Construction Management and Economics

(

February 2010)

28

, 141149

Construction Management and Economics

ISSN 0144-6193 print/ISSN 1466-433X online 2010 Taylor & Francis
http://www.informaworld.com
DOI: 10.1080/01446190903460672

Enhancing performance: a case study of the effects of employee
coaching in construction practice

ALEXIS ANNE MCGUFFIN

*

and ESTHER OBONYO

M.E. Rinker Sr School of Building Construction, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

Taylor and Francis

Received 2 March 2009; accepted 3 November 2009

10.1080/01446190903460672

The contemporary practice of coaching in the business world entails engaging accredited professionals to
enhance the performance of employees. A key problem impeding the widespread adoption of coaching is the
lack of empirical research supporting the effectiveness of implemented programmes and the returns on
investment. The benefits of coaching are assessed from the perspective of employees. Data were collected
through a case study of an employee coaching programme within a large, multinational construction company.
The programme had significantly enhanced the employees personal and professional growth and
development. It had also increased their motivation levels and loyalty to the company.

Keywords:

Employee coaching, enhancing performance, motivation, case study, human factors.

Introduction

Given that employee well-being directly impacts on the
long-term prosperity of any organization, forward
thinking business leaders must have a robust strategy
for human resource management (HRM). As Raiden

et al.

(2006) point out, there has been little attention
paid to managing people in construction using emerg-
ing management paradigms. This is paradoxical in this
people-oriented industry (Egan, 1998; Strategic Forum
for Construction, 2002; CITB, 2003). Managing
people is particularly difficult within this industry given
its inherent complexities. For HRM, such construc-
tion-specific complexities include handling (1) frequent
lay-offs and re-hiring of staff to match work load fluc-
tuations; (2) geographical dispersion of projects that
disrupts employees worklife balance; and (3) frequent
reconstitution of teams to fit new project requirements
(Raiden

et al.,

2006).
Employee coaching is a collaborative solution-
focused, results-oriented and systematic process in
which a certified business coach facilitates the
enhancement of performance and life experience
through supporting the targeted persons growth and
development (Grant, 2003; Brumwell and Reynolds,
2006). Such programmes guide individuals toward
increased awareness of how their thoughts and
emotional reactions lead to problematic behaviours in
the workplace (Bluckert, 2005). The use of a certified
coach distinguishes it from mentoring. Employee
coaching must not be confused with training, which
imparts the necessary knowledge and skills required for
performing the job. Unlike employee training, coach-
ing is a continuous process which helps the employees
to overcome the challenges faced by them at work
through investing in their personal growth and devel-
opment (Coutu and Kauffman, 2009; White, 2009).
Companies investing in coaching seek to enhance the
performance of their employees (Sparrow, 2005).
Coaching has been identified as a suitable strategy for
securing high performance during times of economic
lows (Muir, 2009). The evolving trend places more
emphasis on enhancing the performance of employees
rather than on fixing behavioural anomalies.
Despite the existence of some evidence from different
business entities that have benefited from professional
coaching, it is still not a common practice within the
construction industry. Where it does occur in the
construction industry, it predominantly takes the form
of executive coaching. This is not surprising given that
coaching typically involves hiring a third party whose
compensation can vary from $200 to $3500 an hour

*

Author for correspondence. E-mail: alexis.mcguffin@gmail.com
142

McGuffin and Obonyo

(Coutu and Kauffman, 2009). Given this high invest-
ment, the benefits of coaching have to be validated
through empirical research, which, as pointed out by
Muir (2009), Jones

et al.

