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Towards a model of coaching transfer: Operationalising coaching success and the facilitators and barriers to transfer

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Objectives: Executive coaching has become a respected learning and development strategy. Coaching outcomes and the conditions required for coachees to implement and sustain their development in the workplace have yet to be fully understood. These deficits impede coaching evaluation. The present study sought to operationalise a successful coaching outcome, and to propose and verify a model of coaching transfer. Design: Two sub-studies were conducted. Study 1 used a descriptive qualitative approach to explore coachees’, coaches’ and organisational stakeholders’ perceptions of a successful coaching outcome and the facilitators and barriers to transfer. Study 2 surveyed coachees using a self-report questionnaire developed from the results of Study one to explore possible relationships between transfer and coachee motivation, work environment psychosocial factors and situational factors. Methods: Study 1: 25 coachees, nine coaches and five organisational stakeholders each participated in an hour-long, semi-structured interview. Study 2: 110 participants completed the online coaching transfer questionnaire. Results: Qualitative analyses revealed coachees, coaches and organisational stakeholders believed coaching outcomes comprised intra-personal development, personal and performance outcomes. Coaching transfer comprised two stages: application, and generalisation and maintenance. Correlational analyses of questionnaire data (N=110) suggested transfer depends on interactions between the nature of the coaching output, the stage of transfer, and the type of development sought via coaching. Conclusions: Although exploratory, this study provided some understanding of the influence of the factors which impact on coaching transfer. The findings indicate there is value in coaching research examining the complex interplay of factors beyond the coachee-coach relationship.
... Specific knowledge is referred to: (a) knowledge in the professional domain, such as knowledge in sports science, knowledge of the sport, and knowledge of pedagogy, (b) knowledge in the interpersonal domain, which concerns communication knowledge, and (c) knowledge in the intrapersonal area, such as self-awareness and reflection (Gilbert & Côté, 2013;Neelis, Faucett, & Thompson, 2020). Knowledge in these three areas is considered required for every coaching position, in a blend that differs according to the coaching domain and the level of the coaching position while the way this knowledge is used relates to success in coaching (Côté & Gilbert, 2009;Stewart et al. 2020). Effective coaching requires also qualities, skills, and characteristics of the coach that ensure the successful accomplishment of duties in every coaching domain. ...
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The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validation of a scale designed to identify the evaluation and selection criteria of 585 coaches selected to work in 237 amateur sports clubs in Attica, Greece. The development of the scale was based on the job analysis of coaching and the review of the evaluation of coaching performance. The criterion of KMO (.934) and Bartlett’s test of Sphericity test (13338.366, df 406, p < .00001) confirmed that the requirements for factor analysis were met. EFA revealed a scale of 29 items and identified six (6) factors interpreting the 73.396% of the overall variance: (1) results of coaching on athletes, (2) personal achievements of the coach, (3) design and implementation of coaching (4) competition management (5) psychological support of the athletes and (6) commitment to the club. CFA was used to test the accuracy of the construct revealed by EFA. The findings of this study support the factorial structure of the scale and its psychometric qualities in a Greek sample suggesting that the scale is valid for identifying the evaluation and selection criteria employed from amateur sports clubs to select their coaches.
... Stakeholder contracting is viewed as a crucial component of successful coaching at work by the vast majority of coaches and organisations that use coaching (Turner & Hawkins, 2016). It has shown that organisations play a considerable, if occasional, role in determining coaching outcomes and evaluating outcomes (Stewart et al, 2008, Rogers, 2008, Passmore & Fillery-Travis, 2011. The phases of contracting should consider how the company, the individual, supervision and submission for credentialing fit into it. ...
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This paper presents the results from a global coach survey of 1266 coaches from 79 nations conducted in Summer 2021, when the world emerged from global lockdowns and the 18-month COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to sharing data on the composition of the global coach community (national residence, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability), this study focuses on the impact of the global pandemic on the coaching industry using a quantitative analysis. The findings indicate that age, platform association, pre-pandemic online coaching experiences and average fee were significant predictors of the total impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coaches. Those least able to adjust and transition to an online environment, or with the least experience working online, reported the greatest detrimental impact. Moreover, the data confirm coaching’s transition towards online delivery, with the pandemic accelerating this process to a point where we believe that this trajectory will continue post-pandemic. To enable the success of this shift, coach supervisors, peer support and professional coach training need to recognise the need for this digital transition and adjust training, support and practices to reflect this new reality.
... The influence of technology in the field of gambling innovation continues to grow at a rapid pace (Schwartz, 2006). Public and commercial use of the Internet began in early 1990s and soon became apparent that it could also be a medium used for gambling (Palmer, 2014) and necessitated coaching (Stewart, Palmer, Wilkin, & Kerrin, 2008). Internet gambling refers to the range of wagering and gaming activities offered through Internet-enabled devices, including computers, mobile and smart phones, tablets, and digital television sets. ...
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Zusammenfassung In einer quantitativen Studie wurde das Image von Coaching im Kontext kommunaler Verwaltungen in Nordrhein-Westfalen untersucht. Der Autor verwendet dazu das mehrdimensionale Imagekonstrukt aus der Marken- und Konsumforschung und überträgt dieses auf das Beratungsformat Coaching. Neben der Sichtweise der Führungskräfte werden Zusammenhänge mit dem Transferklima und strategischer Personalentwicklung aufgezeigt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein insgesamt positives Image von Coaching in der Kommunalverwaltung. Des Weiteren betonen sie die Relevanz eines positiven Transferklimas und den Anteil des Images am positiv bewerteten Coachingtransfer. Zusammenhänge strategischer Personalentwicklung mit dem Image konnten für Teilaspekte nachgewiesen werden.
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