Executive coaching: Do home assignments, role-playing and positive feedback improve leadership performance?

Abstract

This study aimed to examine whether home assignments, roleplayingand positive feedback in e xecutive coaching improve leadership performance among managers in municipal functions (n=20). Employee questionnaires and quantified coaching sessions were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results showed that high occurrence of home assignments did not predict improved employee satisfaction with leadership (d=-.95,p=.16), leadership effectiveness (d=.07,p=.24) or employee extra effort (d=-.96, p=.40). Neither did high occurrence of role-playing predict improved employee satisfaction with leadership (d=-.35, p=.18), leadership effectiveness (d=.10,p=.33) or employee extra effort (d=-.41, p=.24). Results also showed that positive feedback did not predict improved employee satisfaction with leadership (d=-.01,p=.83), leadership effectiveness (d=.05, p=.31) or employee extra effort (d=-.10,p=.17). The complexity of coaching and its active ingredients are discussed.