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Transformative transition coaching: a framework to facilitate transformative learning during career transitions
The International Journal of Human Resource Management
Abstract
Corporate leaders are frequently promoted into senior positions without the requisite capabilities to be successful in such career transitions. A significant proportion fails with substantial negative personal and organisational implications. Incumbents need to adapt through a flexible learning process that transcends superficial change. Transformative learning alters deeply held perspectives and world views and has long-term efficacy, while transition coaching, used sporadically at present, is a personalised learning process. This research created a novel synergy between transformative learning theory and transition coaching using a combination of grounded theory principles (16 participants) and canonical action research (6 participants). The findings yielded two results: the transformative transition coaching framework that appears to facilitates deep, lasting changes in an individual’s perspectives and world views during senior career transitions; and a novel coaching state transition notation that could help coaches to graphically track coachees’ transition progress. By undergoing transformative learning through coaching, transitioning leaders may increase their chances of success in their current and future roles.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/9RF5ISWVMAHKW73C9W3S/full?target=10.1080/09585192.2019.1688376
... No processo de coaching, é imprescindível delinear os objetivos que possibilitarão a mudança de comportamento, sendo esses eleitos por prioridades até que se tornem hábitos e, por conseguinte, capacidades desenvolvidas (Reis & Nakata, 2010;Diochon & Nizet, 2015). Os objetivos do coaching podem incluir o cultivo das habilidades interpessoais que desenvolvem e mantêm uma rede complexa de relacionamentos comerciais e promovem habilidades de gestão e autogestão (Terblanche, 2019;Athanasopoulou & Dopson, 2017;Campone, 2015 ...
... O coach executivo pode usar ferramentas como avaliações e materiais de recursos específicos para funções executivas (Campone, 2015). No coaching executivo, existem pelo menos três partes interessadas: a pessoa que recebe coaching ou coachee; a pessoa externa à organização, contratada para conduzir o processo de coaching -o coach; e aqueles que representam a organização, geralmente o gerente do coachee e um profissional de recursos humanos (Pliopas, 2017 (Vieira & Palmer, 2012;Smith, 2016;Smith, 2017;Terblanche, 2019;Nigam, Sackett, & Golden, 2021). ...
Coaching is a technique that has been developing in recent years and has been explored as an alternative for the development of executives in organizations. This article aimed to analyze how expectations and perceptions about coaching practices are presented based on the experiences of Brazilian executives and their organizations. For this work, a qualitative approach was assumed. Twenty executives in strategic positions at companies identified in the ranking stipulated by the Great Place to Work Institute participated in the survey. Data were obtained through interviews, the content of which was submitted to Textual Discursive Analysis (ATD). The data showed emerging categories such as resilience and learning, and the results pointed to a congruence between the results of coaching and the expectations of the executives, considering the experiences lived in this process by the coachees and the perception of the organization itself, when the disclosure of results of competency assessment.
... The literature on coaching and leadership (Terblanche, 2019) has extensively documented the difficulties associated with making the move to senior leadership roles. According to a study examining leaders' experiences moving into senior roles, these difficulties may influence the leader's confidence (Terblanche, Albertyn, and Van Coller-Peter, 2018a). ...
This chapter explores critical viewpoints that go beyond traditional ideas of coaching and leadership, highlighting the need for a more in-depth analysis of power relations, cultural contexts, moral issues, and broader social ramifications. Cultural and social contexts are scrutinized, revealing the impact of diverse backgrounds on coaching and leadership practices. The chapter advocates for research and evidence-based practices, underlining the importance of informed decision-making in the dynamic field of coaching and leadership. Critical viewpoints also highlight how coaching, and leadership can act as catalysts for transformational change and tools for resistance against oppressive systems. To challenge conventional hierarchies and advance more equitable structures, alternative coaching and leadership models that place an emphasis on collaboration, inclusivity, and ethical responsibility are investigated. The chapter promotes rigorous assessment and ongoing research while highlighting the value of research and evidence-based coaching and leadership practices.
... Apart from that, the main task of the deputy principal in charge of student management is to assist the principal in carrying out various activities in the field of student management so that learning activities at school run smoothly, orderly, and orderly (Weller & Weller, 2002). Coaching can be a powerful tool for school change and transformation (Tschannen-Moran & Tschannen-Moran, 2010; Wise & Jacobo, 2010;Aguilar, 2013;Terblanche, 2022). This coaching is also expected to help someone resolve the problems and difficulties they may encounter when using new methods in carrying out their duties so that they can operate effectively and efficiently to achieve optimal results (Wise et al., 2010). ...
This article aims to describe the insights, challenges, and student discipline strategies implemented by the deputy head of the madrasah to make it even better. This research uses qualitative research with a grounded theory approach. Data collection was carried out using interviews, observation, and documentation. Data analysis includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. Data validity is guaranteed through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The research results show that: 1) a Description of student discipline mainly focusing on punctuality and dressing, 2) the strategy of the deputy head of the madrasah in instilling the value of discipline in students, including providing examples, habituation, giving advice, and giving sanctions, 3) the challenges faced by the deputy head of the madrasah in instilling the values of discipline student including students' lack of self-awareness and the influence of the external environment. The research implication is that the deputy head of the madrasah is essential in instilling disciplinary values, ultimately positively impacting student achievement and overall school success.