(2006) and Maynard (2006)
is lacking. The purported benefits of coaching remain
mostly testimonial in nature. For the coaching
phenomenon to become widely accepted, especially
within the construction industry, there is a need for
objective research. In Coutu and Kauffmans (2009)
survey of professional coaches, the field was referred to
as being in adolescence and there was a call for more
research into the effectiveness of coaching programmes.
Many studies that have attempted to evaluate coach-
ing programmes were performed by the coaches them-
selves. This introduces bias to the process. There is a
need to have coaching programmes evaluated objec-
tively by researchers without a vested interest in the
results. This paper presents the findings of an investi-
gation which does just that through a case study of an
employee coaching programme implemented by a large
multinational company. It extends Raiden

et al.

s
(2006) strategies for using the ability, motivation and
opportunity model in team deployment. The objective
of this investigation was to advance their people
performance link through focusing on the impact of a
professional business coach. The next section describes
the key tenets of employee coaching. This is followed
by a discussion on how formally structured employee
coaching programmes can be used to help organiza-
tions, including those in the construction industry,
leverage their human assets for sustained growth and
profitability. This is followed by a description of the
case study method that was adopted in the research and
a summary of the main findings. The paper ends with
a brief discussion which culminates in the conclusion
that construction companies can successfully use
coaching techniques at all levels in an organization to
enhance employee motivation levels thus improving
their productivity and performance at work.

The practice of coaching

Coaching programmes are generally implemented as:
executive coaching, performance coaching, life
coaching or personal coaching programmes. Although
all these approaches share the similar goal of enhancing
performance, they target different audiences thus yield-
ing different outcomes. Programmes focused exclusively
on supporting the top management are commonly
referred to as executive coaching programmes. Perfor-
mance coaching programmes are specifically directed at
finding solutions to challenges in the workplace through
engaging in work-related activities designed to identify
production methods that will achieve an optimal
balance between time and quality (Brumwell and
Reynolds, 2006).
Life and personal coaching programmes are very
similar to mentoring or counselling but use a certified
coach. The idea behind life coaching is that if behav-
ioural improvements are made within individual
employees, their performance and that of the company
as a whole will improve (Perry, 2006). This type of
coaching is similar to personal coaching, a term
commonly used for a one-on-one relationship built to
support individuals as they make choices about their
lives and their work (Thorne, 2001). Unlike perfor-
mance coaching, which focuses on improving perfor-
mance at work, personal and life coaching cover a
broader base and look holistically at the personal needs
of the individuals within the organization. Personal and
life coaches encourage individuals to step outside their
comfort zone and push themselves harder to achieve
identified goals through a mutually defined training
regime. They are typically based on a support and
challenge model which involves questioning, listening,
observing and giving feedback to the individual being
coached. These models are used to identify personal,
business and/or relationship goals, as well as to develop
strategies for achieving these goals.
Any of these different types of employee coaching
programmes can be used successfully as long as they
are tailored to company-specific needs and parameters.
They offer a better way of managing performance than
the traditional means that in many cases are based on
unstructured approaches and left at the discretion of
individual manager (Andersen

et al.,

2006). In many
instances, such piecemeal approaches concentrate on
improving individual aspects and result in changes that,
in the long run, counteract one another. This is consis-
tent with Muirs (1911) position that When we try to
pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to every-
thing else in the Universe (p. 211).

The benefits of coaching

Muir (2009) pointed out that few existing quantitative
evaluations of coaching have demonstrated its effec-
tiveness and bottom-line contribution. There have
been some efforts, however, at evaluating the specific
benefits and return on investment (ROI) that have
been undertaken by companies providing coaching
experiences to their employees.
A two-hour coaching session was offered to attend-
ees of an annual weekend workshop for local govern-
ment lawyers. After this coaching experience, delegates
reported being in a positive and energized mood, with
reduced stress levels, increased motivation and more
clarity in their focus (Perry, 2006). Although there was
Enhancing performance

