References and Academic Reading Guide for Coaching

Executive Coaching: A Review and Agenda for Future Research (Feldman & Lankau, 2005)

High feedback orientation and emotional intelligence, respectively influence the extent to which a client is able to benefit from a professional coaching relationship. The authors suggest that in research, sample demographics (e.g. executive level) should determine the outcomes tested for more robust research. They believe that client ownership of the process (client had some choice in participating in the process and a level of control over the process) is critical for success.

Managerial Coaching: A Review of the Empirical Literature and Development of a Model to Guide Future Practice (Beattie, Kim & Hagen, 2014)

The current literature review aimed to extend on research surrounding the benefits of organisational managerial coaching, and if so, how practitioners should approach coaching within their organisational setting. Key findings of this review supported the efficacy of managerial coaching with hierarchical coaching by line managers presenting as the second most effective form of learning. It was suggested that skills for managers that facilitate behaviours within their coaching relationships include creating a learning environment, caring and supporting staff, providing feedback, communicating, and providing resource including other people. Overall, a significant positive relationship between team leader’s coaching expertise and team learning outcomes was found, and as such it is critical to recruit and select team leaders who are capable of exhibiting managerial coaching practices. E-learning combined with face-to-face learning interventions was found to be the most effective in setting employee skill development in motion.
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Theeboom, T., Beersma, B., & van Vianen, A. E. (2014). Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 1-18.

Coaching is considered to be an effective tool for improving the functioning of individuals in organizations. Research suggests that it has significant positive effects on performance and skills, well-being, coping, work attitudes, and goal-directed self-regulation in the workplace.

Sonesh, S. C., Coultas, C. W., Lacerenza, C. N., Marlow, S. L., Benishek, L. E., & Salas, E. (2015). The power of coaching: a meta-analytic investigation. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 8(2), 73-95.

One on one coaching has been found to create strong relationship outcomes with the coachee. Further, the goal-oriented outcomes of coaching have been shown to have a strong effect on the workplace behaviour change rather then attitude change. Findings suggest that coaching has stronger effects on eliciting relationship outcomes with the coachee than goal-attainment outcomes. Moreover, of the goal-attainment outcomes, coaching has the strongest effect on behavioural changes as opposed to attitudinal changes.

Athanasopoulou, A., & Dopson, S. (2018). A systematic review of executive coaching outcomes: Is it the journey or the destination that matters the most?. The Leadership Quarterly, 29(1), 70-88.

This review found that executive coaching not only benefits the coachee on an individual level, but also positively impacts those around the coachee and improves organisational-level outcomes. Specific positive outcomes for coachees include reduced stress/anxiety, better time management skills, and improved cross-functional relationship building. They were also perceived as a more effective leader post-coaching with better management, team-building, agenda-setting, and communication skills. The organisation also benefits from increased employee satisfaction, productivity, and leadership effectiveness.
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Bozer, G., & Jones, R. J. (2018). Understanding the factors that determine workplace coaching effectiveness: A systematic literature review. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology27(3), 342-361.

The effectiveness of workplace coaching is determined by several factors including, a persons level of self-efficacy, the level of motivation to be coached, how goal oriented the session is, the trust within coaching outcomes, interpersonal attraction, the feedback interventions and supervisory support.

A critical review of executive coaching research: A decade of progress and what’s to come (Passmore & Fillery-Travis, 2011).

DOI: 10.1080/17521882.2011.596484
This review summarised the current state of coaching research, exploring the nature of coaching, coach behaviour studies, client behaviour studies, relationship studies and executive coaching impact studies. From this review, critical areas of research highlighted that e-learning combined with face-to-face learning interventions are shown to be the most effective in employee development. Furthermore, this flexible multi-modal learning results in increased employee engagement with their daily roles, whilst generating an ROI. Through appreciation and awareness of organisational culture and communication with an experienced coach, significant behavioural changes are often experienced within the workplace, ensuring successful outcomes.

