Purpose The demand for leaders to coach their employees is increasing as the benefits become more and more evident. However, little is known about the training managers have received in coaching or what support is available/required from their organizations. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The paper encompassed a survey of 580 managers in Australian organizations with more than 200 employees. The authors used qualitative thematic analysis to examine the extensive free text answers. Findings The findings indicated that while some managers had received some form of training in coaching (30-40 percent, depending on training type), 40 percent of them expressed a desire for introductory and/or further training. The findings suggest that training should be tailored to the managerial context instead of a generic coaching training, with a more structured and coordinated approach to organizational coaching required. Practical implications Organizations could benefit from supporting managers with the following strategies: Why – Organizations need to explain clearly why a coaching leadership style is beneficial. How – Training can come in many forms from workshops to “on-the-job” learning. When – Managers want more insights into when and when not to use a coaching style. What – it should not be assumed that all leaders possess coaching skills but rather those coaching skills need to be acquired and developed. Originality/value This paper offers insight into current training and support structures for “leadership coaching”, and suggests strategies to help managers to implement coaching as a leadership skillset.

It is recognised that existing theories of Consumer Decision Making (CDM) are not well suited for financial services and there have been calls for development of a new conceptual model. This article reviews prominent models of CDM and identifies strengths and limitations. A new conceptual model that is applicable to financial services is developed. An important element of the model is the recognition that the components interact rather than a consumer following a linear progression through a series of stages. The new model better reflects the iterative decision-making process relevant to financial services and enhances marketers' understanding of the process and thus their ability to influence it to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for all. The model has three main components: inputs, processes and outcomes. Inputs include the purchase situation (contextual and environmental variables), consumer characteristics (psychological and social influences) and information sources (marketing mix and interpersonal). Processes include need arousal, information utility, criteria development and evaluation of alternatives. Outcomes include the decision (that may be to abort the purchase), the purchase itself and post-decision evaluation. Further research is required to test the relationships between the variables in different contexts, and thus enable refinement and/or validation of the model. A review of consumer decision-making models and development of a new model for financial services 2 AbstractIt is recognised that existing theories of consumer decision-making are not well suited to financial services and there have been calls for development of a new conceptual model. This paper reviews prominent models of consumer decision-making and identifies strengths and limitations. A new conceptual model that is applicable to financial services is developed. An important element of the model is the recognition that the components interact rather than a consumer following a linear progression through a series of stages. The new model better reflects the iterative decision-making process relevant to financial services and enhances marketers' understanding of the process and thus their ability to influence it to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for all. The model has three main components: Inputs, processes and outcomes. Inputs include the purchase situation (contextual and environmental variables), consumer characteristics (psychological and social influences), and information sources (marketing mix and interpersonal). Processes include need arousal, information utility, criteria development and evaluation of alternatives. Outcomes include the decision (which may be to abort the purchase), the purchase itself, and post-decision evaluation.Further research is required to test the relationships between the variables in different contexts, and thus enable refinement and/or validation of the model.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate psychographic, demographic and situational characteristics of Baby Boomer generation consumers, specifically in relation to their consumption of financial services. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was pre-tested and 776 responses (77.6 per cent response rate) were subjected to correlation and ANOVA analysis. The survey covered a wide range of variables for decision making for financial services, including situational, demographic, and psychographic. Findings: Consumers who scored higher on scales for competitiveness and need for material resources tended to have higher incomes. Mature consumers were likely to face major life events involving their children and parents, but these events were least likely to prompt the use of a financial service adviser. However, some respondents showed a propensity for seeking financial advice in relation to many types of life events. There were also relationships between seeking financial information from certain service providers. Research limitations/implications: The paper's findings assist in building a picture of the psychographic and behavioural tendencies of the largest age cohort. Practical implications: The findings suggest strategies for: cross-selling through referral networks of different financial service providers; communications to increase awareness of the likelihood of financial pressures from aging parents, potentially concurrently with adult children; and lead generation based on the likelihood of having a higher income, seeking financial advice and using financial services. Originality/value: There is a dearth of literature on the consumption behaviour of mature consumers in relation to financial services. Financial services are a major industry in most developed economies and sound financial management is critical for the Baby Boomer cohort. This paper assists in understanding this significant market to facilitate enhanced marketing strategies.

Despite increasingly common references to “coaching cultures,” little empirical research has been conducted to understand the nature of coaching cultures. Our study aims to address this gap with a study of Australian managers. In their responses to open-ended questions, managers gave us insight into their experiences of coaching cultures. The elements needed to create a coaching culture are consistent use of different types of coaching across the organization, a formalized process, provision of appropriate training and resources, the involvement of top management, transparency of benefits, and the alignment with organizational values such as ownership, empowerment, collaboration, and respect. Managers should take a proactive role in the creation of coaching cultures within their organizations, including acting as coaching role models, actively engaging in training themselves, and promoting the benefits of such a culture.

The unexpected rapid change in the workplace revealed one simple truth: Sizeable benefits exist when leaders show inclusive-empathy. Given current developments in the way people work with technology and within society, inclusive-empathy needs to be adapted. How do leaders begin to show inclusive-empathy if this was never the case beforehand? And what tactics can be used to continually display inclusive-empathy in challenging times? A leader needs to understand and reflect upon the patterns and routines that may have quietly manifested at work and the interactions with others that follow on. This is easier said than done, and in practice it is quite a challenge to identify patterns via self-reflection. In this article, we introduce one practical tool that incorporates reflections as well as opportunities for behavior change in order to assist leaders on the journey of increasing inclusive-empathy.