Search results

The purpose of this paper is to compare the impact of a long‐term (13‐week, spaced learning) with a short‐term (two‐day, block intensive) coaching skills training programme on participants' coaching skills and emotional intelligence.

In the study 23 participants completed a 13‐week coaching skills training course which consisted of weekly 2.5‐hour workshops and action learning. In comparison, 20 participants completed a two‐day “Manager as Coach” training programme, with a three‐week action learning break between day one and day two. Both training programmes used the same coaching frameworks, with the two‐day programme being more condensed.

Participation in the 13‐week training course was associated with increases in both goal‐focused coaching skills and emotional intelligence, whereas the two‐day block intensive training was associated with increased goal‐focused coaching skills, but not emotional intelligence. Further, the magnitude of the increase in goal‐focused coaching skills was less for the two‐day programme than for the 13‐week programme.

These studies used a quasi‐experimental pre‐post design, and the long‐term effects were not measured. Future research should use control groups and random assignment to short‐ or long‐term training.

The main implications of these findings are that, while short, intensive programmes may improve participants' goal‐focused coaching skills, organisations seeking to deepen the impact of “Manager as Coach” training programmes and improve the underlying emotional intelligence of participants should use a spaced learning approach over a number of weeks.

This is the first study to examine the impact of different approaches to coaching skills training and their impact on emotional intelligence.

In this paper, the case is made for why learning agreements play an essential role in the work‐based programmes run by the National Centre for Work Based Learning Partnerships (NCWBLP) at Middlesex University. Their crucial role is the result of the opportunity afforded students to customise their programme of study around their own and their employer’s work needs. A particular focus of attention is the role of learning agreements in programmes developed with employer partners at under‐ and postgraduate levels. Case studies of partnership programmes developed with three different organisations are discussed – a metropolitan borough council, a multinational company and a college of further education.

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of a university-led business support programme that ran in the West Midlands region of the UK. The initiative was designed with the specific aim of assisting businesses to grow into the renewable energy technology markets by engaging them in a spectrum of support activities. A distinctive form of university-industry collaboration was used in the implementation of the programme where the leadership and management roles were carried out by Staffordshire University, while technical consultancy was delivered by external industry experts. The effectiveness of this model is investigated through a survey of businesses assisted by the programme.

The case study first describes the design and rationale of the support programme and then goes on to present findings from a survey conducted with firms who part took in the support programme (41 per cent response rate, n=54).

Respondents’ overall satisfaction with the programme indicate that the university-business collaborative model worked well. However, the survey findings show that businesses preferred group-based activities over one-to-one, direct consultancy type of support. Results suggest that the overall effectiveness of the scheme could have been improved through greater industry focus and better management of companies’ expectations through clearer articulation of the programme's ability and scope for support.

The survey was carried out with participating businesses only four months after the programme had ended, which may have limited the time for programme-related impacts to mature and/or materialise.

The presented model of university-led business support programme and recommendations can be of use to other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as well as business organisations seeking to establish such collaborative initiatives.

This paper contributes to the discourse on university-industry relationships and the nature of business support programmes by presenting a “real-world” case study of a university-led business support initiative. The findings and recommendations may be of interest and use to researchers, HEIs, policy makers as well as business support and training organisations.

The mobilityleaders programme is a key strategic initiative, launched by BT in November 1998. One of the main aims of the programme is to facilitate the creation and exchange of knowledge between BT's joint ventures with mobile operating licences and a number of key suppliers. At the heart of the mobilityleaders programme is a Web‐based interactive network. Members of the mobilityleaders programme have access to a large range of resources via the website. In addition, the mobilityleaders programme organises face‐to‐face meetings and workshops between representatives of the member companies. This paper outlines the key aspects of the overall mobilityleaders programme from its inception through its first year of operation. It describes many of the practical issues that need to be considered in the creation of a successful crosscultural, intercompany knowledge‐sharing programme.

This article describes a programme planning tool for complex research and development projects called the Process Tree Management Tool (PTMT). The PTMT was developed for use in programme management for a particular large, diverse, advanced weapon system. The PTMT includes a set of logic diagrams and specially developed software for manipulating the information represented by the logic diagrams. Two logic diagrams are included in the PTMT in its current form. One diagram, called a process tree, graphically represents the physical processes that occur when an engineered system functions successfully. Another, called a programme tree, includes gates representing elements of a successful research, development, and fabrication programme. These trees are used in conjunction to store programmatic and scientific information useful for a manager of a large, technical research and development programme. The objective of this article is to explain the methodology involved in development of the process tree and its associated programme tree and to describe a computer software tool based on the HYPERTALK language that make the logic diagrams vastly more useful to the manager. The methodology is illustrated by a relatively simple and understandable example.

Discusses the North London mentoring programme for black students. Identifies the reasons for this initiative, explaining the issues the programme aimed to address and how. Outlines the aims, structure, purpose and method of the programme, indicating the target group. Profiles the actual groups and indicates outcomes. Discusses issues which have arisen in implementing the programme, commenting on the programme′s effectiveness. Makes specific reference to research material which is relevant to the needs of the target group and has informed the programme philosophy, design and implementation. Highlights issues emerging from the programme.

The Industrial Training Act will have two effects on apprentice training. Firstly, more training will take place, and the demand for that already scarce commodity — the Apprentice Instructor — will increase. Secondly, the long‐term demand will be not only for more training, but for more efficient training.

The purpose of this evaluative study is an attempt to understand the bridging programme by drawing on the work of Wadsworth and to prove that a place still exists for bridging programmes within the University of Johannesburg and the higher education sector in South Africa.

The research study is both quantitative and qualitative in nature. An interpretative naturalistic approach is used to understand the thinking and experiences of the students in the bridging programme.

This study reveals, first that a causal relationship exists between the length of the bridging programme and how long students take to successfully complete the national diploma in engineering. Second, that bridging programmes can contribute to the success of engineering students who want to successfully complete their engineering studies within the designated timespan. Third, that, if designated staff are utilized in the teaching of the bridging programmes, students are able to receive the necessary support which enables them to successfully complete the national diploma in engineering.

This research reveals that bridging programmes, implemented over an extended period, are valuable because they allow student access to higher education and lay a solid foundation by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in mainstream diplomas such as the national diploma in engineering. These programmes put into practice the shift of policy emphasis from “access” to “success”, which has implications not only for the University of Johannesburg but also for the higher education sector in South Africa.

A broad perspective on the trends and issues in executive education is provided. Some insights into the outcomes of the 1989 Conference of University Executive Program Directors are given. Together with a discussion of executive programme assessment, the impact of executive programmes is evaluated by assessing the extent to which the programme content and process is tailored to meet individual learning needs.

Since the definition of objectives lies at the basis of any programme, an analytical system of classifying service organisation activities is proposed in which the focus is on internal characteristics of the activities, and differentiation among programmes and treatments. This taxonomy may be used by social welfare organisations who wish to know what they do, and to what extent they adhere to what they aim to do, as it makes both a conceptual and empirical contribution, increasing awareness of what the organisation and its professional staff do, and allowing examination of the consistency of any programme.