.1 Introduction The chapter discusses the findings from the research considering the related literature available on leadership coaching and transformation with a view to answering the research question. The chapter builds from the findings presented in Chapter four and gives further meaning to these findings. The subheadings of the chapter are aligned to those of the previous chapter on the presentation of findings. The chapter begins with the discussion of the participants in relation to the findings. 5.2 Description of participants A total of eight participants were interviewed. The table describes the participants’ role in a tripartite coaching arrangement. Transformation is the redress of the gender and racial imbalances to have demographic representation that is inclusive of black people, women, and people living with disabilities in all job levels up to top management in the mining sector (Moraka, 2016). This definition informed the decision on the choice of the participants as care was taken in finding participants that display forms of transformation and representation. Table 8: Description of participants Role in coaching Race and Gender Province Participant 1 Human Resources Director African female Western Cape Participant 2 Human Resources Manager/Coachee African female Mpumalanga Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 46 Participant 3 Coach African female Gauteng Participant 4 Coachee Indian Male KwaZulu Natal Participant 5 Human Resources Manager African Female Northern Cape Participant 6 Coach African Male Gauteng (with clients throughout South Africa) Participant 7 Coach African Male Gauteng (with clients throughout South Africa) Participant 8 Coachee African male Limpopo Some of the trends that emerged from the findings are that similar quotations were noted by people in similar positions and of similar demographics. An example is that on the succession planning code, under the motivations for use of leadership coaching theme, the following were the quotations of the three human resources managers/directors: Participant 1 “…[Coachees] They are not senior people, but it's because honestly, there has been a process that identifies them and are people who have potential to move up the ladder…” Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 47 Participant 2 “… [Coachees are] currently on succession plan…” Participant 5 “…. succession planning which aims at you know getting the right people for the right jobs” However, it must be noted that under most codes, similar findings came from diverse demographics. For example, under the learning of new behaviours code, similar responses came from human resources managers, coaches and coachees. A unique finding raised in terms of provincial location by Participant 5 was that mining in Northern Cape was white male dominated: “I think the highlights, for me, in terms of transformation, where I’m at right now, but also in in the industry is how business is actually literally doing everything they can to actually transform to actually bring in the diversity in terms of female. But also bring in the diversity in terms of race in in the workspace and having been in the northern Cape you can attest, that this is quite not just a male dominated industry, this is an and white dominated industry, and I see how You know, black people in leadership roles are actually being a being the focus of the talent.” The above statement is possibly in line with the assertion made by Moraka (2018) that “old boys clubs” exist within the mining sector. In this study, this was only shared by the participant from the Northern Cape. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 48 5.3 Answers to the Research Question The research sought to answer the following research question through the themes that emerged in the thematic analysis described in Chapter four: How does the South African mining sector use Leadership Coaching for transformation and development of leaders? Below is a discussion on the findings that emerged during the study under each theme: Theme 1: Motivation for use of Leadership Coaching Findings from the research suggest that the main motivations for the use of leadership coaching in the mining sector are career progression support, leadership development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning of new behaviours and self-management assistance. This is consistent with the literature which established that coaching is used in organisational settings to help shorten the learning curve in a new organisation, new role, succession management and leadership development, amongst others (Grover & Furnham, 2016). A perception shared by the majority of participants was that coaching is under-utilised by the mining sector. This can be interpreted in alignment with the relatively loose interchangeable use of the terms ‘mentoring’ and ‘coaching’ in the Mining Sector Skills Plan, MQA (2018) . Research shows that executives utilised coaching when transitioning in their career or when faced with challenges (Cox et al., 2014a). They stated that executives use coaching for an independent sounding board as well to learn and adapt their behaviours. Some participants shared that coaching is used by mining organisations to meet legal obligations in the social and labour plans and to obtain tax rebates from the South African Revenue Service. This is not indicated in available literature. The alignment between responses from the participants and the literature on motivation for use of leadership coaching points out that the main motivations for use of coaching in the sector are career progression support, leadership Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 49 development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning new behaviours and self-management assistance. Theme 2: Barriers to Coaching and Transformation There are barriers to transformation and coaching in the mining sector that emerged from the research. The barriers given by the participants are lack of knowledge on transformation, misconceptions about coaching, low staff turnover, organisational restructure, remuneration strategy, use of expatriates and general resistance to transformation initiatives. Previously, evidence on the extent of transformation in the South African mining sector has been described by industry