A theory of the coaching process based on the lived experience of coached executives in South Africa
Date
2017
Authors
Cunningham, Natalie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Coaching is a young, growing professional practice with its origins in many older established
fields of knowledge. There is considerable research into what coaches think about their work
and the theories and methods underlining these approaches. However, there is a great deal
less research on how the executives or coaching clients experienced the coaching. This
research answered the questions from the coached executive perspective by first wanting to
know (1) what the lived experience of the coaching executive was; and (2) based on that
lived experience, what theory about the coaching process would emerge. This emerged
theory would be grounded in evidence from the coachee.
A total of 17 clients were involved in the research. While the research had a strong
phenomenological underpinning, the method used was that of constructivist grounded
theory.
There were five key findings with theoretical propositions behind each of the findings. The
findings are: (1) Coaching is a response to an unmet need in an individual who lives in a
volatile, ever changing world with great complexity. Coaching provided a wellness model that
is collaborative, client driven, and adaptable. A primary need in people is to have a sense of
well-being and personal meaning in this world. (2) Even though the coaching is a response
to a need, the coaching client still needs to be ready to be coached. A client readiness
theory with integrated components was developed based on the clients’ lived experience.
The interrelationships based on the client’s perceptions were a new contribution. (3) There
are several processes in coaching but the key focus of the processes is that they are active
and present. The processes also understand the relationship between the ‘being’ and
‘knowing’ of the coach and the ‘doing’ of the coach. The doing covers the active processes
but it is the way in which the coach does these processes (the being) that influences their
efficacy. (4) The coach needs to be authentic, credible and present. (5) Brain integration
leads to deeper self-awareness, well-being and personal meaning. This theory of brain
integration is based in Interpersonal Neurobiology, and the nine domains of integration assist
in providing an overarching framework in which to position the outcomes of coaching.
The contribution was broad in that it looked at all aspects of the coaching process: the
coach, the coachee, the process, the outcomes and the context and provided an integrated
framework.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2017.
Keywords
Citation
Cunningham, Natalie (2017) A theory of the coaching process based on the lived experience of coached executives in South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/23135>