Abstract
Business coaching is a complex intervention that is constantly evolving to remain
relevant within the world of work. The complexity inherent in business coaching
requires the business coach to navigate significant complexity. In this study the role
transitions of the business coach during the coaching process are explored with the
aim of identifying the dynamics and catalysts of role transitions as well as identifying
strategies adopted by business coaches to navigate the role transitions.
A qualitative methodology was adopted in the execution of this research study,
supported by an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) strategy, which
aimed to explore the lived experience of business coaches as they navigate role
transitions during the business coaching process. Six semi-structured interviews were
conducted, of which five met the criteria for inclusion in the data of business coaches
who had a minimum of ten years’ coaching experience coupled with a post-graduate
qualification in coaching.
The IPA yielded four superordinate themes namely, (i) the roles of the business coach
with two subordinate themes identifying explicit and implicit roles, (ii) role transition
dynamics with seven subordinate themes and three emergent themes (coaching
context, approach, relative complexity of the context, the coach way of being, selfawareness
and experience, the client context process, psychodynamic elements); (iii)
catalysts for role transitions explored five subordinate themes and the final theme of
(iv) navigating role transitions which explored two subordinate themes identifying
strategies of the business coach in action and post action.
The findings propose that the need for role transitions arises from the complexity of
business coaching which, in turn, gives rise to the multiple roles a business coach
adopts and transitions into. Numerous factors that impact on the dynamics of business
coaching are, simultaneously, a contributing factor to the complexity of business
coaching and a result of the complexity of the inherent nature of business coaching.
The relationship amongst these three dimensions is interrelated. These dimensions
inform the nature of role transitions being the context, approach, complexity of the
context, coach attributes and influences, client attributes and influences, the process
iv
and psychodynamic elements operating within the system. The dynamic and complex
relationships amongst these domains, give rise to the need for role transitions.
The study informed the development of a process flow for role transitions of the
business coach and a conceptual framework of the dynamics, catalysts, and strategies
for role transitions which fills a gap in the literature as there is no process or framework
that encapsulates the elements of role transitions of the business coach.