reports as unreliable (Mitchell, 2013), due to a lack of systematic surveys which employ an agreed upon baseline, as well a lack of trust amongst the stakeholders involved - government, individual mining houses and the Chamber of Mines, now known as the Minerals Council of South Africa. Moraka and van Rensburg (2015) maintained that lack of collaboration amongst mining sector stakeholders is one of the contributing factors in failure to comply with transformation targets in the mining sector. Other barriers to transformation listed were fear and uncertainty amongst white males, resulting in a negative spirit of transformation, lack of skills amongst HDSA, mistrust and antagonism between mines and communities. These barriers were mostly different from the ones cited in available literature. Based on the responses given by participants this does not indicate contradiction but rather it could be interpreted as additional barriers to coaching and transformation emerging from the research. Theme 3: Success factors for Transformation and Coaching Success in the Mining Sector Legislative compliance, leadership drive and support, remuneration strategy, performance incentives for transformation, amongst other conditions, are the main success factors for transformation and coaching success in mining sector. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 50 Previous research suggested that legislation, compliance monitoring, skills development, partnerships with other stakeholders, career awareness and adequate incentive structures to motivate and retain human resources are amongst some of the critical success factors for transformation (Musonda et al., 2019). Kahn (2018) highlighted the coaching success factors as the systemic environment in which a coachee operates. This is divided into the organisation’s mission, values, and phenomena, such as business model, strategy, structure, and basic assumptions that underlie them. There is alignment between the literature and most of the participants’ responses. However, there was a paucity of literature to show that coaching and transformation is used for tax rebates and incentives as indicated by some of the responses above. Theme 4: Complementary Interventions also used in Leadership Development and Transformation Participant responses identified mentorship, training, peer support programmes and women in mining initiatives as the main complementary interventions to leadership coaching in the mining sector. Other interventions mentioned are information sharing, diversity and inclusion programmes, behavioural change programmes, amongst others. Nübold (2021) posited that mentoring and counselling are used to complement coaching. Florance (2021) details how psychometrics are used hand-in-hand to work with leadership coaching. There is congruency between the literature and the responses of the participants on the complimentary interventions. 5.4 Unexpected Finding During the interview sessions with the participants on coaching as an intervention and the transformative learning theory, the description provided by Participant 8 revealed how coaching has caused a structural shift in fundamentals of thinking process, emotions, and actions: Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 51 “…what I've achieved when I'm still in the same position I think, but what I've achieved for me in its far more than what I initially, you know, bargained for in terms of a, you know, personal development…” What also became apparent based on evidence from the research is that this does not necessarily translate to organisational transformation. 5.5 Conclusion The juxtaposition of literature and the findings from the research indicates alignment on most of the responses from the participants on most themes. However, there were findings that were either contrary to literature or strengthening the literature. These findings provided possible answers to the research questions and the final chapter of the research provides the conclusions. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 52 CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 Introduction This concluding chapter makes use of the research findings to provide specific recommendations, further research suggestions and concluding remarks. The research aimed to benefit different stakeholders in the mining sector highlighted under the significance of the study through exploring the use of leadership coaching in transforming and developing leaders in the South African mining sector. 6.2 Conclusions of the study Summary of the Main Objective, Research Question and Findings The purpose of the study was to determine how the mining sector in South Africa uses coaching as a development intervention to resolve the reported transformation challenges within the sector. The research question was - how does the South African mining sector use leadership coaching for transformation and development of leaders? Below are the conclusions outlined under the four themes that emerged. I. Motivation for use of Leadership Coaching The research findings indicate that the main motivations for use of leadership coaching in the mining sector are career progression support, leadership development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning of new behaviours and self-assistance management. This is consistent with the literature. II. Barriers to Coaching and Transformation There are barriers to transformation and coaching that emerged from the research: lack of knowledge on transformation, misconceptions about coaching, low staff turnover, organisational restructure, remuneration Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 53 strategy, use of expatriates and general resistance to transformation initiatives. These are mostly different from those cited in literature. III. Complementary Interventions also used in Leadership Development and Transformation It emerged from the research findings that mentorship, training, peer support programmes and women in mining initiatives are the main interventions used to complement coaching in leadership development and transformation in the mining sector. IV. Success factors for Transformation and Coaching Success in Mining Sector Legislative compliance, leadership drive and support, remuneration strategy, performance incentives for transformation, amongst other conditions, are the main success factors for transformation and coaching success in the mining sector. 