EXPLORING EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COACHING PRACTICES FOR TALENT IN THAI SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

This empirical study investigated Human Resource Development (HRD) in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand, with a specific focus on coaching practices for talent. Three case-study organisations were identified as ‘critical cases’, due to their having received Thailand’s SME National Award, which identifies SMEs as top-performing organisations. One case was drawn from each of the trading, manufacturing and service sectors. Within the case-study methodology a variety of qualitative methods were employed, which led to rich interview data being drawn from twenty-seven participants. The sample was progressed though purposive sampling by the owner-managers. Each of the three SME owner-managers selected four manager coaches, who they perceived to be ‘talented’, after which the coaches’ subordinate coachees were identified, with these being deemed ‘talented employees’. The fieldwork data was analysed through template analysis. Three major themes emerged from the initial a priori template: the ‘perception of talent’, ‘employee development’ and ‘coaching practices and perspectives’. The results illuminated different practices in coaching for talent, with the approach being strongly influenced by the owner-manager. The owner-manager of Case-study One perceived himself as head of an organisational ‘family’, with his Buddhist beliefs providing the guiding principles that underpinned HRD practices and activities. In Case-study Two the owner-manager’s personal faith system was Protestant-Christian, which aligned with employees being perceived as a vital to organisational success and hence worthy of investment and development. Case-study Three’s owner-manager was equally ready to invest in employees and, through a dedicated HRD department, established HR systems and HRD projects. Thus, in all three case studies, the owner-manager’s individual philosophy played a vital role in allocating resources in support of HRD initiatives and determining how talent should be coached. Informal coaching for talent included on-the-job support, with managers functioning as coaches and internal training. Subsequently, some coachees cascaded their learning to an inter-employee level, which resulted in a further sharing of talent. Further, within the tight-knit work relationships, a deep desire existed for all to support and value each other, with ‘friendly coaching’ emerging as a key concept. The current study makes a valuable theoretical contribution to HRD theory by integrating and analysing the elements of coaching for talent within the SME environment of Thailand. The study draws together the conceptual elements in a unique framework of ‘Circles of coaching practice for talent’, which can also stimulate discussions on organisational practice, thus adding value to individuals and the SME organisations themselves. An important finding refers the extent to which an owner-manager’s personal characteristics can influence the support and effectiveness of organisational learning and development, which makes a contribution to both theory and practice