143

no follow-up investigation of how it affected the
participants activities in the workplace, their initial
responses indicate that they benefited from the coach-
ing experience.
In a quest to improve performance in its online retail
outfit, UKs British Telecommunications (BT) hired a
third-party consulting firm to design and implement an
employee coaching programme. The implemented
programme concentrated on worklife balance for BTs
employees (Brumwell and Reynolds, 2006). Through
enhancing focus on goal achievement, innovation,
confidence and self-assessment within an employee
coaching programme, the company realized significant
improvements in personal and team performance. After
implementing the coaching programme, BT Retail
Online reported an 11.2 % increase in productivity and
capacity across its 12 000 employees. Brumwell and
Reynolds (2006) equated this to US$40 million annual
cost savings.
Booz Allens Center for Performance Excellence
conducted a study aimed at assigning a monetary value
to benefits accruing from their organizations executive
coaching programme. Because of the difficulty in
producing hard numbers for personal productivity
improvement in a service organization such as Booz
Allen, this study focused on determining the ROI for
the employees at the individual level. This was subse-
quently aggregated to estimate overall monetary
savings for the company. Through this process, Parker-
Wilkins (2006) established that executive coaching
yielded close to a 700% ROI for the company. He
acknowledged that several initiatives within the
companys organizations collectively resulted from
these benefits. The effects attributable to coaching
were isolated through asking the participants to esti-
mate (on a percentage basis) how much of what they
had specified as the monetary benefit was attributed to
coaching, and to also state their level of confidence in
their estimates (Parker-Wilkins, 2006). Participants
also reported that coaching had increased their ability
to build, develop and contribute to high performing
teams. In addition, they reported that because of being
more confident, their business relationships had
become less antagonistic.
Employee coaching can be perceived as a means of
supporting managers in their efforts to enhance the
performance of their teams through increasing the skill
set of employees (Chidiac, 2006). Traditional training
methods result in short-term improvements because
they generally lack a strategy of following through to
make sure that the employees remain motivated in the
long term. Broad (2006) established that training
alone, without additional support, results in a low ROI
with very few learners expressing confidence that they
have actually applied what they have learned in their
daily work tasks. Employee coaching can address this
challenge. By focusing on understanding the needs of
the employees from a holistic perspective, employee
coaching provides a mechanism for securing commit-
ment to change and sustaining the momentum in the
long term (Broad, 2006).
An extensive literature search revealed a lack of
empirical research on the efficacy of coaching within
the construction industry. Making a case for employee
coaching programmes based on the experiences of
other sectors could be scoffed at by some conservative
decision makers in the construction industry. A key
contribution to the case for coaching in the construc-
tion industry would be to provide empirical evidence
that people working in this industry assign significant
value to the growth and development that occurs
within the context of employee coaching programmes.

Research design and method

The case study approach was adopted in this research
mirroring the strategy used in many HRM studies. A
case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a
contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context
(Yin, 2003). As Raiden

et al.

(2006) pointed out,
several methodologies have been used successfully in
peopleperformance research ranging from large-scale
surveys to case studies. The case study method was
particularly ideal for the research in this paper
because it was difficult to separate the issue from its
context. There are several different types of employee
coaching programmes that can positively impact on
productivity in the workplace, and the decision on the
approach to be adopted should be made based on the
prevailing culture within the organization in question.
As each organization has a unique culture, it would
have been difficult to obtain relevant data through
sending out mass questionnaires to employees in
different organizations.
The case study method is erroneously presented by
some as a strictly exploratory strategy in which nothing
can be proven; however Yin (1984, 1994, 2003) estab-
lished that using this approach could yield results that
can be generalized. Most of the traditional prejudices
against the case study strategy arise from what Yin
(2003) refers to as a common misconception that the
various research strategies should be arrayed hierarchi-
cally (p. 3). He proposes the viewing of these in an
inclusive and pluralistic manner especially since each
strategy can be used for all three purposes, that is,
exploratory, descriptive or explanatory research.
Management studies and organizational theory rely
heavily upon case studies, particularly where there are
many contextual variables (Schell, 1992). Dul and Hak
144

