The effectiveness of positive psychological coaching at work: a systematic review

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to provide a thorough review of empirical research on the antecedents, outcomes, and underlying mechanisms that contribute to the effectiveness of positive psychological coaching at work. A systematic review of the literature utilising specific keywords, gathered from four bibliographic databases, yielded 505 records. All the records went through a screening process that included examining the titles, abstracts, and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of fifteen publications on positive psychological coaching were incorporated into the study. These consisted of fourteen peer-reviewed journal papers and one doctoral dissertation. Our findings confirm that positive psychological coaching benefits both individuals and organisations by boosting well-being and work-related outcomes. Success factors and underlying mechanisms that determine intervention success were also highlighted. While this evaluation did identify some encouraging outcomes, it also revealed a dearth of rigorous methodology in addressing the aforementioned study variables, and a need for further research. We conclude by outlining strengths, limitations, and a future direction to expand this field's theoretical and empirical knowledge. Practitioners can benefit from this research to improve their performance in the coaching process by considering the key success factors in the delivery of a high-quality service to their clients.