Bridging the gap between sport science and coaching: A qualitative analysis of perceptions of South African coaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Alliance Kubayi ◽  
Yoga Coopoo ◽  
Abel Toriola
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sport Science ◽  
Wide Gap ◽  
Sport And Recreation ◽  
Sport Coaches ◽  
High Performance Level

There exists a wide gap between coaches’ needs and the information that is being disseminated by sport scientists. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine coaches’ perceptions concerning this bridging the knowledge gap between sport science and coaching in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight high-performance sport coaches aged 24 to 42 years (M age = 33.50, SD = 6.44 years). Coaches participated in the study if they met the following selection criteria: (1) coaching a priority sport recommended by Sport and Recreation South Africa and (2) having been in coaching for at least five years at a high-performance level. Following a thematic analysis of the transcripts, the following three broad themes emerged: (1) sources of coaching knowledge, (2) barriers to sport science support, and (3) coaches’ thoughts about knowledge transfer. Recommendations on strategies to close the gap between sport scientists and coaches are provided.

scholarly journals The transition to general management in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Mallaby ◽  
Gavin Price ◽  
Karl Hofmeyr
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
General Manager ◽  
General Management ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
The Right

Orientation: Understanding the nature and challenges of making the transition from a functional role to a general management role in South African organisations.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to gain insight into the obstacles that affect the transition from functional to general management and identify steps that may be taken to overcome these challenges.Motivation for the study: One of the most difficult crossroads for a manager is making the shift from being a functional specialist to becoming a general manager. New competencies and behaviours are required, as well as a more strategic mind set. If the transition is not made successfully, the manager and the organisation suffer.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative design was used consisting of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, with 19 senior business leaders who had successfully made the transition. The interviews were used to gather insights into the challenges they faced during their transitions, and how these were overcome.Main findings: To make the transition successfully, functional managers need to gain relevant experience to prepare them for the broader scope of a general management role. They need to develop appropriate skills, attitudes and personal characteristics. Mentoring is an effective development process. Newly appointed general managers need to learn to let go of control while maintaining ownership, build relationships and strike the right balance between strategic thinking and execution. There are unique aspects of being a general manager in South Africa, such as dealing with Black Economic Empowerment and challenges of race and identity, given the country’s history.Practical and managerial implications: Specific interventions are suggested which are directed at both aspiring general managers and organisations seeking to assist middle managers to make the transition to general managers.Contribution: This study contributes to knowledge concerning the skills and attributes required by potential general managers, and the practical steps to be taken by South African organisations to facilitate the development of general managers. 

Risk management factors contributing to transgressions in the procurement practices in South African SOEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindani Myeza ◽  
Naledi Nkhi ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
African State ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Executive Level

PurposeThe study aims to deepen the understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented, thereby contributing to transgressions in public procurement for South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs). A deeper understanding of why risk management principles are circumvented is especially important in South Africa, given the high social, economic and environmental risks to which national and major SOEs are exposed in the procurement process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative design, based on detailed semi-structured interviews with 19 participants comprising management advisors, forensic investigators and auditors to explore why risk management principles are circumvented by South Africa SOEs.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that the tone that is set at political and executive level plays an important role in determining compliance with risk management principles by lower-level staff. Intense levels of political influence at SOEs are the main reason behind risk management systems being undermined.Originality/valueThe current study is one of the first explorations of why transgressions in public procurement continue to be evident despite risk management reforms being adopted by South Africa public sector. The research responds to the call for more studies on why reforms in South Africa public sector are not reducing transgression in public procurement. The study provides primary evidence on the importance of political and executive leadership in influencing the effectiveness of risk management reforms in the public sector.

scholarly journals Reimaging Public-Private Partnership Model as Hybrid: South Africa Viewpoint

2021 ◽  
pp. 1087724X2110466
Author(s):  
Alinaswe Sinkala ◽  
Edward Ochieng ◽  
Diana Ominde ◽  
Tarila Zuofa ◽  
Sulafa Badi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Partnership Model ◽  
Infrastructure Project ◽  
Delivery Models

As significant increases in the financing of infrastructure and other resources will still be required to bridge the current infrastructure gap experienced globally, alternatives to the standard PPP infrastructure project delivery models are constantly appraised in several nations. This research examined the viability of reframing Public Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks as hybrid PPP alliances (HPPPA), which would enhance current PPP practices and enable practitioners in South Africa to deliver PPP infrastructure projects more efficiently. The research adopted a two-pronged qualitative data collection approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews as well as case studies to obtain empirical evidence that was compared to secondary data on how PPP practices in South Africa can be enhanced. The research established that while the South African PPP legislations was adjudged as being suitable, the delivery framework was found to be highly costly and comprised of long approval processes.

