Coaching : Between creating visions and impairing vision
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2010-07-07
Author(s)
Abstract
Work coaching has become a frequently used organizational intervention, but is hardly researched. The rhetorical legitimation of this practice often lies within the heritage of Human Relations' functionalistic logic and its focus on cultivating the happy-performative worker. While positive effects of coaching have been extensively discussed in the practitioner and academic literature, critical reflection of this emerging field is rare. This contribution discusses three blind spots of work coaching in the literature: coaching by prescription, coaching as a deflector of organizational conflicts and coaching's role in intensifying techniques of the self. These considerations, the analysis of illustrative case examples and narrative interviews leads to the consideration of coaching as a disciplinary practice. Furthermore, based on a critical-dialogical position I argue that coaching conversations can also be understood as a reflective practice. In a modest way such conversations may enable spaces for alternative visions which supplement the dominant paradigm. In sum, this paper seeks to deepen the perspective on the political dimension of the use of coaching in organizational settings.
Language
English
Keywords
Coaching
Human Resource Management
Disciplinary Practice
Reflective Space
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Book title
Vision
Publisher
SCOS
Start page
109
Event Title
28th Standing Conference on Organizational Symbolism
Event Location
Lille, France
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
69470