McGuffin and Obonyo

(2008) described the case study approach as an appro-
priate and sometimes preferable research strategy for
theory testing. Their findings also established that
many propositions can be tested in single cases and that
through subsequent replication studies generalizabil-
ity of the outcomes of the initial tests could be
achieved. The bottom line is that a single case could be
considered acceptable, provided it met the established
research objective.
The aim of this research was to assess the benefits of
employee coaching. Given that it is very difficult to
measure the performance of individuals before and
after coaching (Gimson, 2006), the research focused
on determining the perceived effects of coaching on
employees within the construction industry.
The following seven objectives were defined as the
focal point for the research: (1) measuring the level of
employee enjoyment, learning and personal growth
after attending the programme; (2) measuring the level
of growth from a holistic approach including a
personal, social and professional point of view; (3)
measuring the effectiveness of the programme on
employee productivity; (4) quantifying the degree of
satisfaction with the coaching programme; (5) deter-
mining whether or not attendees felt the programme
should continue; (6) determining whether or not
attending the programme influenced the commitment
to and/or loyalty towards the parent company; and (7)
determining whether or not awareness of the availabil-
ity of the programme affects employee perception of
the company for those that have not attended.
As previously mentioned, a key problem impeding
the widespread adoption of employee coaching is lack
of empirical research. Difficulties in objective assess-
ment of the coaching experience can be expected given
that the entire service is based on trust and confidenti-
ality. Disclosure by the coach is limited by their agree-
ment with each employee making it difficult for an
organization procuring their services to perform an
assessment of the ROI. Coutu and Kauffman (2009)
established that 75% of coaches do not provide quanti-
tative assessment on the impact of the service on busi-
ness performance. The research method adopted here
circumnavigated these limits on disclosure by targeting
the coachees as the main subjects of the research.
Informal dialogues with different industry-based
professionals revealed that employee coaching
programmes have not been widely implemented within
the construction industry. XYZ emerged as an example
of a construction company with an employee coaching
programme. As the value of multiple case studies is
directly dependent on replication, any additional
companies had to mirror the culture within XYZ. The
only other examples found of construction companies
that had implemented coaching programmes had
restricted participation to employees in executive
positions (i.e. executive coaching programmes).
Consequently, it was decided that primary data for the
analysis would be collected using a single case study
approach. Single-case research design is acceptable
when no other cases are available for replication. As
Yin (1994) explained, generalization of results, from
either single or multiple designs, is made to theory and
not to populations. Multiple cases strengthen the
results through replicating the pattern-matching, which
increases confidence in the robustness of the theory.
Company XYZ, being a large, multinational
company, was considered rich in variables. The
subjects targeted in the study were distributed through-
out different parts of the world. XYZs coaching
programme is open to all permanent employees at
different levels of the organizational hierarchy who have
been in employment for at least two years. Employees
can only attend one event during their tenure with the
company. Applications are initially reviewed by project
managers who make recommendations to the employee
coaching programme managers, the final decision
makers.
Six events, with an attendance of 40 to 50 partici-
pants, are held each year in a location in Asia Pacific,
Europe or the Americas. Each event is held over an
extended weekend lasting four days. The event is fully
funded by XYZ; this includes the cost of flying the
participants to the selected host city and covering
accommodation expenses. The coaching programme is
structured around team activities, classroom learning
and one-on-one coaching exercises, which culminate in
sessions focusing on self-examination and introspec-
tion. The coaching activities focus on helping partici-
pants to discover or re-discover their strength, skills
and inner fortitude. They are designed to help employ-
ees realize their full potential in both their professional
and personal lives.
The primary data were collected through a survey
questionnaire that incorporated the seven objectives.
The survey was designed to investigate the impact of
coaching on employees who had attended the
programme, as well as its influence on employees who
had not been part of the experience, but were aware of
the programme and its availability.

