Coaching vs. Motivational Skills: the Romanian Telecom Industry experience

Abstract

Over the past 25 years, the Romanian telecom industry has experienced rapid growth and has become a major business market in Romania. Today, it can be said that this segment of business and trade has the fastest development in the Romanian economy. This research aims to asses selected issues, basically related to management in general and to leadership in particular. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the motivation field of expertise and coaching skills in the telecommunications business sector through the use of empirical analysis.

The research will focus on how and if leaders make effective use of motivational and coaching skills to enhance employees’ performance in both Rds&Rcs and Vodafone companies; the two major leading companies in telecommunication, mobile and internet market of Romania. Regarding the methodology of the study, quantitative techniques were used, being applied two questionnaires: one for staff and the other for leaders. There were 100 participants from different career status levels in both analysed companies. The main measurable data on the two independent variables were motivation and coaching, as well as the dependent variables of performance and productivity. According to our researches it was confirmed that there is a statistically significant relationship between techniques of motivation and coaching and abilities taken for granted by leaders, and employees’ satisfaction, and therefore particular level of performance both in Vodafone and Rds&Rcs. At the same time, it was proved that motivation practices at work place were either lower or inadequate, this having a major negative impact on employees’ satisfaction and therefore lower level of motivation. The consequences consisted in lower performance and productivity.