Abstract
The demand for business coaching has grown significantly over the past 50 years (Cavanagh, 2005; Maxwell, 2009; Williams, 2012). This growth has been complemented by an increasing body of knowledge on business coaching (Grant, 2004). However, since business coaching is an emerging field, there are still numerous questions about the demarcation of business coaching within the wider field of psychology (Lance & Corrie, 2009). These blurred boundaries cause business coaches to sometimes transgress into the field of therapeutic intervention without the skill to do so. This study explored the nature of business coaching in comparison with therapeutic interventions based on the existing literature to deepen our understanding of the boundaries between business coaching and therapeutic interventions. To this end, a systematic and comprehensive literature review was conducted following the PRISMA-P method.
The literature review revealed themes that provide insight into the boundaries between business coaching and therapeutic interventions. These themes indicate the building blocks of the two respective professions and map the boundaries between them (Gebhardt, 2016; Grant, 2004; Griffiths, 2008; Lane & Corrie, 2009). Themes include theoretical grounding, structural components, regulation, training and skills, the scope of practice, temporal focus, ethics, duration, and fees (Gebhardt, 2016; Grant, 2004; Griffiths, 2008; Lane & Corrie, 2009).
There was significant overlap between a number of the themes. This overlap means that literature on therapeutic interventions can provide a basis from which to build the practice of business coaching (Cavanagh, 2005; Maxwell, 2009; Williams, 2012). The literature on therapeutic interventions lends strength to business coaching by providing a legacy of theoretical grounding. It offers theories and models and guidance on the effective management of skills, knowledge and experience within the profession. This base has meant that business coaching could to some extent in practice establish a separate identity (Cavanagh, 2005; Maxwell, 2009; Williams, 2012). Literature indicates a unique and innovative supervision environment, different role players and structures, appropriate and dissimilar temporal focus and negotiated fee structures (Maxwell, 2009, Williams, 2012).
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A better understanding of the boundaries between these professions can help practitioners understand their mandate and contribution within their respective fields.