Youth high unemployment/unemployability in South Africa: the unemployed graduates' perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zethembe Mseleku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cooperative Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Skills Mismatch ◽  
Graduate Unemployment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore youth graduate unemployment and unemployability as a development problem in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study applied a qualitative research method to elicit the perspectives of youth graduates regarding their unemployment and unemployability. A total of 30 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with unemployed youth who recently graduated from five South African universities.FindingsThe results indicate that, as youth graduate unemployment increases in South Africa, graduates become hopeless in terms of securing employment. The participants attributed their unemployment to multidimensional factors that include limited demand in the labour market, skills mismatch and lack of work experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis research exclusively focused on graduates from five South African universities; hence, the results of this small qualitative study cannot be generalised to the entire South African population. However, this paper offers important insights that may form the foundation for a nationwide study on a related topic.Originality/valueThis paper presents important insights that influence policy makers, government and other relevant stakeholders to develop alternative solutions to youth graduate unemployment. This paper recommends that government should play a critical role in bridging the gap between higher education and industry in order to address youth graduate unemployment. It also calls for a more cooperative effort between government, higher learning institutions and employers in order to create job opportunities for youth graduates in South Africa.

Rethinking gifted education in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-285
Author(s):  
Marietjie Oswald ◽  
Erika Rabie
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
South African ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Inclusive Education Policy

In this article, we report the findings of a qualitative, collective case study exploring the academic experiences of six grade 11 gifted students in two schools in diverse socio-economic communities in rural Western South Africa. Gifted students represent an important component of a nation’s intellectual capital. They possess the qualities needed to find innovative solutions for many scientific and social challenges. Despite inclusive education policy initiatives aimed at ensuring quality education for all, the extant research indicates that gifted students from all socio-economic levels and cultures are neglected in South African classrooms. In this study, the voices of the students themselves were analysed. Whilst they are on the receiving end of education policy and teaching initiatives, their contributions are seldom sought. Our data collection methods included multiple measures and six in-depth individual semi-structured interviews as well as a focus group interview with all the subjects. The informal findings showed that academically gifted students from both affluent and disadvantaged backgrounds face similar challenges. They often feel neglected and academically under-stimulated. Recommendations were made to address their needs more appropriately.

scholarly journals Corporate social investment and a company’s image: A case of a CSI initiative in a South African low income community

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-135
Author(s):  
Paul-Francois Muzindutsi ◽  
Tshediso Joseph Sekhampu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
A Company ◽  
Corporate Social Investment

One of the goals of corporate social investment (CSI) is to ensure that a company becomes a responsible entity which acts as a conscientious citizen within a society. CSI plays an important role in enhancing how a company is perceived within the community it operates in. This paper used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs to investigate the effect of a specific CSI initiative on a company’s image within a low income community in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaire were used to collect data from community members in the township of Bophelong, South Africa. Results show that, if adequately managed, CSI initiatives tend to enhance company’s image as well as its relations with the community it operates in. However, if not adequately managed CSI can created unreachable expectations that can negatively affect a company’s image. Thus, companies better manage their CSI initiatives have an increased opportunity to enhance their reputation within the community they operate in.

scholarly journals Is the game lost in advance? Being a high-performance coach and preserving family life

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Joncheray ◽  
Fabrice Burlot ◽  
Mathilde Julla-Marcy
Keyword(s):  
Family Life ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Sport Organizations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Family ◽  
Sport Coaches ◽  
The Olympic Games

This article examines how high-performance sport coaches combine their professional and family lives. To address this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 French coaches (8 females, 33 males) involved in the preparation of the French teams for the Olympic Games in Rio (2016), Pyeongchang (2018) and/or Tokyo (2020). The results show that all the coaches interviewed are engaged in a passionate relationship with their job. For some coaches, this commitment has an impact on their family life. Three groups of coaches stand out: (i) a majority of coaches who are unable to preserve their family life, (ii) coaches who maintain a distance from their profession and preserve their family life, (iii) coaches who have or have not preserved their family life and who position themselves as actors wishing to do everything possible to preserve the family life of the coaches they supervise. Thus, these results highlight, for some coaches, difficulties in combining professional and family life. For others, family life is a protection for engagement in a passionate profession. These data can provide useful information for sport organizations in charge of coaches.