Main findings

Eighty-three questionnaires were e-mailed to XYZ
employees through the liaison with the human
resources personnel in their US holding. There was a
response rate of 67.5% (52 questionnaires) which was
considered satisfactory for this research. Twenty-four
respondents were employees who had not participated
Enhancing performance

145

in the coaching programme. The ages of these respon-
dents ranged from 23 to 59. The average age of the
group was approximately 32. They had been in
employment with XYZ from one to nine years. The
groups average employment tenure with the company
was 3.3 years.
Sixty-five per cent of respondents who had not
attended the programme held field-related positions as
project managers, superintendents and project engi-
neers. The rest held office-related positions including
architectural design manager, administrative assistant,
estimator and human resources coordinator. Eight
(33%) of the non-attendees had not met the eligibility
requirements of being in employment with XYZ for a
minimum of two years; the remaining 12 had applied to
attend the programme but were not selected.
The survey attracted 32 responses from employees
who had participated in the coaching programme.
Their ages ranged from 26 to 57, with the average age
of this group approximating 38 years. These respon-
dents had been in employment with XYZ from 5 to 23
years. The average employment tenure was approxi-
mately 10 years. Sixty-six per cent of them held office-
related positions such as CEO, director of training, vice
president of human resources, director of preconstruc-
tion, senior accountant, senior estimator, administra-
tive assistant and human resources generalist. The rest
held field-related positions as project managers and
superintendents. They had attended coaching events
held between 2000 and 2006. The locations of the
events spanned across four continents: Australia
(45.2%), Europe (32.3%), North America (19.4%)
and Asia (3.2%). While the average number of years of
employment with the company before attending the
programme was seven, the majority had attended after
having been employed by XYZ for two to four years.

The non-attendees perception of XYZs
coaching programme

XYZ employees who have not participated in the
coaching programme perceive it as a team-building
experience which also provides an opportunity to meet
and network with peers from around the world. They
described it as a leadership development conference
where XYZ employees can focus on their personal and
professional growth. Non-attendees identified network-
ing with XYZ employees from other countries and
being able to learn from them through exchanging
knowledge as one of the key benefits of the programme.
Other benefits that were cited include enhanced busi-
ness acumen, enhanced personal growth from travel-
ling abroad and visiting new places, and the learning of
new skills in the areas of leadership and teamwork.
Seventy-five per cent of respondents showed a high
level of interest in participating in the programme.
Although 54% of the respondents felt that the existence
of a coaching programme affected their opinion of XYZ
as a good employer, only 37.5% of them stated explic-
itly that this had influenced their decision to remain
with XYZ. All of the non-attendees stated that having
an employee coaching programme made them perceive
XYZ as a people-oriented company that values its
personnel. It can, therefore, be inferred that the exist-
ing employee coaching programme has increased the
companys retention rates. One respondent explained
that the coaching programme had been an instrumental
tool in their recruitment as it demonstrated XYZs
commitment to supporting the growth and develop-
ment of the whole person.

The attendees perception of XYZs coaching
programme

All respondents who had participated in the coaching
programme were asked to rank its effectiveness in terms
of enjoyment, the actual learning that occurred and its
contribution to their personal growth. The results are
displayed in Figure 1. Respondents gave enjoyment the
highest rating followed by personal growth. Learning
was given a more moderate rating.

Figure 1

Measured levels of enjoyment, learning and personal growth after attending the XYZ programme

The attendees were also asked to identify how the
coaching programme had affected the following param-
eters: personal life, health and fitness, family and
home, friendships, social, mental and faith.
There were virtually no negative perceptions expressed
by the respondents. Figure 2 shows that the respon-
dents rated the effects on their personal life and
friendships as moderate to high. Effects on family
and home averaged a moderate rating while health
and fitness was given a neutral rating by participants.

Figure 2

Measured levels of the effects on personal life, health and fitness, family and home, and friendships after attending the XYZ programme

As shown in Figure 3, the coaching programme had
a high impact on the respondents mental disposition.
The coaching programme was described as having a
moderate to high effect on their social lives. Generally
speaking, its effect on the respondents faith can be
described as neutral.

