The Coach-Coachee Relationship in Executive Coaching: A Field Study

Numerous authors have suggested that the working relationship between coach and coachee constitutes an essential condition to the success of executive coaching. This study empirically investigated the links between the coach-coachee relationship and the success of a coaching intervention in an organizational setting. Data were collected from two samples: 73 managers who received executive coaching for a period of eight months and 24 coaches. Results from 31 coach-coachee dyads were analyzed. Results indicate that the coach-coachee relationship plays a mediating role between the coaching received and development of the coachees' self-efficacy. Findings also show four significant correlates to the coach-coachee relationship: the coach's self-efficacy with regard to facilitating learning and results, the coachee's motivation to transfer, his or her perception of supervisor support, and the number of coaching sessions received.