Exploring the coaching relationship in health coaching and employment service with long-term unemployed using Repertory Grid Technique

Abstract

Coaching in general and health coaching are increasingly used to change (health-related) behaviour. However, little research exists on the specific impact factors of coaching and especially on what constitutes effective (health) coaching relationships. This research explores in a jobcenter in Germany what contributes to effective (health) coaching relationships in health coaching and employment service coaching. It assesses both the perspectives of the (health) coaches and the (health) coaching clients, who are long-term unemployed people with health restrictions. Specifically, this research investigates how the participants construe effective (health) coaching relationships. Furthermore, it addresses the commonalities and differences in the construction of effective (health) coaching relationships within/between coaches and clients and within/between coaching domains. In addition, it is explored how consistently participants in the different groups evaluate effective (health) coaching relationships. Based on a phenomenological constructivist epistemology, the Repertory Grid Technique is used within a Personal Construct Psychology framework for data collection to elicit latent constructs signifying effective coaching relationships from coaches and coaching clients, as this technique is especially useful for exploring individual and interpersonal aspects of human relationships. Results indicate the effectiveness of Personal Construct Psychology and Repertory Grid Technique for Coaching Psychology research on the coaching relationship. The content analysis identified 27 themes of which 12 were relevant to the development of effective (health) relationships for the total sample. Differential analysis identified themes of particular importance for the different subgroups. Conclusions after structural analysis suggest that these categories represent a ‘pool’ of important factors for effective (health) coaching relationships, from which quite individual constellations of these factors make the (health) coaching relationship effective. The findings theoretically and methodologically contribute to Coaching Psychology. Furthermore, the findings are of utility for coaching practise and can help to create ethical, more effective (health) coaching relationships. The limitations of this study, its implications for further research, and coaching practise are discussed.