Does executive coaching truly lead to meaningful change among managers? Which areas does it primarily influence? And how might these changes contribute to the organization?
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of executive coaching and to examine which outcome domains are influenced most significantly by it. To do so, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 20 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2006 and 2023, involving one-on-one executive coaching interventions delivered by external professional coaches. The studies examined a wide range of outcomes, including behaviors, attitudes, personal characteristics, self-efficacy, resilience, psychological capital, goal attainment, and performance. In addition, the influence of the number of coaching sessions and the duration of the coaching program on the effectiveness of the intervention was examined.
The findings showed that executive coaching had a positive and statistically significant effect on the three main outcome categories examined: behaviors, attitudes, and personal characteristics. The strongest effect was found for behaviors, particularly cognitive-behavioral activities such as planning, developing action strategies, and adopting new behaviors. In addition, positive effects were found for self-efficacy, psychological capital, resilience, and goal attainment. In contrast, the effects on attitudes and personal characteristics were more moderate. It was also found that the number of coaching sessions did not have a significant effect on coaching outcomes, whereas the duration of the coaching program was associated with improvements in attitudes only.
The researchers conclude that executive coaching is an effective tool for promoting personal and professional development within organizations, particularly with regard to behavioral change and goal attainment. However, they emphasize that additional research is needed to examine the mechanisms through which coaching works, the factors influencing its effectiveness, and its impact on additional outcome domains, in order to better understand how, for whom, and under which conditions executive coaching is most effective.
citation:
Nicolau, Andreea, Octav Sorin Candel, Ticu Constantin, and Ad Kleingeld. 2023. “The Effects of Executive Coaching on Behaviors, Attitudes, and Personal Characteristics: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trial Studies.” Frontiers in Psychology 14: 1089797. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1089797