EXECUTIVE COACH SELECTION: DOES PERSONALITY PLAY A ROLE?

Abstract

Little research has been done on the antecedents of Executive Coaching from the perspective of the client. Using an online research platform, this study investigated two potential antecedents to an Executive Coaching engagement: 1) The educational credentials of an Executive Coach and 2) The personality profile of a potential coaching client. Participants either were enrolled in an MBA program, alumni of an MBA program, or working in a managerial role at the time of participation. The HEXACO-PI-R was used to measure the personality profiles of participants (Ashton & Lee, 2009). Educational credentials of a coach were not found to influence the selection of a coach alone, but rather were influenced by the gender of the coach. Various personality factors were found to predict a participant’s ratings and selection of a coach. Limitations, areas for future research, and the implications of the current research are discussed.