Managing the Internal Labour Market in a Manufacturing Company: Explaining Coaching’s Perceived Ineffectiveness

• Main Author: Christiaan McComb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Brookes University 2013-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring
• Subjects: Coaching; Succession Planning; Internal Labour Market; Retention; Evaluation
• Online Access: https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/c3491562-b5fd-4468-9691-b45d6c517364/1/vol11issue1-paper-01.pdf

ABC manufacturing is a large publicly listed manufacturer and distributor. The mission of the organization is to deliver superior and sustainable returns through leading market positions in the construction, resources and industrial markets. It recognizes that people are a distinguishing feature of successful business and is committed to attracting, maintaining and building a skilled and motivated workforce. It has utilized workplace coaching over a three-year period as part of its development effort for senior managers, but because of its perceived ineffectiveness is no longer being pursued. The purpose of this paper is to examine coaching as a mechanism for the management of an internal labour market (ILM) at ABC manufacturing. Of particular interest is the perception of the ABC management that the coaching was not effective and did not meet its expectations. It utilizes an exploratory case study design and draws on data from interviews and documentation to explore the reasons for this from an ILM perspective. Three propositions are formulated to guide further research.