An evaluation of the effect of coaching on the empowerment of middle managers in the retail sector : a lifelong learning perspective
Fourie, Stefan Steyn
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The modern business environment is characterised by uncertainty, rapid change and the
continuous pursuit of competitiveness. This has placed a renewed emphasis on the
capacitation of managers operating in such environments and may be seen as a critical
means of ensuring a sustainable advantage. Within the South African food retail
environment, learning and development activities do not seem to be capacitating managers
effectively, as well as taking too long to meet the changing demands of the retail sector.
Lifelong learning has the potential to accelerate the development of individuals in
Lifelong learning can be seen as the facilitation of learning, growth and development of
individuals, as well as a means for enabling individuals and organisations to meet the
challenges of an increasingly competitive world.
Learning has the potential to empower individuals. In facilitating lifelong learning, a coaching
methodology was used to facilitate the learning of ten middle managers in a large food retail
store (part of one of the biggest retail organisations in South Africa). This research set out to
evaluate the effect of coaching (as a method to facilitate learning) to empower middle
managers in the food retail sector.
The research was approached from a lifelong learning perspective and the focus of the
research was the individual adult learner. Within the context of adult learning, the concepts
of andragogy, experiential learning and transformative learning were applied in the
Coaching (as a method to facilitate learning) allows for a uniquely individual and personal
approach to learning. The learning and development intervention (using a coaching
methodology) to facilitate learning was implemented over a period of 12 months and the
participants were ten middle managers employed by the retail store.
The case study (more specifically a multiple-case) design was used as research design. The
findings of the research were discussed to place them within the context of the following
• What is the effect of coaching as a method of learning and development in the
facilitation of lifelong learning to empower middle managers in the food retail
environment? • Is coaching (as only another way of facilitating learning) an effective method for
facilitating learning and the development of middle managers in the food retail
• Which dimensions should be taken into consideration when implementing a coaching
methodology (as a method of learning) in developing middle managers in the retail
The participants’ empowerment status was measured with a standardised questionnaire
using a pre-test, post-test and post-post-test design. The research was conducted in three
phases. Mixed methods research (using both qualitative and quantitative methods) was used
during the research, which included interviews, field notes, questionnaires, observation, tests
and official statistics.
The first phase consisted of an evaluation, which included an evaluation of each individual
manager. Two learning style questionnaires were applied to each middle manager to gain a
better understanding of each middle manager and to assist the learning process on an
individual basis. Lastly, a pre-test on empowerment was done by means of a standardised
questionnaire. Part of this phase involved a structured interview with each individual
manager. The second phase involved exposure to the coaching intervention and the process
of coaching, followed by a post-test for measuring changes in the empowerment status. The
last phase consisted of a post-post-test to measure changes in empowerment at the end of
the coaching intervention.
Five out of the ten middle managers showed sustained empowerment gains at the end of the
coaching intervention. An experiential approach (using Kolb’s learning model) was used to
facilitate the learning, and the middle managers who completed the learning cycle (namely
concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active
experience) showed empowerment gains. The learners who showed empowerment also
displayed self-direction in their learning. Coaching (as a method to facilitate lifelong learning)
was used as an effective method of learning in a busy retail environment. Statistical analysis
showed no statistically significant improvements in empowerment from pre-test to post-posttest
of the total group. Based on the findings and conclusions of the research, a new
coaching framework (to facilitate lifelong learning), namely the New Coaching Retail Model,
is proposed. This model consists of dimensions that facilitate individual lifelong learning,
pointing to an empowered lifelong learner. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hedendaagse sake-omgewing word gekenmerk deur onsekerheid, vinnige verandering
en ’n volgehoue ingesteldheid op mededinging. Binne die konteks van
menslikehulpbronontwikkeling is daar ’n hernude beklemtoning van die ontwikkeling van
bestuurders in omgewings van hierdie aard, wat aan besighede volhoubare voordeel sal
gee. In die Suid Afrikaanse kleinhandel-voedselsektor blyk dit dat sekere leer- en
ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite nie aan die uniekheid van die sake – en dus aan die konteks –
voldoen nie. Lewenslange leer het die potensiaal om individuele ontwikkeling te versnel.
