Coaching approach as a sustainable means of improving the skills of management students

Seemann, Peter; Štofková, Zuzana; Poliaková, Adela; Biňasová, Vladimíra; Loučanová, Erika Article Coaching approach as a sustainable means of improving the skills of management students Administrative Sciences Provided in Cooperation with: MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, Basel Suggested Citation: Seemann, Peter; Štofková, Zuzana; Poliaková, Adela; Biňasová, Vladimíra; Loučanová, Erika (2024) : Coaching approach as a sustainable means of improving the skills of management students, Administrative Sciences, ISSN 2076-3387, MDPI, Basel, Vol. 14, Iss. 6, pp. 1-16, https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14060114 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/320932 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Citation: Seemann, Peter, Zuzana Štofková, Adela Poliaková, Vladimíra Biˇnasová, and Erika Louˇcanová. 2024. Coaching Approach as a Sustainable Means of Improving the Skills of Management Students. Administrative Sciences 14: 114. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/admsci14060114 Received: 18 April 2024 Revised: 20 May 2024 Accepted: 22 May 2024 Published: 29 May 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). administrative sciences Article Coaching Approach as a Sustainable Means of Improving the Skills of Management Students Peter Seemann 1, Zuzana Štofková1, Adela Poliaková1, Vladimíra Biˇnasová2and Erika Louˇcanová3,* 1Department of Economics, University of Zilina, Univerzitna 1, 010 26 Zilina, Slovakia; peter[email protected] (P.S.); [email protected] (Z.Š.); [email protected] (A.P.) 2Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Zilina, Univerzitna 1, 010 26 Zilina, Slovakia; [email protected] 3Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry, Technical University of Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovakia *Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The impetus for the development of coaching as a professional managerial activity is based on the needs and requirements of a modern sustainable society. This paper aims to explore the awareness of academic students about the coaching approach and to formulate recommendations for its application in the academic environment so that students are prepared for the requirements of practice. This article focuses on the views of experts in the field of the coaching approach as a means of improving communication in the academic environment, characterizes communication skills and the coaching approach, and describes coaching models and their benefits and barriers. This research aims to survey the awareness of the coaching approach among college and university students in Slovakia and the possibilities of its application in the academic environment. The primary research was carried out by the inquiry method with 689 students. An evaluation of the questionnaire and a statistical evaluation of the established hypotheses and assumptions concerning the coaching approach were conducted. According to the survey, 468 students, representing 68% of respondents, had knowledge about coaching. Furthermore, 68% of students had or have doubts about achieving their goals during their studies. According to the results of the survey, only 24% of students had experience with coaching. Cooperation with a coach was regarded as beneficial for 76% of the students who had already experienced coaching lectures who took part in the survey. The proposition of the students was the implementation of the subject “Foundations of coaching”, which could be offered to be taught to all students at the University of Zilina, Slovakia. The students of managerial fields would benefit by enhancing their leadership skills and providing support to their working teams, completing their final thesis, searching for professional job opportunities, and also coping with everyday life and stressful situations. Finally, we suggest the organization of introductory full-day workshops in specific areas of coaching for students of management, who are future managers. This will help to raise the awareness of the coaching approach at the University of Zilina in cooperation with the Counseling and Career Center and its activities. Keywords: management; sustainability tools; coaching process; communication; educational institution; social sustainability of human beings 1. Introduction Managerial communication is a type of social communication that takes place in the internal and partly external environment of a given organization. In terms of content, it is focused on ensuring the functioning of the organization and on supporting the fulfillment of set goals (Seemann 2018). This is also reflected in the use of specific means of expression, communication tools, the attitude of managers and the structure of the organization’s entire Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14060114 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/admsci Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 2 of 16 information system. It is primarily used by the managers (or a team of managers), who fulfill their managerial roles through communication. Coaching is a sophisticated way of acting and communicating, especially in the advanced management environment of 21st century leaders. With this approach, we provide others with what they need in a given moment—certainty, understanding, hope, trust, confidence, motivation, and energy. We also support them in being creative in finding solutions, making their own decisions, and