The objective of this study was to find out the strategies that would be effective for developing Afrocentric career coaching programmes for neurodiverse college students. As part of the qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. The participants of this study were six Counselling Psychology lecturers and six Special Needs Education lecturers who specialize in career coaching and development, located in Nigerian universities. The were selected using purposive sampling. To ensure validity and reliability, a semi-structured interview guide was developed and pilot-tested with a subset of participants. The guide included open-ended questions to explore participants' experiences, insights, and recommendations for developing Afrocentric career coaching programmes for neurodiverse college students. The data collection procedure consisted of structured individual interview sessions with each participating lecturer. In addition to the individual interviews, focus group discussions were conducted with a group of eight participants. These discussions provided an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and ideas collectively. The interviews and focus group discussions were also audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze the collected data. The transcripts were read and reread to identify recurring themes, patterns, and insights related to the development of Afrocentric career coaching programmes for neurodiverse college students. The findings of this study indicate that there are several strategies that can be considered when designing Afrocentric career coaching programmes for neurodiverse college students. These strategies include cultural sensitivity, representation, individualized approach, collaborative partnerships, skills development, and career exploration. The findings suggest that incorporating Afrocentric values and perspectives into career coaching can greatly enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of such programmes. The findings of this study provide useful insights into the development of effective Afrocentric career coaching programmes for neurodiverse college students. The major contribution of this study is the development of Afrocentric framework for career coaching.
This chapter explores how coaching builds academic citizenship, graduate qualities and entrepreneurial abilities at a university of technology (UoT). The research shows how coaching may shape academic citizens, graduates and entrepreneurs using Kolb’s experiential learning theory (Kolb, Experiential learning: Experience as a source of learning and development, Prentice Hall, 1984). Coaching’s influence on staff, students and graduates is maximised by connecting UoTs’ criteria with Kolb’s experiential learning phases (Kolb, Experiential learning, Bauer, 1984). Coaching’s vital role in promoting academic citizenship and graduate qualities via the experiential learning lens is highlighted in the chapter. This focus clarifies the university’s responsibility in shaping responsible and inventive citizens. Bringing theory and practice together in this UoT setting advances higher education, academic progress and experiential learning.
Purpose: The implications of external environment changes and the presence of a new generation of students in the school to the school leadership are often overlooked. Very few studies elaborate on the need to shape educational leadership concepts and practices to deal with the changes. The study intention is to identify the influences of transformative learning, affective commitment, digital transformation, capability dynamic, and the ambidexterity to educational leadership, and to craft the educational leadership based on Indonesia context. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is using Covariance Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM), the data is collected through a Likert based questionnaire from 271 respondents and it is processed by SPSS and AMOS. Findings: Transformative Ethics Agile (TEA) Leadership as educational leadership is influenced by Ambidexterity, transformative learning, affective commitment, and educational policy. Digital transformation and capability dynamic have insignificant influences, however ambidexterity mediating the influence of dynamic capability to TEA Leadership. Research Implications: The research contributes to renewing educational leadership concepts by putting emphasis on transformative, ethics, and agile elements. The variables that must be put into attention for leading school during changing time, specifically ambidexterity, transformative learning, affective commitment, and educational policy. The research highlights the importance of context on educational leadership. Originality/Values: The research contributes to the identification of variables that influence the effectiveness of school leadership and by doing that able to facilitate the strategy of leadership development for school management. The values of the research are on the mapping of factors contribute to educational leadership and lead the practical aspects of managing school in the changing time.
This paper investigates an emerging professional role transformation in Vietnamese universities, whereby English language teaching (ELT) lecturers transform themselves into English medium instruction (EMI) lecturers in a discipline new to them. Through interviews with five ELT/EMI lecturers working in separate universities and different disciplines, the study investigates reasons for their decision to engage in such professional mobility, their role transformation experience, and its implications for educational quality. We argue that participants’ move into EMI was shaped by the strategic imperative for higher education internationalisation, and the mistaken belief that EMI alone can achieve the English language development students require for academic success. It is also argued that the transformation option made available to the participants was not the best use of their skills, and that a profound change of perspective is needed at the institutional level to most effectively use the strengths of ELT lecturers to support educational quality.
This empirical study explains the correlation between Authentic Leadership (AL) and Transformative Learning (TL). In the recent history of corporations and the business world, corporate scandals have erupted, which have questioned the authenticity of the leaders. This empirical study undertaken by the researcher explores the construct of AL and its impact on the TL of followers. The Moral Values (MV) of the followers act as a mediator in this relationship, and the study finds that AL directly impacts TL. The study has its limitations as it was conducted in higher education institutes employees. It is recommended that this study be undertaken with more variables, mediators, and moderators to understand this extraordinary impact of AL on TL and enhance the two fields. This empirical study explains the correlation between AL and TL. Taken all together, based on empirical evidence, this research identifies that AL qualities perform a significant role in increasing TL. In addition, those employees have high MV their TL is high as compared to others. The study explores relational support through two theories, social learning theory, and social cognitive theory, that provide bases to generate arguments.
In this paper we review the current use of action research in the field of Human Resource Management (HRM), and assess its potential contribution to the field. We show that action research is very suitable for theory development and excels in developing scholarly knowledge that informs practitioners and is relevant for specific contexts. Although only a handful of HRM papers label their research as action research (from our review of nine journals between 2000 and 2019), they substantially contribute to HRM by explaining the role of context and the dynamic nature of HRM design, implementation and evaluation and by showing the effectiveness of systemic interventions. We offer guidelines for conducting HRM action research projects, emphasizing the importance of involving relevant stakeholders, rigorously making field notes of the research process and reflexivity on the interests of both researchers and practitioners.
Purpose
This contribution argues for a new way of studying executive-coaching outcome. The argument accepts that we are not likely to get rigorous data on coaching outcome from well-designed clinical trials in the near future, and assumes a degree of effectiveness that is based upon the first indications and the more rigorous studies that have been undertaken in psychotherapy. Assuming a moderate degree of effectiveness has afforded a concerted effort amongst researchers to identify the ‘active ingredients’ which predict the effectiveness of executive coaching.
