Exploring the potential for coaching as an approach to support Zambian women leaders: a focus on socio-cultural barriers
type: CreativeWork
description: The complexity of “customary cultural traditions” that characterise African women’s family obligations in addition to their work roles creates potential challenges for supporting leadership development, (Nkomo and Ngambi, 2009, p.215). Organisations in the West have embraced coaching as an approach that can facilitate women to progress to senior executive leadership roles. Current coaching studies on women’s executive leaders are marginally increasing and focused on understanding how women can navigate glass ceiling barriers and progress to senior executive levels. By comparison, in non-Western regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, coaching has been introduced but reflects an uneven stage of development and application. There is a perception that African women encounter significant challenges due to influences within the societal environment that impede leadership progression, yet there is limited insight as to how such influences may or may not contribute to navigating glass ceiling barriers in sub-Saharan Africa. In an underdeveloped coaching environment, such contextual perspectives could provide deeper insight into coaching women executive leaders in the region. This study critically appraises coaching literature, including insights from non-Western environments, highlighting the importance of personal experiences and narrative in appreciating socio-cultural factors affecting women leaders in Zambia. A contextual focus is taken to explore the potential role of coaching to support women leaders in Zambia, one of 48 countries in the sub-Saharan region. Country reports on Zambia highlight that women continue to be poorly represented in senior leadership positions. With less than a decade to meet the SDG Agenda 2030 goal on gender equality, more innovative approaches are needed to accelerate women into leadership roles. This research creates a unique opportunity to gain deeper insight into women’s leadership experiences and to explore if and how coaching can play a r…
abstract: The complexity of “customary cultural traditions” that characterise African women’s family obligations in addition to their work roles creates potential challenges for supporting leadership development, (Nkomo and Ngambi, 2009, p.215). Organisations in the West have embraced coaching as an approach that can facilitate women to progress to senior executive leadership roles. Current coaching studies on women’s executive leaders are marginally increasing and focused on understanding how women can navigate glass ceiling barriers and progress to senior executive levels. By comparison, in non-Western regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa, coaching has been introduced but reflects an uneven stage of development and application. There is a perception that African women encounter significant challenges due to influences within the societal environment that impede leadership progression, yet there is limited insight as to how such influences may or may not contribute to navigating glass ceiling barriers in sub-Saharan Africa. In an underdeveloped coaching environment, such contextual perspectives could provide deeper insight into coaching women executive leaders in the region. This study critically appraises coaching literature, including insights from non-Western environments, highlighting the importance of personal experiences and narrative in appreciating socio-cultural factors affecting women leaders in Zambia. A contextual focus is taken to explore the potential role of coaching to support women leaders in Zambia, one of 48 countries in the sub-Saharan region. Country reports on Zambia highlight that women continue to be poorly represented in senior leadership positions. With less than a decade to meet the SDG Agenda 2030 goal on gender equality, more innovative approaches are needed to accelerate women into leadership roles. This research creates a unique opportunity to gain deeper insight into women’s leadership experiences and to explore if and how coaching can play a r…
author: Klenert, Anna Chongo
language: en
date published: 2021
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:42:51Z
provider: Oxford Brookes University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Oxford Brookes University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.24384/chg8-ww55