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The effectiveness of workplace coaching: a meta-analysis of contemporary psychologically informed coaching approaches

The effectiveness of workplace coaching: a meta-analysis of contemporary psychologically informed coaching approaches
The effectiveness of workplace coaching: a meta-analysis of contemporary psychologically informed coaching approaches
Purpose
The authors examine psychologically informed coaching approaches for evidence-based work-applied management through a meta-analysis. This analysis synthesized previous empirical coaching research evidence on cognitive behavioral and positive psychology frameworks regarding a range of workplace outcomes, including learning, performance and psychological well-being.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors undertook a systematic literature search to identify primary studies (k = 20, n = 957), then conducted a meta-analysis with robust variance estimates (RVEs) to test the overall effect size and the effects of each moderator.

Findings
The results confirm that psychologically informed coaching approaches facilitated effective work-related outcomes, particularly on goal attainment (g = 1.29) and self-efficacy (g = 0.59). Besides, these identified coaching frameworks generated a greater impact on objective work performance rated by others (e.g. 360 feedback) than on coachees' self-reported performance. Moreover, a cognitive behavioral-oriented coaching process stimulated individuals' internal self-regulation and awareness to promote work satisfaction and facilitated sustainable changes. Yet, there was no statistically significant difference between popular and commonly used coaching approaches. Instead, an integrative coaching approach that combines different frameworks facilitated better outcomes (g = 0.71), including coachees' psychological well-being.

Practical implications
Effective coaching activities should integrate cognitive coping (e.g. combining cognitive behavioral and solution-focused technique), positive individual traits (i.e. strength-based approach) and contextual factors for an integrative approach to address the full range of coachees' values, motivators and organizational resources for yielding positive outcomes.

Originality/value
Building on previous meta-analyses and reviews of coaching, this synthesis offers a new insight into effective mechanisms to facilitate desired coaching results. Frameworks grounded in psychotherapy and positive appear most prominent in the literature, yet an integrative approach appears most effective.
Wang, Qing
064c8347-5758-4d8c-be5e-c710707c6061
Lai, Yi-Ling
68180d86-8865-4c85-8045-e0086d4cd476
Xu, Xiaobo
9c4a3ab1-8ef4-4f22-b776-0aae035ccfda
McDowall, Almuth
d65a8ece-3082-4304-81b5-5d3f403d7e50
Wang, Qing
064c8347-5758-4d8c-be5e-c710707c6061
Lai, Yi-Ling
68180d86-8865-4c85-8045-e0086d4cd476
Xu, Xiaobo
9c4a3ab1-8ef4-4f22-b776-0aae035ccfda
McDowall, Almuth
d65a8ece-3082-4304-81b5-5d3f403d7e50

Wang, Qing, Lai, Yi-Ling, Xu, Xiaobo and McDowall, Almuth (2022) The effectiveness of workplace coaching: a meta-analysis of contemporary psychologically informed coaching approaches. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 14 (1). (doi:10.1108/JWAM-04-2021-0030).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Purpose
The authors examine psychologically informed coaching approaches for evidence-based work-applied management through a meta-analysis. This analysis synthesized previous empirical coaching research evidence on cognitive behavioral and positive psychology frameworks regarding a range of workplace outcomes, including learning, performance and psychological well-being.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors undertook a systematic literature search to identify primary studies (k = 20, n = 957), then conducted a meta-analysis with robust variance estimates (RVEs) to test the overall effect size and the effects of each moderator.

Findings
The results confirm that psychologically informed coaching approaches facilitated effective work-related outcomes, particularly on goal attainment (g = 1.29) and self-efficacy (g = 0.59). Besides, these identified coaching frameworks generated a greater impact on objective work performance rated by others (e.g. 360 feedback) than on coachees' self-reported performance. Moreover, a cognitive behavioral-oriented coaching process stimulated individuals' internal self-regulation and awareness to promote work satisfaction and facilitated sustainable changes. Yet, there was no statistically significant difference between popular and commonly used coaching approaches. Instead, an integrative coaching approach that combines different frameworks facilitated better outcomes (g = 0.71), including coachees' psychological well-being.

Practical implications
Effective coaching activities should integrate cognitive coping (e.g. combining cognitive behavioral and solution-focused technique), positive individual traits (i.e. strength-based approach) and contextual factors for an integrative approach to address the full range of coachees' values, motivators and organizational resources for yielding positive outcomes.

Originality/value
Building on previous meta-analyses and reviews of coaching, this synthesis offers a new insight into effective mechanisms to facilitate desired coaching results. Frameworks grounded in psychotherapy and positive appear most prominent in the literature, yet an integrative approach appears most effective.

Text
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 28 April 2021
Published date: 5 April 2022

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 476868
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476868
PURE UUID: 965ce82f-13ac-49fe-af44-1bef7e0f5912
ORCID for Yi-Ling Lai: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2161-6686

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 May 2023 16:41
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:19

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Contributors

Author: Qing Wang
Author: Yi-Ling Lai ORCID iD
Author: Xiaobo Xu
Author: Almuth McDowall

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