taking responsibility within an agreed range of their competence. Coaching is an activity that, due to its effectiveness, has justification both now and in the future of organizational leadership. Every day, mastering coaching techniques is a sought-after strength of not only managers at work but also subordinates and students during their studies and everyday life. Moreover, the coaching approach can be used by experienced teachers at schools or universities, and in some places, students are even taught to master coaching principles. Coaching can be defined in many ways. The essence of coaching is helping people, in this case, especially students, to change what they wish for and help them go in the direction they want to go, encouraging them at every level to become who they want to be by building awareness, giving choices, and inspiring change (Filsinger 2014;Milner et al. 2020;Bachkirova 2016). As reported by Lefdahl-Davis et al. (2018), coaching university students is extremely important, especially because it can increase their self-confidence, satisfaction with their choice of study field, their awareness of values and compliance with decision-making, their connection to life goals, and their individual goal setting and their achievement. Coaching is defined in the literature in several ways. Some of these definitions include the idea that coaching is an advisory and supportive process (Greif et al. 2022), while others emphasize goal setting and organizational outcomes (Grant 2003). Perhaps the most world-recognized definition of coaching is that of the International Coaching Federation (ICF 2022), which defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership”. Most of these definitions have in common the notion that coaching involves a close trusting relationship between a coach and a client, which is aimed at improving the client’s results, the results of the organization, or both (Cannon-Bowers et al. 2023). It focuses on high performance and improvement at work, although it can also affect an individual’s private life. It focuses on specific skills and objectives (Boysen et al. 2021; Bresser 2013b). Coaching is about gaining inspiring awareness and skills, but most of all, it is about changing attitudes. It focuses mainly on creating, strengthening, and developing positive attitudes in each person toward themselves, other people, and their company. Coaching is a relationship between two equal partners—the coach and the coachee— based on mutual trust, openness, and sincerity. It is oriented toward success and growth in the professional and personal life of individuals and teams. The coach guides the coachee to listen to themselves, understand themselves and their surroundings better, set their vision for the future, derive their goals from this vision, and then gradually implement these goals (Bresser 2013a). The coach supports the coachee and uses specific means and styles of communication. Effective coaching skills are shown in Figure 1. Coaching reinforces several valuable qualities, such as responsibility; openness and sincerity; a positive attitude; the joy of work and life; life optimism; respect, tolerance, and sensitivity for other people; distance and foresight; focus on goals and priorities; fairness, self-control; and self-confidence (Lin et al. 2016;Nadeem et al. 2013;Passarelli 2015). Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 3 of 16 Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 16 Figure 1. Coaching skills of managers. The coach entirely focuses on the client and supports the client’s self-expression, awareness, and prospects into action and learning. The coach also facilitates the client’s autonomy in the coaching process (Brion 2015; Eldridge and Dembowski 2004; Hagen and Peterson 2015). Coaching is understood in quite different ways. It has a wide range of uses, from onthe-job training, especially for new employees, to stimulating potential and as an aid in coping with difficult situations. It is used in different cases, for different purposes, and to achieve goals relevant to coaching, which can be helpful both in teaching and in applied coaching practices. To meet individuals’ characteristic needs, various coaching approaches, styles, and techniques are constantly being developed and supplemented (Hawkins 2014). Coaching can successfully work for a group or a team, too. Examples of coaching themes and the main types of coaching are shown in Figure 2. Coaching can be used in individual, group, or team seings (Kim and Noh 2016; Muñoz Obino et al. 2016; Passmore 2009). The contexts for the usage of coaching are practically unlimited, including management decisions, self-command, work–life balance, education enhancement, stress management, minimizing feeling stuck, coping with stress in relationships, well-being, and the area of sports (Pimpinelli 2017; Pullen and Crane 2011; Rosinski 2003; Rousseau et al. 2013; Loučanová and Nosaľová 2020). The limiting factor is the actual need within the context. Coaching helps with defining one’s goals and visions and finding the motivation, pathways, and commitment to achieve them. Coaching does not provide knowledge or training in the traditional meaning. Instead, it facilitates one’s development and advocates changes in mindset. One of the most important and sought-after skills in the modern workplace is the ability to coach others (Wang et al. 2016; Boysen et al. 2021). It is one thing to identify coaching as a vital capacity—it is another thing altogether to develop that capacity. During coaching, the coach uses various tools