Design/Methodology
This article contains a detailed overview of the quantitative studies of executive coaching undertaken to date. It covers both the body of evidence which we believe substantiates our key assumption of general effectiveness and some early research findings resulting from using that assumption. It also gives a brief overview of the findings of the more rigorous randomised control trials in psychotherapy outcome. Altogether we believe we have demonstrated that there are sufficient parallels between the new path of coaching outcome research and the well-trodden path of psychotherapy research to enable the exploration of ‘active ingredients’ research in executive coaching.
Results
By combining the early results in coaching research described in this paper and the overview of meta-analysis studies in the parallel field of psychotherapy, we have been able: (1) to show that – although the effect sizes in coaching are generally found to be smaller than in psychotherapy – it is safe to assume that executive coaching is generally an effective intervention, and: (2) to use that assumption as a basis for further coaching research. We have used this assumption ourselves to carry out research into the ‘active ingredients’ of effective coaching and to design a new research programme on a scale that has not previously been possible.
Conclusions
It is time now to be creative and pull together the limited resources for research we have in coaching psychology. As a profession we should make the most of this opportunity to discover how we might improve our service to our clients.
Coaching as a practice borrows from many related fields. The problem is that most of the coaching models in use have not been tested or validated for the coaching context. If coaching is to be taken seriously, it needs to derive its own models that are methodologically rigorous, theoretically grounded and empirically informed. The Coaching Model Derivation Process (CMDP) offers a possible solution. The CMDP is a five-step conceptual process that combines grounded theory principles and canonical action research to systematically create rigorous, empirically-based and domain-specific coaching models. By following the CMDP, coaching researchers can derive coaching models that are fit for purpose given a specific coaching problem domain. These models can, in turn, be used by coaching practitioners in situations where a focussed coaching approach is needed to address a known problem situation. It is hoped that through using empirically derived coaching models, coaching efficacy could be improved and moreover, the perception challenged that coaching practice is not evidence-based.
The need for social transformation in South Africa is intrinsically linked to the transformation of corporate South Africa. Strong senior leadership is required to ensure that organisations remain sustainable during this transformation. There is, however, a shortage of skilled senior leaders, hence the need for leadership development. When leaders transition into senior positions, they face a plethora of personal and systemic challenges. Many fail with resulting disastrous effects on individual (micro) and organisational (macro) levels. This research investigates the challenges faced by newly promoted senior leaders in order to lay the groundwork for designing support strategies for individuals and organisations. The qualitative findings suggest that leadership transitions present unexpected challenges on a personal and systemic level to such individuals and that they do not receive adequate support from their organisations. For transformation to be successful and sustainable on macro level, concurrent and appropriate micro-level support and development are essential.
Meta-analytic results have established that workplace coaching is effective, however, little is known about the determinants of coaching effectiveness. This paper reports an inclusive systematic literature review, covering the quantitative and qualitative research on workplace coaching. We focus on seven promising areas in the current workplace coaching literature that emerged by the synthesis of 117 empirical studies: self-efficacy, coaching motivation, goal orientation, trust, interpersonal attraction, feedback intervention, and supervisory support. The major contribution of our paper is the systematic integration of well-established theoretical constructs in the workplace coaching context and the new insights we provide in the synthesis of these literatures. Based on our review, we provide specific recommendations to be addressed in future research, including recommended research methodologies, which we propose will significantly progress the field of workplace coaching theory and practice.
Knowledge sharing between employees is a critical success factor in knowledge intensive
organisations and depends on the quality of an employee’s relationships with co-workers. Relatively
little research has been done on how to incorporate relationship aspects into a coaching intervention.
This paper describes an organisational coaching intervention that used Social Network Analysis to
analyse relationship patterns between individuals in a team following an action research approach.
Social Network Analysis artefacts were used to help identify coachees, set coaching goals, create selfawareness,
identify behavioural changes, and to provide some measure of the coaching efficacy in
improving knowledge sharing in a team.
Orientation: Coaching is sometimes used in organisations to assist and support people when they are promoted into senior leadership positions. These coaching interventions are not optimally designed.
Research purpose: The objective of this research was to investigate how a transition coaching intervention should be designed to cater specifically for people promoted into senior leadership positions.
Motivation for the study: Leaders face daunting challenges when promoted into a senior position. Coaching could offer powerful support, but very little research exists on how to design a transition coaching intervention specifically aimed at supporting recently promoted senior leaders.
Research design, approach and method: A constructivist, grounded theory approach using purposeful, theoretical sampling was used to identify 16 participants (recently promoted senior leaders, coaches, Human Resource [HR] partners and a line manager) from various organisations with whom open-ended interviews were conducted on their experiences of coaching during a transition.
Main findings: Transition coaching is used reactively, started too late and was not continued for long enough. Transition coaching design should take cognisance of coach–coachee matching; goal setting that includes the organisation’s goals; location of coaching session (away from the office); should include reflection and active experimentation; and use assessments and involving the line manager, mentors and the new leader’s team in the process.
Practical and managerial implications: The findings of this research provide practical recommendations for applying coaching during transitions into senior leadership positions and may be useful to human resource practitioners when designing leadership support and succession planning interventions.
Contribution and value added: To address the serious and real possibility of failure once leaders are promoted, and to optimise the time and money spent on coaching during career transitions, this research provides insight into the design and execution of tailor-made transition coaching interventions to help recently promoted senior leaders succeed in their new role.
