The motivation for this study arose from a cognitive dissonance between my theoretical coaching foundation and my career coaching practice, where I had observed the lines between non-directive and directive coaching support becoming increasingly blurred. This was particularly evident when coaching business school students, challenging the widely accepted belief that effective coaching should strictly adhere to the traditional humanistic, non-directive approach. Career coaching is a relatively new academic discipline with no universally accepted definition. It is a unique form of coaching that incorporates guidance, in contrast to most coaching approaches. If career coaching is to be considered coaching, it must be understood within the broader theoretical coaching literature, which this study explores. I also aimed to understand what occurs during a career coaching session from the coach's perspective and what influences a coach to switch between directive and non-directive support. Using a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach, I conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 career coaches from six different British business schools. CGT provided helpful structure and allowed for the integration of the perspectives of both the research participants and the researcher into the research and discussions. The findings indicate that career coaching is indeed grounded in traditional humanistic coaching principles, albeit with certain caveats due to the integration of career guidance. It can be described as contextual coaching, where the coach brings industry knowledge and expertise to the sessions while acting in the best interest of the client. This study has not produced a generalisable theory, which was never its aim, but it has highlighted some of the prevalent dynamics in career coaching. I have summarised the relevant findings into a Guidance Note for Business Schools – transferable guidelines in line with CGT principles.
The fulltext files of this resource are currently embargoed.Embargo end: 2025-01-27
The full text of these resource are only available to Oxford Brookes staff and students. Please login to RADAR if you are a student or member of staff
Mechlenborg, Tania
Rights Holders: Mechlenborg, Tania Supervisors: Hughes, Sarah
Oxford Brookes Business School
MA Coaching and Mentoring Practice
2024
© Mechlenborg, Tania Published by Oxford Brookes UniversityAll rights reserved