and models to help the coachee to achieve their set goals. Active listening is an essential coaching competence that a coach should master. Active listening means taking note of the speaker, maintaining eye contact with them, giving them full aention, verifying one’s understanding of what they said, reflecting on the received information, and focusing on nonverbal communication (Sherman and Freas 2004; Whitmore 2010; Hills 2018; Bakhshandeh 2023). A coach focuses on what their clients say and what they do not say explicitly to fully understand the subject of communication concerning the given circumstances in which the client is, thereby supporting the client in expressing their thoughts and feelings. In addition, the coach considers the client’s identity, environment, experiences, values, and beliefs to beer understand what the client is communicating (Boyais et al. 2024; O’Connor 2023; Seemann and Repková 2017; Sherman and Freas 2004; Ely et al. 2010). Coaching skills of managers Communication skills Analytical skills Human relations skills Listening Questioning Providing Instruction Providing Feedback Observation Analyzing Building relationships Support and encouragement Enthusiasm and motivation Coaching basics üDefined outputs and results üPermanent feedback üFocus on the solution (not the problem) üFocusing on Attitudinal Changes üChange initiative üIncreasing individual/organizational performance Figure 1. Coaching skills of managers. The coach entirely focuses on the client and supports the client’s self-expression, awareness, and prospects into action and learning. The coach also facilitates the client’s autonomy in the coaching process (Britton 2015;Eldridge and Dembowski 2004;Hagen and Peterson 2015). Coaching is understood in quite different ways. It has a wide range of uses, from on-the-job training, especially for new employees, to stimulating potential and as an aid in coping with difficult situations. It is used in different cases, for different purposes, and to achieve goals relevant to coaching, which can be helpful both in teaching and in applied coaching practices. To meet individuals’ characteristic needs, various coaching approaches, styles, and techniques are constantly being developed and supplemented (Hawkins 2014). Coaching can successfully work for a group or a team, too. Examples of coaching themes and the main types of coaching are shown in Figure 2. Coaching can be used in individual, group, or team settings (Kim and Noh 2016; Muñoz Obino et al. 2016;Passmore 2009). The contexts for the usage of coaching are practically unlimited, including management decisions, self-command, work–life balance, education enhancement, stress management, minimizing feeling stuck, coping with stress in relationships, well-being, and the area of sports (Pimpinelli 2017;Pullen and Crane 2011; Rosinski 2003;Rousseau et al. 2013;Louˇcanováand Nosál’ová2020). The limiting factor is the actual need within the context. Coaching helps with defining one’s goals and visions and finding the motivation, pathways, and commitment to achieve them. Coaching does not provide knowledge or training in the traditional meaning. Instead, it facilitates one’s development and advocates changes in mindset. One of the most important and sought-after skills in the modern workplace is the ability to coach others (Wang et al. 2016;Boysen et al. 2021). It is one thing to identify coaching as a vital capacity—it is another thing altogether to develop that capacity. During coaching, the coach uses various tools and models to help the coachee to achieve their set goals. Active listening is an essential coaching competence that a coach should master. Active listening means taking note of the speaker, maintaining eye contact with them, giving them full attention, verifying one’s understanding of what they said, reflecting on the received information, and focusing on nonverbal communication (Sherman and Freas 2004;Whitmore 2010;Hills 2018;Bakhshandeh 2023). A coach focuses on what their clients say and what they do not say explicitly to fully understand the subject of communication concerning the given circumstances in which the client is, thereby supporting the client in expressing their thoughts and feelings. In addition, the coach considers the client’s identity, environment, experiences, values, and beliefs to better understand what the client is communicating (Boyatzis et al. 2024;O’Connor 2023; Seemann and Repková2017;Sherman and Freas 2004;Ely et al. 2010). Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 4 of 16 Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 16 Figure 2. Coaching themes and main types of coaching. Asking questions is another crucial coaching skill. Different managerial situations require further questions. Properly asked coaching questions can be characterized by three points: they are simple; they are based on a particular system, with specific questions on goals, their current state, and the search for possibilities; they are designed to have a positive impact on the client. The questions are mainly used to define the client’s goal. The coach helps to create a comprehensive and detailed description of the client’s target state, where the problems are already solved. Experienced coaches begin coaching interviews with relatively broad questions during most coaching processes. As the interview progresses, the questions gradually focus on the details, and the coach uses open-ended questions (Boyais et al. 2024; O’Connor 2023; O’Connor et al. 2022; Louridas et al. 2022; Atkinson et al. 2022; Seemann and Repková 