Executive Coaching: An Outcome Study (Wasylyshyn, 2003).

DOI: 10.1037/1061-4087.55.2.94
This outcome study explored factors surrounding the selection of a coach, employee's reactions to working with a coach, benefits and downfalls of the choice between internal and external coaches, the indications of successful coaching, favoured coaching tools and the sustainability of learning and behavioural change through coaching. Key outcomes from this study included: (1) psychologist with doctoral degrees and/or experienced in business/general management guided by strong professional ethical principles are perceived as effective coaches; (2) data and personal insight are of foremost consideration to executives, therefore, psychometric tools which psychologists substantially increase data-gathering capabilities; (3) the key indications of successful coaching include behaviour change and learning; (4) high sustainability of learning and behavioural changes are likely to come from successful coaching, as indicated by a psychological based model including high levels of scrutiny of the appropriateness of coaching conducted.

Executive coaching: A comprehensive review of the literature (Kampa-Kokesch and Anderston, 2001)

This article reviewed the existing literature on executive coaching. Although the current literature provides some evidence for its effectiveness in improving performance and potential to facilitate change, a few concerns were raised. Specifically, there is no widely accepted definition of executive coaching or its standard of practice. The authors believe that more needs to be known about the processes of executive coaching, how its processes reach the desired outcomes, and how it should differ between different demographics. It also suggests that more rigorous research is necessary to make any conclusions.

Examining the impact of managerial coaching on employee job performance: Mediating role of work engagement, leader-member-exchange quality, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions (Muhammad et al., 2018)

Managerial coaching has become a popular HR and organisational developmental tool to improve employees’ attitudes and behaviour in the workplace. This study found that managerial coaching was effective in improving employee job performance. Not only that, but managerial coaching also indirectly affects job performance through (a) work engagement, (b) leader-member-exchange quality, (c) job satisfaction, and (d) turnover intentions.
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The coaching scorecard: A holistic approach to evaluating the benefits of business coaching. (Leedham, 2005)*

Leedham proposes a pyramidal model to holistically evaluate executive coaching. Quality of executive coaching is dependent on the four foundation factors: (a) Coaching process; (b) Personal attributes of the coach; (c) Skills of the coach, and; (d) The coaching environment.

These foundation factors impact inner personal benefits of the coachee: (a) Clarity and focus (b) Confidence, and; (c) Motivation. Realising these inner benefits will facilitate realisation of the following outer personal benefits: (a) Enhanced skills; (b) Knowledge and understanding, and; (c) Improved behaviours. By moving up the pyramid with strong foundation factors, enhanced skills, and improved behaviour, this will enable the executive to achieve ideal business results.

*Note: This was cited in another study that has been included into the Coaching Platform notes. (Evaluating the effectiveness of executive coaching: beyond ROI?)
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GROW Model

Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership (John Whitmore)
https://www.performanceconsultants.com/grow-model
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_89.htm

The GROW model is a leadership tool that focuses on four steps in the acronym: 

•  Goal: What do you want? [Goals and aspirations]
•  Reality: Where are you now? [Current situation and obstacles faced]
•  Options: What could you do? [Possibilities, strengths and resources]
•  Will: What will you do? [Actions and accountability]

The GROW model aims for individuals to not only set SMART goals, but for the goals to be inspiring and challenging. Individuals can move between stages and revisit goals if necessary - one does not have to strictly go through these stages in sequence. In application, the GROW model assumes the coach takes on the role as a facilitator; the coach is only helping the coachee navigate their journey and options available. 

Also Whitmore, John (2009a) [1992]. Coaching for performance: GROWing human potential and purpose: the principles and practice of coaching and leadership. People skills for professionals (4th ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey. ISBN 9781857885354. OCLC 314840903. The 5th edition was published in 2017: ISBN 9781473658127. OCLC 1004819121.