Lewenslange leer kan as die fasilitering van leer, groei en ontwikkeling gesien word, en hou
voordele in vir die individu, asook vir die organisasie binne die konteks van ’n veranderende
Lewenslange leer het die potensiaal om die individu te bemagtig. Binne die konteks van die
navorsing is ’n afrigtingsmetodologie gebruik om die lewenslange leerproses van tien
middelbestuurders van ’n kleinhandelsaak (wat deel vorm van een van die grootste
kleinhandelgroepe in Suid-Afrika) te fasiliteer. Die doel van die navorsing was om die effek
van afrigting op die bemagtiging van middelbestuurders binne die kleinhandel te evalueer.
Die navorsing is vanuit die perspektief van lewenslange leer benader. Die fokus van die
navorsing was die individuele volwasse leerder. Binne die konteks van volwasse leer, is
andragogie, ondervindingleer en transformasieleer tydens die fasilitering van volwasse leer
Afrigting (as ’n metode om lewenslange leer te fasiliteer) maak voorsiening vir ’n unieke
individuele en persoonlike aanslag tot lewenslange leer. Die leer- en
ontwikkelingsintervensie (deur die gebruik van afrigting ) is oor ’n tydperk van 12 maande
gevolg en die teikengroep het uit tien middelbestuurders binne een kleinhandelsaak
Die navorsingsontwerp het ’n gevalle studie- (meer spesifiek ’n veelvuldige gevalle studie)
ontwerp gevolg. Die drie navorsingsvrae verwys na die aard van die afrigtingsintervensie om
lewenslange leer te fasiliteer en was daarop gemik om te bepaal of die afrigtingsintervensie
’n effek op die deelnemers se bemagtigingsvlakke gehad het, of afrigting as effektiewe
metode vir leer en ontwikkeling vir middelbestuur binne die kleinhandelsektor aangewend
kan word, en watter dimensies in ag geneem moet word wanneer ’n afrigtingsmetodologie
gebruik word om middelbestuur binne die kleinhandelsektor te ontwikkel. Die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus is met ’n gestandaardiseerde vraelys gemeet, terwyl
’n voor-en-ná-toets en ’n verdere (post-post-) toetsontwerp gevolg is. Die navorsing is in drie
fases geïmplementeer. Beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes bestaande uit
onderhoude, notas tydens veldwerk, onderhoude, vraelyste, waarneming, toetse en
statistiese analise is gebruik.
Die eerste fase het uit formele evaluering bestaan, waar elke individuele bestuurder
geëvalueer is. Elke bestuurder het twee verskillende vraelyste voltooi wat die individu se
leerstyl geïdentifiseer het. Hierdie fase het ook voortoets behels wat die deelnemers se
bemagtigingstatus gemeet het, asook uit gestruktureerde onderhoude. Gedurende die
tweede fase is deelnemers aan die afrigtingsintervensie blootgestel. Gedurende die
intervensie is die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus weer deur ná-toets gemeet om
verandering in bemagtiging vas te stel. Fase drie het uit verdere toets bestaan om die
deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus aan die einde van die leer intervensie te meet.
Die navorsing se bevindinge dui daarop dat vyf van die tien deelnemers aan die einde van
die afrigtingsintervensie ’n verbetering in hul bemagtigingstatus getoon het. Deur gebruik te
maak van ’n ondervindingsaanslag (soos gebruik in Kolb se leermodel) was dit beduidend
dat die middelbestuurders wat die siklus van leer voltooi het, almal ook ’n verbetering in hul
bemagtigingstatus getoon het. Hierdie leerders het ook selfrigting in hulle leer getoon.
Afrigting (as ’n metode om lewenslange leer te fasiliteer) kon effektief as ’n metode van leer
in ’n besige kleinhandelsektor gebruik word. Statistiese analise het getoon dat daar geen
betekenisvolle verbeteringe van die voortoets na die na-na-toets van die groep was nie.
Gegrond op die bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings, word ’n nuwe afrigtingsmodel voorgestel om
lewenslange leer te fasiliteer, naamlik die “New Coaching Retail Model” (wat vertaal kan
word as die “Nuwe Kleinhandelafrigtingsmodel”). Dié model is aamgestel uit dimensies wat
individuele lewenslange leer bevorder, en wat dui op ’n bemagtigde lewenslange leerder. Description:
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