2017). According to John Whitmore, one of the founders of coaching (Whitmore 2010), the coach does not obtain the information to use it for themselves. Instead, the questions’ purpose is to determine if the client has the information he or she needs. However, the answers the coach receives often show him or her where to focus the following questions. The meaning of coaching questions is in searching for possibilities and not in finding the answers. Their job is to help them take responsibility for their own goals and results, not to tell the coachee what exactly to do. The GROW model, named by John Whitmore (2010), is a transparent system of questions linked to other methods of people management. It is a non-directive coaching method that leaves finding the solutions solely up to the coachee. It assumes that every person has great potential, which is mostly not fully utilized. The model deduces that the Figure 2. Coaching themes and main types of coaching. Asking questions is another crucial coaching skill. Different managerial situations require further questions. Properly asked coaching questions can be characterized by three points: they are simple; they are based on a particular system, with specific questions on goals, their current state, and the search for possibilities; they are designed to have a positive impact on the client. The questions are mainly used to define the client’s goal. The coach helps to create a comprehensive and detailed description of the client’s target state, where the problems are already solved. Experienced coaches begin coaching interviews with relatively broad questions during most coaching processes. As the interview progresses, the questions gradually focus on the details, and the coach uses open-ended questions (Boyatzis et al. 2024;O’Connor 2023;O’Connor et al. 2022;Louridas et al. 2022;Atkinson et al. 2022;Seemann and Repková2017). According to John Whitmore, one of the founders of coaching (Whitmore 2010), the coach does not obtain the information to use it for themselves. Instead, the questions’ purpose is to determine if the client has the information he or she needs. However, the answers the coach receives often show him or her where to focus the following questions. The meaning of coaching questions is in searching for possibilities and not in finding the answers. Their job is to help them take responsibility for their own goals and results, not to tell the coachee what exactly to do. The GROW model, named by John Whitmore (2010), is a transparent system of questions linked to other methods of people management. It is a non-directive coaching method that leaves finding the solutions solely up to the coachee. It assumes that every person has great potential, which is mostly not fully utilized. The model deduces that the responsibility for the process outcome rests with the coached person, who determines the content of the process (Sherman and Freas 2004;Stofkova et al. 2015). Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 5 of 16 If the coach wants to structure coaching using the GROW model, they should first discuss the goal with the coachee. The coach and the coachee must look at the behavior, activity, or skill that the coachee wants to change, and then structure this change as a goal they would prefer to achieve together (Benesova 2016;Bennet 2021;Blanchard 2018). It is necessary to make sure that the goal is SMART. This means the goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (Boyle et al. 2021). Team coaching involves a single coach—a trained team leader—working with a group of managers or executives (Brennan and Hellbom 2016;Daˇnková2013). There are often two (or more) coaches to facilitate the team coaching process (Figure 3). Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 16 responsibility for the process outcome rests with the coached person, who determines the content of the process (Sherman and Freas 2004; Stoova et al. 2015). If the coach wants to structure coaching using the GROW model, they should first discuss the goal with the coachee. The coach and the coachee must look at the behavior, activity, or skill that the coachee wants to change, and then structure this change as a goal they would prefer to achieve together (Benesova 2016; Bennet 2021; Blanchard 2018). It is necessary to make sure that the goal is SMART. This means the goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (Boyle et al. 2021). Team coaching involves a single coach—a trained team leader—working with a group of managers or executives (Brennan and Hellbom 2016; Daňková 2013). There are often two (or more) coaches to facilitate the team coaching process (Figure 3). Figure 3. Team coaching. When the coaching approach is used by management and the majority of leaders in an organization, a coaching culture may be created. The benefits of introducing a coaching culture in a global organization are:  A positive impact on the strategic objectives of organizations, leading to improved business results (Passmore 2009; Pimpinelli 2017; Pullen and Crane 2011);  Introducing coaching competencies is a strategy to create an adaptive workplace culture commied to an ongoing development and learning process (Rosinski 2003; Rousseau et al. 2013);  Significantly reduced staff turnover, increased productivity, and higher level of employees’ satisfaction at work;  The promotion of open communication, the building of trust and respect, and the improvement of working relationships (Wang et al. 2016);  A more conscious focus on their people, even if it may not be directly measurable in