The Brave New World of Executive Coaching

Executive coaching often involves helping executives in organisations address any crucial managerial weaknesses and help them grow to higher levels of health and functioning. Skills that executive coaching can help refine and grow include (but are not limited to) (a) building trust in relationships, (b) improving listening skills, (c) strengthening delegation skills, and (d) improving technical skills.
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Executive Coaching for Leadership Development: Five Questions to Guide Your Program Design

Coaching helps build stronger leaders by developing self-awareness and encouraging changes in behaviour. Executive coaching helps leaders identify their goals and navigate any challenges which impede progress towards goal achievement. To guide coaching to the right direction, one must consider the following points: (a) what is currently working well in an organisation that can be built on, (b) any recurring obstacles and challenges that affect the organisation’s effectiveness, (c) what needs to be achieved in the short-term, (d) what is needed of the team leaders, and (e) any obstacles the leaders are facing.
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The Effects of Managerial Coaching Behaviours on The Employees’ Perception Of Job Satisfaction, Organisational Commitment, And Job Performance: Case Study On Insurance Industry In Turkey (Kalkavan & Katrinli, 2014)

DOI: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.129
This study examined the effects of managerial coaching on role clarity, job satisfaction, and other job-related aspects of a coachee. Individuals who underwent coaching have a higher degree of (a) role-clarity, (b) job satisfaction, (c) work performance, (d) career commitment and (e) organisational commitment. Employees who had a clearer understanding of their work responsibilities (.i.e. role-clarity) performed better at work and were more committed to their careers and organisation. Furthermore, satisfaction with work also positively impacts career and organisational commitment, which in turn improves job performance. 

A Multipurpose Goal Model for Personalised Digital Coaching (Baskar et al., 2017)

The aim of this research was to extend the motivational model implemented in assistive technology, into a multipurpose motivational model to provide support for an individual, which can in turn be extended into a multipurpose motivational goal model for a team of assistive agents. Key findings from this researched revealed that users are often able to handle conflicting goals and motives through the use of personalisation of support provided through assistive technology. Furthermore, that multipurpose coaching and leadership development styles allows transferable skills to be explored in many facets of the corporate environment.
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Is executive coaching more effective than other management training and development methods? (Rekalde et al., 2017)

DOI: 10.1108/MD-10-2016-0688
The purpose of this paper was to explore the role that executive coaching can have on management competency training and development strategy, when compared to other development and training methods. Findings suggested that executive coaching is an effective management training and development method, presenting as more effective than the other techniques observed in terms of observable and sustained management behaviour changes.

Focusing on the Human Element: Effective Coaching in the Digital Age (Nash, 2020)

This study explored the impact of relational climate on the coaching relationship quality. Findings suggested that relational climate has a significant positive impact on coaching relationship quality, leading to effectiveness amongst executive leadership. This paper suggests that in order to obtain an effective coaching relationship, there should be a shared vision between the coach and client, ensuring positive energy and compassion.
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Business impact of executive coaching: Demonstrating monetary value (Parker-Wilkins, 2006)

The purpose of this paper was to provide an understanding of the business impact that executive coaching can have, enhancing the utilisation of coaching throughout a business. Findings of the paper found that coaching produced intangible and monetary benefits for seven out of eight business impact areas; and ROI of $3,268,325 (689 percent). These business impact areas included: (1) improved teamwork; (2) Team member satisfaction; (3) Increased retention; (4) Increased productivity; (5) Increased quality of consulting; (6) Accelerated promotions; (7) Increased client satisfaction.
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Peters, J., & Carr, C. (2013). Team effectiveness and team coaching literature review, Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 6:2, 116-136, DOI: 10.1080/17521882.2013.798669

DOI: 10.1080/17521882.2013.798669

This literature review summarised team coaching literature to inform team coaching practice. Key topics for effective coaching included communication, decision making and conflict. A key condition for effective team coaching was identified as providing coaching to leaders on team design and structure. Furthermore, benefits were found through individual coaching, peer coaching and team off-site coaching. Results demonstrated interpersonal and communication benefits from team coaching with overall improvements in team performance.