scholarly journals Grade 4 children’s engagements in cross-sex relationships: A case from one South African Farm School

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Nonhlanhla P Maphanga ◽  
Pholoho J. Morojele
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Childhood Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Subject Positions ◽  
Narrative Study ◽  
Sociology Of Childhood

This study explores Grade 4 school children’s experiences of cross-sex relationships in a co- educational farm school in uMgungundlovu district in South Africa. The aim is to understand if and how constructions of gender bear on young children’s social relations at the school. Informed by children’s geographies and new sociology of childhood studies, this study uses data from semi-structured interviews and photo-voice imagery based on a qualitative narrative study of three girls and three boys aged between 9 and 12 years. The study found that children’s experiences of cross-sex relationships were deeply entrenched in traditional discourses of masculinities and femininities. These rigidly constructed discourses of gender were found to constrain possibilities and fluidities with which children navigated places and spaces of cross- sex relationships in the school. The hegemonic regulatory power of gender norms was a yardstick, informing children’s organisation and performances of cross-sex relationships even if some children had developed creative ways of subverting dominant gender norms in how they navigated in cross-sex relationships. The study argues for the liberalisation of gender norms, in order to allow children to freely – without being constrained by their genitalia – take subject positions of gender in cross-sex relationships. This would promote sustainable equitable gender relations, as children learn how to engage in cross-sex relationships, beyond the constraining prescripts of dominant masculinities and femininities.

scholarly journals The impact of social media on recruitment: Are you LinkedIn?

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Koch ◽  
Charlene Gerber ◽  
Jeremias J. De Klerk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Recruitment Process ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Orientation: With many organisations vying for the same talent, it is important to ensure that the correct methods are utilised in identifying and attracting the best talent to an organisation.Research purpose: This research investigates the impact of social media on the recruitment process in South Africa.Motivation for the study: As the competition for qualified talent increases, organisations need to understand where to focus their resources to attract the best talent possible. The use of social media is growing daily and its use in the recruitment process seems to have grown exponentially.Research design, approach and method: The sample comprised 12 recruiters, spanning a wide range of industries in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and a thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes and subthemes.Main findings: Despite still utilising some traditional methods of recruiting, South African recruiters follow their international counterparts, with LinkedIn being central to their respective recruitment processes. The use of Twitter and Facebook for recruitment was found to be substantially lower in South Africa than elsewhere. Without following a focused approach, the volume of work that emanates from using social media may overwhelm a recruiter.Practical and managerial implications: Recruiters cannot execute effective recruitment without applying social media tools such as LinkedIn. However, training in the optimal use of social media is essential.Contribution: This study indicates that LinkedIn has a major impact on recruitment in South Africa, but that social media is not a panacea for recruitment issues.

scholarly journals Constructing racial hierarchies of skill – Experiencing affirmative action in a South African organisation: A qualitative review

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanya Reuben ◽  
Shaida Bobat
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Affirmative Action ◽  
South African ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Orientation: Apartheid in South Africa constructed racial, economic, social and political segregation, the consequences of which are still experienced today. Government has made concerted efforts to ‘deracialise’ South Africa, most notably through affirmative action (AA) measures.Research purpose: This study aimed to explore employees’ social constructions of AA in a South African organisation.Motivation for the study: Research in this field focuses mostly on attitudinal perspectives of AA with an emphasis on traditional approaches. Subjective, contextualised approaches to AA have received little attention. Thus, this study aimed to critically engage with the embodied nature of prejudice, particularly in reference to how we understand and experience AA.Research approach, design and method: This study aimed to explore AA from a social constructionist orientation, using semi-structured interviews. More specifically, this study used Potter and Wetherell’s discursive psychology.Main findings: The findings illustrate how participants engage in discursive devices that continue to rationalise a racial order of competence. Ultimately, AA is a controversial subject that traverses many segments of life for all South Africans.Practical/managerial implications: The findings contribute to the discipline of industrial psychology, particularly with regard to policies around preferential treatment, and can add value to the ways in which organisational policy documents are conceptualised. The findings also suggest the importance of developing an inclusive, non-discriminatory organisational culture.Contribution/value-add: This approach adds to the existing body of knowledge around the embodied nature of prejudice. The study’s methodology highlights the value of studying context in meaning-making and implied inferences that underlie talk.

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