Workplace telephone coaching conversations: a unique institutional practice as revealed through interpretive and empiricist multi-method approaches

Value-forming micro-practices of managerial coaching

“…The findings relate to Lynden and Avery's (2016) study of question formulation, which has here been confirmed to be a key practice of coaching. Conversational 'turn-taking' (Lynden & Avery, 2016) and 'collaboration ' (O'Broin & Palmer, 2010) are also confirmed to be the key mechanism of coaching. However, in the framework suggested here, 'collaboration' is detailed in terms of the practice typology; and it is shown that there is definitely more to it than the self-management and engagement of the coach, aspects which have been the main focus of the coaching literature for years (Day et al, 2008).…”

“…It is not only a matter of having bi-directional utterances back and forth, but also of framing each other's actions. The results illustrate, in a broader sample, how this is grounded in a wider set of practices compared to Lynden and Avery (2016).…”

“…A recent exception to this is Lynden and Avery (2016) who conducted a study of conversation patterns during a very limited sample of telephone coaching, only focusing on specific conversational patterns and speech characteristics, without any visual cues and leaving out important information on the experience of the interactants. This microlevel study revealed how rapport is played out through moment-to-moment turn-taking exchanges, including how coaches use question formulations to encourage clients reflexivityusing changes in pace, volume and prosodybut also how clients engage with silences.…”

Boundary conditions of workplace coaching outcomes

“…Coaching format and outcome criteria. The format of coaching in the context of coaching outcomes is a relatively new area of research (Lynden & Avery, 2016). Historically, coaching has been associated with face-to-face meetings, however research suggests that as many as 94% of coaches worldwide are conducting coaching over the telephone (Newnham-Kanas, Irwin & Morrow, 2011).…”

“…To-date, there is little evidence to indicate the impact of the format of workplace coaching on outcomes, although findings from health coaching and mentoring are mixed, with some indications that face-to-face is superior to telephone (Yan et al , 2011) whilst others have demonstrated that both telephone and internet coaching or mentoring can generate positive impact on outcomes (de Janasz and Godshalk, 2013; Ensher and Murphy, 2010; Kyrgidou and Petridou, 2013). Initial research specifically focused on format of workplace coaching suggests that when compared to face-to-face coaching, telephone or other formats of coaching (such as videophone or internet coaching) are equally as effective (Jones et al , 2016; Lynden and Avery, 2016; McLaughlin, 2013).…”