The scholarly coaching literature has advanced considerably in the past decade. However, a review of the existing knowledge base suggests that coaching practice and research remains relatively uninformed by relevant psychological theory. In this paper it will be argued that Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) presents as a useful theoretical framework for coaching as it can help understand coaching practice at both macro and micro levels. The utility of SDT as a theoretical framework for coaching is explored, with particular attention given to the role that coaching would appear to play in the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. It is also argued that SDT provides a useful set of propositions that can guide empirical work and ground it in the firm foundations of a theoretically coherent, empirically valid account of human functioning and wellbeing. Suggestions are made for future directions in research informed by SDT.
Executive derailment refers to unexpected and unwanted changes in the trajectory of an executive career caused either by factors within the person or by organisational factors external to the person, or a combination of both, leading to loss of identity. This phenomenological study explored subjective experiences of four high functioning professionals who had experienced executive derailment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results showed four superordinate themes that encapsulated a trajectory from severe loss of identity, integrity and livelihood, to newly defined authenticity following derailment: (i) self-doubt and blame; (ii) targeted bullying; (iii) psychological vulnerability and distress; and (iv) meaning-making and personal growth. The first three themes highlight varying levels of psychological distress and burnout and the vicarious impact on family life. The fourth theme involved a redefined self-integrity where forgiveness and psychological recovery could emerge and allow for a reconsideration of career pathways. The recognition that personal and professional growth can arise following executive derailment is a novel finding with important implications for coaches. A positive psychological and growth-oriented mindset may be helpful in harnessing change with executives following derailment.
Until recently, there has been little published systematic empirical research into business coaching. This article reports on a systematic, critical review of 111 published empirical papers investigating business coaching theory, processes, and outcomes. The present article identifies a significantly larger body of empirical research than covered in previous reviews and uses a Systematic Review methodology (SRm) to conduct a comprehensive review of the available empirical evidence into business coaching effectiveness focusing on implications for theoretical development, practice (within human resource development) and further research in this area. This review identifies convergence around factors that contribute to perceived effective coaching practice but nevertheless highlights a number of issues to be resolved in further research. These include determining the primary beneficiaries of coaching, the factors that contribute to coach credibility, and how the organizational and social context impacts on coaching. Weaknesses in coaching research methodology and research gaps are also noted.
Grounded theory and participatory action research methods are distinct approaches to qualitative inquiry. Although grounded theory has been conceptualized in constructivist terms, it has elements of positivist thinking with an image of neutral search for objective truth through rigorous data collection and analysis. Participatory action research is based on a critique of this image and calls for more inclusive research processes. It questions the possibility of objective social sciences and aspires to engage people actively in all stages of generating knowledge. The authors applied both approaches in a project designed to explore the experiences of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse with physical therapy and subsequently develop a handbook on sensitive practice for clinicians that takes into consideration the needs and perspectives of these clients. Building on this experience, they argue that the integration of grounded theory and participatory action research can empower clients to inform professional practice.
Understanding CoachingSkills, Performance and developmental CoachingExecutive and Workplace CoachingThe Professional Status of Coaching: Accreditations and Industry OrganizationsCoaching Professionalization Parallels development in Other FieldsCoaching Psychology as an Emerging Psychological SubdisciplineCoaching ResearchOutcome StudiesRandomized Controlled StudiesLongitudinal StudiesMeasuring Outcomes of CoachingCompetencies of Effective Coaches and CoacheesResearch DirectionsA Positive Future?A Well-Being and Engagement Framework for Organizational CoachingCoaching and Coaching Psychology: A Shared Path Forward?References
Whereas coaching is very popular as a management tool, research on coaching effectiveness is lagging behind. Moreover, the studies on coaching that are currently available have focused on a large variety of processes and outcome measures and generally lack a firm theoretical foundation. With the meta-analysis presented in this article, we aim to shed light on the effectiveness of coaching within an organizational context. We address the question whether coaching has an effect on five both theoretically and practically relevant individual-level outcome categories: performance/skills, well-being, coping, work attitudes, and goal-directed self-regulation. The results show that coaching has significant positive effects on all outcomes with effect sizes ranging from g = 0.43 (coping) to g = 0.74 (goal-directed self-regulation). These findings indicate that coaching is, overall, an effective intervention in organizations.
The Problem
The interdisciplinary nature of the theoretical base of coaching creates practical approaches that are strongly influenced by organization-friendly theories, and fields such as counseling, psychotherapy, and philosophy. This eclectic use of theory creates uncertainty and sometimes leads to criticisms of coaching as being atheoretical and underdeveloped empirically. So, it is a difficult task for human resource development (HRD) professionals and particularly buyers of coaching to judge the relevance of numerous traditions of coaching and evaluate them for their HRD agenda.
The Solution
We highlight the theoretical foundations of coaching and develop a structural analysis of coaching engagement to indicate the potential interplay between organizational and individual agendas and to help HRD professionals become better informed about the value of coaching in the context of wider HRD paradigms.
The Stakeholders
HRD professionals, external coaches, internal coaches, and line managers who use a coaching approach, peer coaches, and leaders will benefit from the content of this article.
Third generation coaching unfolds a new universe for coaching and coaching psychology in the framework
of current social research, new learning theories and discourses about personal leadership. Third generation
coaching views coaching in a societal perspective. Coaching has become important as a form of dialogue
because the (hyper)complexity of our society. Today, knowledge has to be shaped and applied in specific
contexts and situations, and both in our personal lives and in the public space we have to learn to negotiate.
Coaching can help us generate new knowledge and manage social transformation. Coaching thus facilitates
new reflections and perspectives, as well as empowerment and support for self-Bildung processes.