Figure 3

Measured levels of the effects on social, mental and faith related aspects after attending the XYZ programme

The respondents were specifically asked to describe
the effects of the coaching programme on their work
performance using several key words. The effects of the
coaching programme on the more generalized catego-
ries of business and current employment scored a
moderate rating while the financial category scored a
neutral rating. Figure 4 shows the perceived impact the
coaching programme had on more specific work perfor-
mance categories. The coaching programme was
perceived as having the greatest impact on decision
making for the respondents, averaging a moderate to
146

McGuffin and Obonyo

high rating. The next most impacted area of these
descriptors was daily work tasks, which the respon-
dents gave a moderate rating. Organizational skills
and time management were both given a moderate to
neutral level of impact. Of the 32 respondents, 22
(approximately 69%) stated explicitly that the coaching
programme affected their productivity in general.

Figure 4

Measuring levels of the effects on time management, organizational skills, daily work tasks and decision making after attending the XYZ programme

These respondents also cited specific examples of
ways in which their productivity had been positively
affected. The programme had enhanced their business
Figure 1 Measured levels of enjoyment, learning and personal growth after attending the XYZ programme
Figure 2 Measured levels of the effects on personal life, health and fitness, family and home, and friendships after attending
the XYZ programme
Figure 3 Measured levels of the effects on social, mental and faith related aspects after attending the XYZ programme
Enhancing performance

147

relationships, extended their business network and
improved their ability to prioritize their individual goals
while maintaining an accurate view of the big picture.
It strengthened team building and communications
within the organization. The programme encouraged
them to take a more active approach to problem solving
and provided them with a structured approach to
personal assessment which resulted in enhanced
growth and development. It had increased their ability
to focus on goals, motivation and efficiency in time
management.
All the respondents described the coaching
programme as effective. They further added that the
eligibility requirement of two years of employment
ensured that participants were well acquainted with the
company and its culture which enhanced the benefits
derived from the experience. Consensus among partic-
ipants was that XYZ should continue providing the
coaching programme; 41% of the respondents wanted
the programme enhanced. The suggested changes and
the frequency with which they were cited are shown
below:

Increase the length of the programme (13.3%)

Implement a follow-up session to reconnect with
the group and to check on progress (46.7%)

Increase the amount of time for social interaction
between employees (6.7%)

Create a stronger connection between the
content of the programme and the attendees
work assignments (13.3%)

Adjust logistics of the programme, for example,
the choosing of locations for the events (20%).
In total 93.5% of the attendees stated that participating
in the coaching programme had increased their desire
to remain employed by XYZ; 63% of the attendees
cited interaction with XYZ employees from around the
globe as the most important personal benefit. Another
53% cited self-reflection and evaluation as the core
benefit. The following quote from one of the respon-
dents underscores the value that the attendees
assigned to the experience.

It forces the individual to take the time to really step
back and evaluate the choices made in daily life. It helps
you sort through what you really want for your life in
the short term and long term. For me, this was
extremely beneficial because I typically operate at such
a fast pace that I rarely slow down to really think about
life on a higher level. I also found it beneficial to meet
so many other employees from different areas of our
business (from an operational and geographical stand-
point). I still keep in touch with many of my fellow
participants from around the globe.

From the foregoing, it suffices to say that XYZs
employees appreciate their organizations significant
investment in the coaching programme. The findings
of the study also revealed that the investment has paid
off through more satisfied and productive employees.
Through the employee coaching programme, XYZ has
developed a greater understanding of corporate values
among its employees which increases their pride and
confidence in the companys business plan. The
programme has enhanced the employees perception of
XYZ as being an organization with a mature people
culture. XYZ employees believe that they work for a
progressive company with genuine concern for its
employees well-being. From a management perspec-
tive, the employee coaching programme is an invalu-
able tool for managing human factors as it generates a
sense of loyalty within the employees.