Media selection in executive coaching: A qualitative study (Charbonneau, 2003)

This study explored experiences of coaching through media selection via face-to-face, telephone, email and video conferencing. Results of this study did not support the social presence theory, but rather that the process of media selection and the degree of presence of media in coaching appear to be socially constructed phenomena embedded in relational, behavioural and contextual variables. The paper suggested that virtual coaching could deliver positive results and that the process of virtual coaching allows for the maintenance of strong coach-client relationships.

The impact of executive coaching on self-efficacy related to management soft-skills (Baron & Morin, 2010)

The purpose of this study was to investigate how executive coaching assists in self-efficacy, specifically in regard to supervisory coaching behaviours. Results demonstrated that an employee's number of coaching sessions was significantly and positively related to post-training self-efficacy. Furthermore, it was suggested that utility judgement, affective organisational commitment, and work-environment each were positively related to post-training self-efficacy. Final conclusions drawn from this paper surrounded companies wishing to improve its return on investment through coaching should implement multiple coaching sessions over a period of several months. Moreover, coaching should take into account both individual and situational variables specific to the organisation and employees receiving coaching.
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Grant, A.M. (2013). The Efficacy of Executive Coaching in Times of Organisational Change. Journal of Change Management, 14(2), pp.258–280

This within-subject study explored the impact of executive coaching during periods of organisational change, whilst monitoring the psychological and behavioural skills needed for executives to achieve work related goals during these periods. Findings of this study revealed coaching was associated with increased goal attainment, enhanced solution-focussed thinking, increased ability for change management, increased leadership self-efficacy and resilience, as well as decreases in depressive levels observed. It was also found that coaching’s positive impact extended to non-work domains such as at home family life.
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Grant, A. M ., Passmore, J., Cavanagh, M. J., & Parker, H. M . (2010). The state of play in coaching today: A comprehensive review of the field. In G. P. Hodgkinson & J. K. Ford (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology: Vol. 25. International review of industrial and organizational psychology 2010 (p. 125–167). Wiley Blackwell.

In the US, 93% of US-based Global 100 companies use executive coaches (Bono et al., 2009). In the UK 88% of organizations use coaching (Jarvis, Lane, and Fillery-Travis, 2005). 
In Australia 64% of business leaders and 72% of senior managers report using coaches (Leadership Management Australia, 2006). 71% of these Australians stated that having a coach was an important factor in their decision to stay with their organizations.
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Case Study on the Return on Investment of Executive Coaching (Anderson, 2001)

A Fortune 500 firm launched an innovative leadership and development effort which included group mentoring, individual assessments and development planning, a leadership workshop and work on strategic business projects. Coaching was of foremost consideration in this approach to leadership development, enabling coachees to work individually with coaches to develop specific leadership competencies. The findings at a snapshot revealed that coaching produced a 529% return on investment with significant intangible benefits for the business. Employee satisfaction was found to increase by 53%, customer satisfaction also by 53%, work output by 30% and work quality by 40%. Furthermore, financial benefits from employee retention boosted the overall ROI to 788%.
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Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A., & Guillaume, Y. R. (2016). The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta‐analysis of learning and performance outcomes from coaching. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(2), 249-277

Coaching demonstrated positive effects for affective, skill-based, and individual-results outcomes. In other words, coaching increased workers’ self-efficacy and satisfaction; leadership and technical skills; and goal achievement and productivity.

de Haan, E. (2019). A systematic review of qualitative studies in workplace and executive coaching: The emergence of a body of research. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 71(4), 227

An experienced coach can attain trust, acceptance and commitment of coachees, allowing for a range of benefits. Coaches with a deeper level of psychological understanding can offer new insights and help coachees to improve their achievement in tasks and goals.

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