The purpose of this study was to establish how the use of coaching by managers within appraisal conversations could enhance performance at work. The motivation for the study was directed at improving performance related conversations between managers and employees. These conversations may be formal appraisals, or interim reviews. From a literature perspective, there is a high volume of empirical and practitioner literature in the area of performance management, including appraisals. However, there is a lack of empirical and practitioner material covering performance management when integrated with the manager as coach concept and when this concept is treated as an individual theme. Therefore, the evaluation of the performance management and manager as coach literature provided confirmation of the potential for this study. In addition, where empirical work is available, there is a tendency for this to have an employer focus, using the perceptions of managers and HR professionals. In this study, contributions were gathered from the employee as well as those of the manager and the HR professional. The research strategy adopted a grounded theory approach with research participants from both the private and public sector. Data collection comprised four stages, synonymous with grounded theory, and included semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Data analysis, using constant comparison, enabled the development of further data collection and analysis through an additional questionnaire that was completed by participating managers. This enabled the collection of rich data demonstrating the value of the manager as coach concept within an appraisal conversation. The findings reveal appraisal conversations can deliver a more meaningful and value adding result for all stakeholders. Conceptually, the research delivers a theoretical model of the manager as coach concept within an appraisal conversation. The model identifies, the manager as coach, as a key enabler of individual performance improvement, which is also sustainable over the longer term. The model also illustrates a range of cultural factors that either enable or restrain the manager as coach concept in the appraisal context. Furthermore, the research establishes a range of benefits that enable the delivery of a quality conversation.
Towell, M
Faculty of BusinessBusiness School
Year: 2012
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