6.3 Recommendations Recommendations to Organisations and HDSA Employees within the Mining Sector Based on research findings, organisations are urged to make use of leadership coaching as an intervention to assist employees through career transitions, leadership development, performance improvement, anxiety management, learning of new behaviours and self-management assistance. The above is also consistent with the literature available (Terblanche, Albertyn, & Coller-Peter, 2018). This is recommended for employees in succession plans and developmental pools. This assists employers to comply with transformation targets. Recommendations to Sector Education and Training Authority Based on the research findings, leadership coaching can contribute towards supporting candidates identified in alleviating transformation challenges with the Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 54 Mining Sector Skills Plan seven year analysis (MQA, 2018). It is recommended that discretionary grants allocations be made for leadership coaching to assist in addressing the noted transformation challenges. This can be recommended as well for other sectors facing similar challenges. 6.4 Suggestions for further research The focus of the study was on determining how the mining sector in South Africa uses coaching as a development intervention to resolve the reported transformation challenges within the sector. The study was narrowed down to the employment equity aspect of transformation. Further studies could investigate other elements, such as ownership, enterprise, and supplier development elements, amongst others. Future studies could focus on quantitative studies or mixed methods studies of leadership coaching and transformation. There might be a need to also focus on the individual HDSA categories in some future studies, for example leadership coaching and less abled employees in the mining sector or women empowerment as women in mining was mentioned by several participants. Future studies could also consider going beyond the mining sector to other sectors of the economy, for example banking, logistics and agriculture, amongst others. 6.5 Limitations of the Study The study has potential weaknesses that could have had a bearing on the research findings, these include: • The study was conducted with the South African mining sector as the target population. • The pandemic and the related lockdown could have had a bearing on participants’ responses as there were job losses across sectors. • The study used video conferencing for interviews, there is potential that some important social cues could have been missed compared to when to Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 55 done in person. Some of the participants even preferred to switch off the video. • The study was limited to eight participants due to the time frame needed to carry out the research and the fact that other targeted potential participants did not show up for interviews and ignored follow-up emails. • The study included a population which consisted of HR managers/directors, coaches and coachees at a managerial level and no coachees from the lower levels or other key stakeholders in the mining sector. Examples in this regard include the Department of Mineral Resources, Trade Unions, and the Mining Qualifications Authority. 6.6 Conclusion The study aimed to contribute towards a broader understanding of the role coaching could play in resolving the identified transformation challenges within the mining sector. The findings from the research indicate that coaching could play an even bigger role in the sector through being used as a tool for career progression support, leadership development, performance improvement, amongst other motivations which could ultimately contribute towards transformation in the sector. Evidence from the research also indicates that the coaching that takes place in the mining sector aligns to the transformational learning theory, but this does not always translate to organisational transformation. Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 56 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 57 References Alexander, N. (2006). Racial identity, citizenship and nation building in post- apartheid South Africa. Lecture delivered at the East London Campus, University of Fort Hare, 25. Alhojailan, M. I. (2012). Thematic analysis: A critical review of its process and evaluation. 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Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 56(3), 154. alphabetise Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 63 Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 64 Annexure A – Interview guide (HR Managers) Leadership Coaching and Transformation in the South African mining industry Research question Proposition Interview question Sub-question How does the South African mining industry use Leadership Coaching for “Leadership coaching is used as a support structure for HDSA identified for transformation vacancies and succession 1. What is the primary purpose for your organisation to embark on the executive coaching process? Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 65 transformation and development of leaders? management in preparation for the roles in the South African mining sector” 2 Do you offer coaching services from a professional coach as part of your employee career development? To what extent do you believe leadership coaching has assisted your employees in adjusting to a new role? • Briefly narrate your organization’s experiences regarding transformation in your so far. What have been the highlights and the lowlights • Which transformation initiatives are in place in your organization? • How does your organization make use of coaching to facilitate transformation within the organization? Created by Terri Carmichael; adapted by Jabulle Msimango-Galawe - Wits Business School 66 • 3 Do succession planning candidates receive any leadership coaching services from a professional coach within your organization • To what extent do you believe leadership coaching has assisted your succession planning candidates in adjusting to a new role? 4 What are the other forms of support that you offer to succe