Third generation coaching focuses on the coach and the coachee in their narrative collaborative
partnership. Unlike first generation coaching, where the goal is to help coachee achieve a specific objective,
and unlike second generation coaching, where the coach assumes that the coachee implicitly knows the
solution to particular challenges; third generation coaching has a less goal-oriented agenda but a more
profound and sustainable focus on values and identity work. Coach and coachee create something together:
They generate meaning together in the conversation, where both parties are on a journey, and where new
stories gradually take shape. Third generation coaching integrates the experiential and subjective-existential
dimension with the relational and discursive.
It is the author’s ambition to elevate coaching and coaching psychology to a new professional level with a
new agenda. The term ‘third generation coaching’ may be understood as a sort of manifesto – not in a normative sense but as an invitation to reconsider the main objective of coaching in late- or post-modern society.
Keywords: Narrative collaborative practice; third generation coaching; subjective-existential; relational and
discursive dimensions.
The economic crisis of 2008/9 has increased unemployment amongst managers, particularly older managers, a group empirically under-researched. This longitudinal study assesses the efficacy of executive coaching for a group of unemployed professionals who participated in an intensive coaching programme aimed at reintegrating them into the economy. Results suggest that the majority were positive about coaching, a process that helped them to reflect on and learn from their new circumstances. Findings also contradict other studies, indicating cautious, cool and even hostile responses to coaching. The study highlights the mental fragility of previously successful, now unemployed managers showing how interventions like executive outplacement need go beyond career counselling. From a policy perspective, interventions should start earlier (before employees leave organisation) and finish later. From a social science perspective, executive coaching represents a modest but sometimes effective initiative to help unemployed professionals to re-write their life stories to make sense of their experiences.
While a growing number of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are making use of coaching, little is known about the impact such coaching has within this sector. This study sought to identify the factors that influence managers' decision to engage with coaching, their perceptions of the coaching ‘journey’ and the kinds of benefits accruing from coaching: organisational, personal or both. As part of a mixed methods approach, a survey tool was developed based upon a range of relevant management competencies from the UK's Management Occupational Standards and responses analysed using importance-performance analysis, an approach first used in the marketing sector to evaluate customer satisfaction. Results indicate that coaching had a significant impact on personal attributes such as ‘Managing Self-Cognition’ and ‘Managing Self-Emotional’, whereas the impact on business-oriented attributes was weaker. Managers' choice of coaches with psychotherapeutic rather than non-psychotherapeutic backgrounds was also statistically significant. We conclude that even in the competitive business environment of SMEs, coaching was used as a largely personal, therapeutic intervention rather than to build business-oriented competencies.
Coaching is emerging as a major professional development and performance enhancement process. There are, however, few professional development programmes aimed at coaches themselves, and no internationally recognised qualification or professional standard. Much of the literature on coaching has been written by those with a human psychology perspective, and particularly psychotherapeutic approaches to support. Yet some psychotherapeutic processes assume longer-term relationships between the coach and the coachee. Many businesses and managers themselves, however, seek focussed solutions to immediate problems. This article offers adult learning theory, and specifically transformative learning, as an alternative or parallel theoretical model for underpinning the coaching processes. All coaches, however, need to be aware that the coaching process may open up deep-seated anxieties, some of which are more appropriately addressed by a psychotherapeutic approach. Hence, a dynamic network model of coaching is proposed, in which psychotherapists and non-therapists collaborate to facilitate their mutual professional coaching development, learning and support.
A fundamental methodological question guides this paper: How can operations managers and researchers learn from the applied activity that characterises the practice of OM? To address this question, defines and explores the legitimacy of an action-oriented research approach in OM, and the particular logic and value of applying action research (AR) to the description and understanding of issues in OM. Begins with a review of the role of empirical research in OM and how AR features within the OM research literature. Introduces the theory and practice of AR and outlines the AR cycle and how AR is implemented. Finally, describes the skills required to engage in AR and explores issues in generating theory. Concludes with the assertion that AR is relevant and valid for the discipline of OM in its ability to address the operational realities experienced by practising managers while simultaneously contributing to knowledge.
This article provides a brief commentary on the literature review and the two studies presented in this special issue of The Psychologist-Manager Journal, with an emphasis on their value in substantiating the practical application of the Leadership Pipeline concept. In particular, the author provides recommendations for mentors and coaches who work with managers-in-transition. The author uses the triple challenge notion of what tasks, activities, and functions managers-in-transition need to let go, preserve, and add on at each successive level of management as an organizing principle for translating the research findings into practical applications. The author concludes with a discussion of the distressed manager-in-transition. If mentors and coaches can understand, empathize with, and cope effectively with people in distress without becoming excessively anxious themselves, they can more effectively help managers-in-transition to navigate the promotional crossroads and increase their likelihood of making a successful upward transition.
Although many managers receive training in workplace coaching skills in order to enhance employees' performance and facilitate organizational change, little is known about managers' perceptions of the costs and benefits of adopting workplace coaching behaviors. This study explored the relationships between workplace coaching skills and the perceived costs and benefits of adopting coaching skills from a Stages of Change perspective. This is the first study to examine these issues. Participants were 99 executives and managers from a range of occupations. Findings were broadly as predicated by the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Individuals in the early stages of adopting coaching behaviors had lower self-efficacy and lower coaching skills than those in the latter stages. The perceived benefits of adopting coaching behaviors did not differ across different stages of change. The perceived costs of adopting coaching behaviors were significantly lower in the latter stages of change, but findings suggest that it takes about six months before the perceived benefits of adopting coaching behaviors outweigh the perceived costs. Disaffected managers held higher perceptions of the benefits of coaching, and there was no relationship between coaching behaviors and workplace wellbeing. It is recommended that managers of coach training programs explicitly address ways to overcome barriers to adopting coaching behaviors, rather than primarily promoting the benefits of workplace coaching. Organizations should give ongoing learning support to those who have recently completed workplace coaching training, in order to help them persevere through the initial adjustment period as they consolidate and develop their coaching skills.
