Abstract:

This study applies the symbolic-interactionist role theory to investigates into role ambiguity of internal coaches, who hold the dual professional role in the same organisation. Internal coaches are trained coaches and offer formal and confidential coaching conversations to fellow colleagues outside their management chain. Despite of internal coaches’ specialised and crucial ‘second’ role to support the organisational learning and development (L&D) strategy, the research into their navigation of multiple roles and continuing development is scarce. We adopt the multidimensional model of role ambiguity to unpack internal coaches’ paradoxical experiences by interviewing 30 participants across seven countries/regions in three languages (Czech, English, and Mandarin). The findings indicate that internal coaches’ experiences of role uncertainty and incompatibility are fluid and dynamic, shaped by organisational culture, available resources, and uneven power relations. Nevertheless, macro-level organisational practices embody a double-edged dynamic that simultaneously enables internal coaches to proactively reframe and reshape their dual role.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Human Resource Management

Keywords: Organizational behaviour and psychological state;Training and development

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Dr. Yi-Ling Lai