Identity construction in coaching: Schemas, information processing, and goal commitment.

Abstract

Leadership coaching is a nearly $2 billion per year industry (International Coach Federation, 2012), and although many different theories and approaches to coaching exist, relatively little is known about the differential effectiveness of various coaching approaches. Grounded in theories germane to but that transcend coaching (e.g., social identity, information processing), this study explores the ways in which several factors influence a very proximal outcome of coaching-commitment to set goals. It was hypothesized that coaches can intentionally help their coachees attain a more helpful coaching schema; additionally, it was hypothesized that this schema influences information processing during the session, which in turn affects goal commitment. A laboratory study was conducted in which trained research associates conducted a 1-session coaching session with undergraduate students focused on improving conflict management skills. Key findings highlight the importance of the coaching schema for directing information processing and eliciting higher levels of goal commitment in coaching.

Translation and Adoption: Exploring Vocabulary Work in Expert-Layperson Encounters

“…This holds especially for burglary prevention advisees who may be victims or potential victims of crime and experience resignation or fear. However, people attending to an encounter with a doctor or a teacher can also benefit from enhanced understanding during the encounter and when implementing the elaborated action plan (Frymier and Houser, 2000;Swindell et al, 2010;Coultas and Salas, 2015). While essential differences exist among the domains in which expert-layperson di-alogue occurs and there might be individual or regional variance, all expert-layperson settings bear the wish to reduce asymmetry between the involved actors (Clark and Wilkes-Gibbs, 1986;Isaacs and Clark, 1987;Ten Have, 1991).…”