With the interest of studying managerial ineffectiveness in organizations and in studying differences among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials, this research examined whether managers in different generations showed different signs of derailment (e.g., problems with interpersonal relationships, difficulty leading a team, difficulty changing or adapting, failure to meet business objectives, and too narrow functional orientation). With such knowledge, managers can effectively deal with these problem areas to avoid possible career derailment. Data from 5,249 U.S. managers (n = 2,481 Baby Boomers; n = 2,480 Generation X; n = 288 Millennials) revealed that managers in older generations were more likely to show derailment signs than were managers in younger generations. Differences, however, were of small practical significance in nature. These results advance knowledge by showing that generations are more similar than they are different in workplace performance. The authors discuss the implications of the findings to help managers regardless of their generation deal with possible derailment.
This paper aims to summarise the current state of coaching research as a basis for future studies. It seeks to provide a frame of reference for researchers and reflective practitioners interested in research to ensure that future studies build on previous work and add to our knowledge and understanding of coaching as a unique domain of practice. The paper is divided into three sections. The first two sections review the state of coaching research over the past 100 years, with a greater focus on the past decade when the number of studies published has accelerated. The paper divides the recent research into categories: the nature of coaching, coach behaviour studies, client behaviour studies, relationship studies and executive coaching impact studies and discusses research methods including Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Grounded Theory and Discourse Analysis, randomised controlled trials, meta-analysis and mixed methods research. The third section considers the future direction research may take. It identifies key themes and sample research questions which the authors believe could be the focus of future research. The paper concludes by noting that coaching research is likely to continue to grow over the coming decade, and this growth offers an opportunity for the research–practitioner partnership to be strengthened and maintained.
It has become popular in the practices of leadership development and talent management to segment managers at different organizational levels in order to focus on the unique requirements thought to characterize jobs at each level. This movement has been spurred by popular books that emphasize differences in the nature of managerial work at different hierarchical levels. Seemingly independent of popular work in this area has been scientific research to describe differences in managerial jobs across organizational levels. The present article summarizes the extensive research literature on level differences in managerial jobs in terms of three broad generalizations: The number of distinct management levels, five different ways to characterize work at each level, and how radical differences in work at each level pose adaptive challenges to managers who transition into positions of greater authority and responsibility. The article closes with commentary on the current state of theory and research and offers suggestions for future research needed to guide and support practice.
The development of leaders is a stated goal of most organizations, yet a validated framework and theory for leader development does not yet fully exist, nor is there a method for determining who is developmentally ready to engage in leader development. The authors of this article provide a framework for examining how one can accelerate leader development. They propose that leader developers first focus on assessing and then building the developmental readiness of individual leaders, as well as the developmental readiness of the organization as prerequisite steps for accelerating positive leader development. They identify and discuss 5 specific constructs comprising their initial modeling of developmental readiness (i.e., learning goal orientation, developmental efficacy, self-concept clarity, self-complexity, and metacognitive ability), as well as suggest methods for assessing and developing these 5 components. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Offers transtheoretical therapy as one alternative when seeking a synthesis for the increasing proliferation of therapeutic systems. From a comparative analysis of 18 leading systems, 5 basic processes of change were identified by the present 1st author (1979). They are consciousness raising (feedback, education), conditional stimuli (counterconditioning, stimulus control), catharsis (corrective emotional experiences, dramatic relief), choosing (self-liberation, social liberation), and contingency control (reevaluation, contingency management). Each process can be applied at the level of either the individual's experience or environment. The present authors (see record
1982-31158-001) have identified the following stages of change: contemplation, termination, action, and maintenance. The verbal processes of change—consciousness raising, catharsis, and choosing—are most important during the 1st 2 stages, while behavior therapies (conditional stimuli and contingency control) are needed once a commitment is made. It is suggested that in the transtheoretical model, cognitive restructuring is seen as the result of the individual effectively applying the appropriate processes of change during each of the appropriate stages of change. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Although many critics are reluctant to accept the trustworthiness of qualitative research, frameworks for ensuring rigour in this form of work have been in existence for many years. Guba's constructs, in particular, have won considerable favour and form the focus of this paper. Here researchers seek to satisfy four criteria. In addressing credibility, investigators attempt to demonstrate that a true picture of the phenomenon under scrutiny is being presented. To allow transferability, they provide sufficient detail of the context of the fieldwork for a reader to be able to decide whether the prevailing environment is similar to another situation with which he or she is familiar and whether the findings can justifiably be applied to the other setting. The meeting of the dependability criterion is difficult in qualitative work, although researchers should at least strive to enable a future investigator to repeat the study. Finally, to achieve confirmability, researchers must take steps to demonstrate that findings emerge from the data and not their own predispositions. The paper concludes by suggesting that it is the responsibility of research methods teachers to ensure that this or a comparable model for ensuring trustworthiness is followed by students undertaking a qualitative inquiry.