Discussion

Because of the highly competitive nature of the
construction market, companies striving for long-term
Figure 4 Measuring levels of the effects on time management, organizational skills, daily work tasks and decision making after
attending the XYZ programme
148

McGuffin and Obonyo

prosperity must continuously develop and enhance
successful methods for managing human factors.
Employee coaching is an example of a suitable strategy
for handling the complex issues inherent in motivating
people in a business setting. The findings presented in
the preceding section are consistent with results of
previous studies in other sectors described in the liter-
ature reviewed for this research. Although employee
coaching programmes require a substantial financial
investment, both the employees and organizations they
work for stand to benefit greatly. Employee coaching
positively impacts on productivity and employee reten-
tion within the construction industry context.
One remarkable aspect of the case study company is
that it opens the opportunity to all employees regardless
of position within the organizational hierarchy. This is
a rare occurrence across all industrial sectors. Given the
high cost of employee coaching programmes, many
organizations that have invested in it usually target high
level managers or executives. By making the programme
available to everyone, the case study company has devel-
oped a strong sense of belonging among its employees
at all levels of the organizational hierarchy.
A general conclusion that can be drawn from the
results of this research is that employee coaching
programmes have a significant and positive effect on
employees commitment to their organization. Interest-
ingly, such sentiments are evident even among XYZs
employees who have not participated in the coaching
events. The employees belief that they will have a
chance to attend the coaching programme at some
point during their career with XYZ has increased their
loyalty to their organization.
Because the participants in the study gave profes-
sional benefits a lower rating than personal ones, it can
be inferred that from an employees perspective, coach-
ing programmes have a stronger impact on the defini-
tion of personal life strategy. Employees make a
stronger connection to the effects of coaching on their
personal growth and development. Although a few
respondents in the research expressed an interest in
being shown things that they could directly apply to
their work assignments, this would be not recom-
mended. The success of coaching programmes gener-
ally predicate on getting participants to disconnect,
albeit temporarily, from their daily work tasks in order
to think about the bigger picture. The majority of the
respondents in this research appreciated the fact that
their programme had not been tailored around work-
related issues. Organizations investing in employee
coaching programmes should address such issues as
part of continuing education through job training and
professional development courses. Employee coaching
programmes should have a separate charter if they are
to focus on embracing the whole person.
The case study companys employee coaching
programme revolved around participation in one event
outside the normal work environment. Although many
participants in this research expressed a desire for
follow-up programmes, having employees attending
such expensive events repeatedly is typically not an
option. A company wishing to continue enjoying the
benefits from having motivated employees will have to
develop a more economical follow-up strategy. This
can take the form of support groups or online forums,
which provide employees with an opportunity to recon-
nect with fellow participants to review what they
learned and the progress being made. These would also
give programme participants a way of maintaining busi-
ness networking relationships established during the
events. The follow-up strategy can also be as simple as
handing out an information packet or workbook to be
completed by past participants at reasonably spaced
intervals.

Conclusion

Presented within this paper are the findings of research
aimed at demonstrating the benefits of coaching
programmes from the employees perspective. These
findings suggest that employee coaching programmes
are beneficial to construction companies seeking to
enhance the way they manage human factors. It is
important to note that the analysis was based on a case
study of a large, multinational company. This notwith-
standing, some generalization on the potential ROI for
any construction company can be inferred especially
since the results reported here are consistent with stud-
ies in other sectors focusing on different types of
companies.
As Perry (2006) pointed out, motivated and satis-
fied employees having less stress and greater focus are
more driven to succeed. They are, therefore, bound to
be more productive in their daily lives. Regrettably,
most construction companies operate on a limited
budget and cannot launch an employee coaching
programme similar to the one deployed by the case
study company. Such companies can experiment with
other variations of coaching programmes that can be
implemented with a smaller budget. Examples include
developing in-house coaching teams through sponsor-
ing selected people to become certified coaches as
part of their continuous professional development.
Such teams can be used to nurture the rest of the
organization.
Future research work will focus on measuring the
productivity levels of employees before and after partic-
ipating in the programme. Examples of variables to be
assessed in this future study include the number of
Enhancing performance

149

hours worked per week in relation to the amount of
work performed, number of sick days taken and the
nature of the interactions with fellow employees, team
members and clients. Measuring these factors will
assist organizations in assigning more accurate returns
on their investments in coaching programmes.

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