Workplace, Executive and Life Coaching
Anthony Grant
Abstract: The use of coaching in order to enhance performance, professional or personal development, psychological and subjective well-being, and general life experience is increasing in popularity. This annotated bibliography draws only on scholarly papers from the behavioural science literature as presented in PsycINFO, Business Source Premier and Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI), and covers the peer-reviewed behavioural science literature on executive, workplace and life coaching. Published peer-reviewed research has significantly escalated since 1995. The first published peer-reviewed paper on coaching was published in 1937. Between 1937 and 1st May 2009 there were a total of 518 published papers. In the 62 years between 1937 and 1999 there were only a total of 93 articles, PhDs and empirical studies published. In contrast, between 2000 and May 2009 there were a total of 425 articles, PhDs and empirical studies published. There have been 156 outcome studies published since 1980; 104 case studies, 36 within-subject studies and 16between-subject studies. Of the 16 between-subject studies, only 12 were randomised studies (see Table 1 in appendix). The knowledge base underpinning coaching appears to be growing at a substantial rate. To further move towards a solid evidence-based approach to coaching, more between subject studies, and particularly randomised outcome studies, are needed.