The research and practice of coaching psychology has developed considerably over the past 10 years. However, if coaching psychology is to continue to grow and develop, an educational and teaching framework needs to be established. Very little attention has been paid in the published literature to the teaching of coaching psychology. The aim of this paper is to stimulate discussion about the teaching of coaching psychology and to start the process of developing a teaching agenda, including delineating some of the concepts, theories and skills that can be seen to lie at the core of coaching psychology. Drawing on the Australian Psychological Society and the British Psychological Society definitions of coaching psychology it is proposed that the following areas should form the core of an education in coaching psychology; an evidence-based approach to practice; ethical principles; professional models of practice; mental health issues in coaching; cognitive-behavioural theory as applied to coaching; goal theory; change theory; systemic theory as applied to coaching (including group process and organisational applications); core applied coaching skills and their application to skills, performance, developmental and remedial coaching; and applications of coaching psychology to specialised areas of practice such as executive coaching, workplace coaching, health coaching, life coaching, and peak performance coaching, in addition to non-core specialist areas of theory such as applied positive psychology, solution-focused approaches, cognitive-developmental, narrative, psychodynamic and Gestalt approaches. Coaching psychology as a psychological sub-discipline is well on the way to developing a coherent area of research and practice. It now needs to develop and formalise a body of teachable knowledge that can sustain and advance this new area of behavioural science.
The transition into a new leadership role can be extremely challenging to navigate and is one where leadership transition coaching may benefit both the individual and the organisation. This paper reviews the literature on the nature of leadership transition coaching in the workplace. It highlights commonly reported leadership transition challenges and adopts an analytical approach that considers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) associated with using leadership transition coaching as a means of addressing these. The paper considers the benefits of leadership transition coaching, additional opportunities which may be facilitated by its implementation within organisations, possible limitations and impediments to its more widespread adoption and the means by which these may be overcome. Ultimately, successful leadership transition management practices which incorporate leadership transition coaching are summarised in the form of a suggested transition planning tool. The paper concludes that the on-going potential challenges to organisations, particularly in today’s economic climate, are in considering both the value to be gained in adopting some form of leadership transition coaching for their leadership appointments and the risks of ignoring this as a talent management tool.
A promotion to a more senior role brings an exciting yet challenging period in a leader's career. Using an interpretative phenomenological methodology, this study explores the experiences of six leaders who received coaching during recent transitions into C-suite roles (Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and direct reports) within global corporate organisations. Leaders experienced significant change, challenge and emotional turmoil. They valued the coaching, which led to lasting benefits in terms of confidence, capabilities and strengthened identity. In a nascent research landscape, results advocate the benefits of coaching, highlighting aspects of value, success factors and areas where further research is needed.
In this conceptual article, we argue the importance to the coaching profession of a critical understanding of coaching as a social process in order to promote coaching as an enabler for change and facilitate its use in other cultures and challenging contexts. We start with a critical analysis of the origin of coaching, arguing that neoliberal values have been embedded in the discourse of coaching. We also discuss the impact of coaching as an instrumental and ideological device, sometimes used in organisations as a process of control, and suggest that understanding coaching as a social process has the potential to transform it into an enabler for change. We propose a framework for understanding how different philosophical positions affect the way coaches may respond to the challenges of intercultural or oppressive social contexts. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for coaching research and development.
The Problem
Leadership development (LD) is the largest expense item in the overall training and development budget of the majority of business organizations in the United States and many other countries of the world. However, industry reports and academic articles alike suggest that, in many cases, organizations are dissatisfied with the outcomes and impact of their LD efforts and are experimenting with new approaches to LD in search for better solutions. At the same time, the academic literature on LD practices struggle to keep up with the fast pace of the emergence of new trends and equally rapid changes in established practices. Therefore, there is a need for periodic updates and reviews of current and emerging trends and models in LD theory and practice.
The Solution
This article provides a brief overview of current and emerging theoretical models and frameworks in leadership and further discusses emerging LD practices.
The Stakeholders
This article will be of relevance to HRD academics, scholar-practitioners, and students, studying HRD and LD, and HRD practitioners in charge of LD in a variety of organizations.
This chapter presents an overview of international organizations created for adult education. International relations and cooperation including but extending beyond comparative studies and aid programs in wealthy as well as Third World countries are important in adult education. International efforts are frequently intended to inform and change adult education practice, and to enhance government interest in and support for adult education efforts. Much adult education within individual countries is less committed to change and development than internationally oriented efforts and there is consequently some tension between these two fields. The general report of the Third International Conference on Adult Education (UNESCO 1972) stressed adult education as a factor in economic and social development and as a factor in cultural development. The themes of development and action dominate much international discussion of adult education. Adult education is promoted as a means to development within different programs concerned with agriculture, industry, health, preservation of the environment, and population control, as well as through literacy and other exclusively educational programs.
This article addresses a significant problem with transformative learning theory; namely, that it is increasingly being used to refer to almost any instance of learning. This article offers several points of clarity to resolve this problem. First, it portrays a subtle but important evolution in the way the theory has been used in the literature and, as a solution, positions transformative learning as an analytic metatheory. It then presents a typology of transformative learning outcomes as a conceptual tool scholars can use to describe learning phenomena. Finally, this article suggests a definition and criteria for transformative learning to provide parameters around the phenomena that the metatheory of transformative learning should address.
'Tony Bryant and Kathy Charmaz are the perfect editors for this excellent and forward looking Handbook which is surely destined to be a classic'
- David Silverman, Professor Emeritus, Goldsmiths College
For anyone interested in grounded theory this is a must have book. No longer will students have to search the library or internet to find authoritative voices on a variety of topics. It's all right there at their fingertips
- Juliet Corbin, San José State University
Grounded Theory is by far the most widely used research method across a wide range of disciplines and subject areas, including social sciences, nursing and healthcare, medical sociology, information systems, psychology, and anthropology. This handbook gives a comprehensive overview of the theory and practice of Grounded Theory, taking into account the many attempts to revise and refine Glaser and Strauss' original formulation and the debates that have followed.
