Purpose: The concept of managers assuming developmental roles such as coaches and learning facilitators has received considerable attention in recent years. Yet, despite the growing body of expert opinion that suggests that coaching is an essential core activity of everyday management and leadership, the literature base remains largely…

Makes these rebuttal points: (1) the study was of managers in learning organizations, not organizational learning; (2) the study took an integrating rather than instrumental view of work and learning; (3) the conceptual framework was an expression of management behavior, not a model of learning processes; and (4) the learning context does need…

Twelve managers described effective and ineffective critical incidents in which they tried to facilitate employee learning. From the analysis emerged 13 behavior sets that help define the role of facilitator. (SK)

Ellinger, Watkins, and Bostrom report a study of 12 managers who described critical incidents in which they facilitated employee learning. Behaviors defining facilitation were identified. Dirkx's response criticizes the research for its individualistic and decontextualized focus. (SK)

This paper examines the extent to which methodological pluralism and analytical triangulation can be meaningfully utilized for identifying commonalities between three distinct previously conducted research studies that explored managerial behaviors within specific sectors and cultures using the Critical Incident Technique. (Contains 4 tables.)