Executive coaching is a booming, but understudied, HRD-related practice. Given the limited number of available studies that have been deployed with rigor and systematic methods, the study by Nieminen et al. adds to our understanding of the impact of executive coaching and multisource feedback on leadership development. Explored in the context of a…

Goal-orientation theory and research offer a lens to better understand the mechanisms of experiential learning in developmental assignments for managers. This study presents a research model that depicts how goal orientations influence the development of leadership skills from experience. The model indicates how individual and situational…

Multisource ratings and feedback are now central components of many leader development programs. Research evaluating the outcomes of multisource feedback (MSF) underscores the importance of facilitation strategies that help leaders to interpret and use their feedback throughout the development process. Scholars and practitioners have recommended…

This study assessed transfer from a customized executive training program involving 89 public sector employees. Participants who set a distal goal had higher self-efficacy than those in both the "do your best" (DYB) and the proximal plus distal goal conditions. Participants who set proximal plus distal goals had higher maintenance than…

Employees' perceptions of Management Development (MD) programs is the topic of this study. The purpose is to examine the influence of three important perceived characteristics of MD programs on relevant MD outcomes. The MD characteristics are: availability of role models, perceived control, and understanding the MD program. Outcomes are:…

Numerous authors have suggested that the working relationship between coach and coachee constitutes an essential condition to the success of executive coaching. This study empirically investigated the links between the coach-coachee relationship and the success of a coaching intervention in an organizational setting. Data were collected from two…

The primary purpose of management development programs is performance improvement at an individual and organizational level. Performance improvement results from knowledge, skill, or ability enhancement. An important intervention in management development is the use of 360-degree or multisource feedback (MSF), which leads to more effective career…

A survey of 262 hospital supervisors and managers found that managers who were satisfied with employee career development were more committed to the organization and perceived more organizational support. They were also more likely to provide career development for their own supervisees. (Contains 46 references.) (SK)

A workshop on diversity issues and training was attended by 99 middle managers. Compared to 51 controls, attendees rated diversity practices and their use of them higher. The social environment indirectly affected ratings but the work environment did not. (SK)

Managers (n=261) completed instruments measuring the effects of organization-based self esteem on their development when facing job challenges. Those with low self-esteem were more sensitive to challenging job experiences. As challenges increased, perceptions of overall development increased. (Contains 40 references.) (SK)

A survey of 98 participants and 9 instructors in management training in a British government agency showed that trainees frequently sought information about their performance. Although feedback seeking was an important part of training, instructors tended to overestimate the frequency with which they provided feedback. (Contains 42 references.)…

Madzar reviews literature on feedback seeking in organizations, examining motivation, contextual influences, barriers, and particular feedback-seeking behavior of newcomers and groups. Morrison comments on some misrepresentations and confusions in the literature review. (SK)

The Federal Express Leadership Institute helps managers improve skills through a model emphasizing experiential and self-directed learning. The institute takes place within the context of Fed Ex as a learning organization. (SK)

Four focus groups with 300 Fortune 500 managers and two panels of experts were used to build and verify a theory of the impact on management training on organizational performance. The theory suggests that such training design factors as needs assessment, coaching, and simulated practice have a greater impact on performance. (SK)

Robinson and Stern describe the Management Training Program introduced by the U.S. Air Force in postwar Japan and its effect on Japanese industry. Roberts compares it with U.S. Training within Industries. Umetani comments that the discussion would have been more convincing had its relationship with other Japanese training programs been addressed.…