Antony Bryant & Kathy Charmaz bring together leading researchers and practitioners of the method from the US, the UK, Australia and Europe to represent all the major standpoints within Grounded Theory, demonstrating the richness of the approach. The contributions cover a wide range of perspectives on the method, covering its features and ramifications, its intricacies in use, its demands on the skills and capabilities of the researcher and its position in the domain of research methods.
The SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory is an indispensable reference source for academics and researchers across many disciplines who want to develop their understanding of the Grounded Theory method.
Although many critics are reluctant to accept the trustworthiness of qualitative research, frameworks for ensuring rigour in this form of work have been in existence for many years. Guba's constructs, in particular, have won considerable favour and form the focus of this paper. Here researchers seek to satisfy four criteria. In addressing credibility, investigators attempt to demonstrate that a true picture of the phenomenon under scrutiny is being presented. To allow transferability, they provide sufficient detail of the context of the fieldwork for a reader to be able to decide whether the prevailing environment is similar to another situation with which he or she is familiar and whether the findings can justifiably be applied to the other setting. The meeting of the dependability criterion is difficult in qualitative work, although researchers should at least strive to enable a future investigator to repeat the study. Finally, to achieve confirmability, researchers must take steps to demonstrate that findings emerge from the data and not their own predispositions. The paper concludes by suggesting that it is the responsibility of research methods teachers to ensure that this or a comparable model for ensuring trustworthiness is followed by students undertaking a qualitative inquiry.
The Problem
Differing perceptions of what constitutes executive coaching core competencies by academic and coach preparation programs, credentialing associations, and practitioners obfuscates clarity of definition, roles, and implementation. This lack of clarity and agreement can confuse practitioners and slow progress in theory-building, research, and executive coach development.
The Solution
This article examines diverse ways that executive coaching is defined and distinguished. Professional associations have shaped membership, credentialing, and accreditation based on different competencies. The article describes four executive coaching roles and six enabling core coaching competencies, and it draws implications for navigating, researching, and practicing in the diverse terrain of executive coaching, in and for, organizations.
The Stakeholders
Practitioners might be interested in a map of the coaching terrain that Enables them to better choose among possible avenues toward coach preparation and professionalization. Researchers and theory builders might be interested in definitions and competency models to guide further investigation into coaching.
Coaching as an effective leadership initiative in organizations has gained increasing attention from scholars. This study investigates the effects of coaching on employees’ in-role behaviors (IRBs) and proactive career behaviors (PCBs), while also exploring the mediating role of psychological empowerment. Data were collected from a sample of 324 employee–supervisor pairs from 11 service companies in Taiwan. The results show that coaching was positively related to both IRBs and PCBs. Moreover, psychological empowerment fully mediated the coaching–IRB relationship and partially mediated the coaching–PCB relationship. Implications for managerial practices and future research are derived from these findings.
Canonical action research (CAR) aims to address real-world problems and improve organizational performance by combining scholarly observations with practical interventions. However, efforts to conduct CAR have revealed challenges that reflect a significant research-practice gap. We examine these challenges by revisiting the process, principles, and criteria of CAR developed earlier. The specific roles of two different types of theory in the cyclical action research process are considered. A project undertaken in two public relations firms illustrates how our methodological revision improves the rigor and quality of CAR. This article contributes both a significantly enhanced action research method, with detailed guidelines and suggestions that emphasize the roles of focal and instrumental theories, and an emerging theory of knowledge sharing that incorporates key elements of Chinese management and culture.
This critical literature review is an attempt to build upon the theoretical debate of Mezirow's transformative learning theory by investigating what the empirical studies have to say about a perspective transformation. The review finds much support for Mezirow's theory, but at the same time suggests a need to reconceptualize the process of a perspective transformation. The review discloses a learning process that needs to recognize to a greater degree the significant influence of context, the varying nature of the catalyst of the process, the minimization of the role of critical reflection and increased role of other ways of knowing and relationships, and an overall broadening of the definitional outcome of a perspective transformation. Research needs to continue, particularly in the areas of cultural diversity, the fostering of transformative learning in the classroom, and the nature of and relationship between critical reflection and other ways of knowing. Designs of research including other methods beyond interviews, such as observations and content analysis in an ongoing educational context, would also be valuable.
The purpose of this study was to develop a model of leadership transition based on an integrative review of literature. The article establishes a compelling case for focusing on leadership transitions as an area for study and leadership development practitioner intervention. The proposed model in this study identifies important success factors leading to a successful leader transition into an existing team. Specifically, the article discusses such success factors as managing first impressions, aligning expectations, recognizing stress, managing feedback seeking, building relationships, and using structured methods for leadership development. It is anticipated that this study will help leadership and organization development practitioners who work to develop leadership capacity better understand the potential consequences associated with ignoring factors affecting leader transitions. Furthermore, this study offers insights into success factors that practitioners can leverage in developing interventions to help leaders transition.
Previous studies exploring how leaders make successful promotion transitions overlooked the turn from mid-level to functional management. Little research exists that describes this transition from the experience of successful executives. The goal of the present study was to examine the essential structure of managerial role transition. This article discusses the transition strategies of successful executives from multiple countries who work in a Fortune 20 global technology corporation. Drawing upon previously untested models and conducting qualitative research the writer argues that leader effectiveness in making the transition into executive management requires shifts in four domains: cognitive, relational, behavioral, and role perspective. Within and pertaining to each transitional domain, transitional leaders combine four approaches: releasing, learning, adapting, and adjusting. The researcher provides a testable theory and model of managerial role transition.