terms of financial issues (Boysen et al. 2021). According to the International Coach Federation (Boysen et al. 2021), one can achieve the following through coaching:  Statistics such as 62.4% beer target seings, 60.5% more balanced life, 57.1% less stress, 52.4% more self-confidence, 44.3% beer quality of life, and 25.7% higher income;  If the coach is firmly convinced that the coachee has sufficient potential and responsibility, then he or she needs the expertise to enable his or her coaching (Whitmore 2010; Boysen et al. 2023). It is also necessary to be aware of the risks and difficulties that are part of coaching. During the in-depth process, coaches may also discover something of which the client is Figure 3. Team coaching. When the coaching approach is used by management and the majority of leaders in an organization, a coaching culture may be created. The benefits of introducing a coaching culture in a global organization are: • A positive impact on the strategic objectives of organizations, leading to improved business results (Passmore 2009;Pimpinelli 2017;Pullen and Crane 2011); • Introducing coaching competencies is a strategy to create an adaptive workplace culture committed to an ongoing development and learning process (Rosinski 2003; Rousseau et al. 2013); • Significantly reduced staff turnover, increased productivity, and higher level of employees’ satisfaction at work; • The promotion of open communication, the building of trust and respect, and the improvement of working relationships (Wang et al. 2016); • A more conscious focus on their people, even if it may not be directly measurable in terms of financial issues (Boysen et al. 2021). According to the International Coach Federation (Boysen et al. 2021), one can achieve the following through coaching: • Statistics such as 62.4% better target settings, 60.5% more balanced life, 57.1% less stress, 52.4% more self-confidence, 44.3% better quality of life, and 25.7% higher income; • If the coach is firmly convinced that the coachee has sufficient potential and responsibility, then he or she needs the expertise to enable his or her coaching (Whitmore 2010; Boysen et al. 2023). It is also necessary to be aware of the risks and difficulties that are part of coaching. During the in-depth process, coaches may also discover something of which the client is ashamed or frightened. To some extent, such a concern is needed because of the change that is about to take place. The coach must be prepared for this and ensure a safe environment Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 6 of 16 for coaching (Plotkina and Sri Ramalu 2024;Nyfoudi and Tasoulis 2021;Okeke et al. 2021; Reynolds 2020;Seemann and Repková2017). However, several authors draw attention to self-help coaching, which is the subject of criticism all over the world. The nature of this criticism is that you cannot ask yourself the proper (sometimes surprising) questions. Moreover, if you do ask yourself the right questions, you are limited in finding multiple high-quality answers based on a trusting relationship and patience. A coach provides silence to create the space for you to reflect and look for the answers. An organization that adopts a coaching culture will also gain higher performance and productivity levels; human development; a better ability to learn; better relationships; higher quality of life; more time for the manager; thought leaders; better use of people, their abilities, and skills; more resources; faster and more effective responses to threats; greater flexibility and adaptability to change; more motivated employees; culture change; and widely usable and vital ability (Dassen 2015;Dembkowski et al. 2009;Grant 2009). To sum up, the coaching culture contributes to the sustainability and development of an organization’s staff and its culture. In the following survey, we study how informed and experienced university students are with the coaching approach, especially those of managerial fields/subjects— future leaders. 2. Results The main goal of the survey was to assess awareness of the coaching approach and the possibility of its application in an academic environment. Another goal was to determine whether the respondents had experienced coaching or would recommend it, and if they had no experience with it, whether they would be interested in the coaching process. The final goal was to find out whether the respondents would be interested in signing up and completing the study subject of “Foundation of coaching” at their college or university. The following assumptions were established to fulfill the individual goals: Assumption no. 1: A total of 75% of the respondents have doubts about achieving some goals during their studies. Assumption no. 2: A total of 90% of the respondents have had no coaching experience (have not worked with a professional coach). Assumption no. 3: A total of 80% of the respondents who have had experience with coaching have a positive impression of working with a professional coach. Assumption no. 4: More than 60% of the respondents would be interested in studying the subject of coaching at universities. According to the results, we found that 69% of the respondents had or have doubts about achieving their goals during their studies. Based on the survey results, 75% of the respondents have had no experience with coaching or have never worked with a professional coach. Therefore, we can claim that this assumption was not met. For the 76% of respondents who have worked with a coach, it was beneficial or very beneficial. They have a positive impression of cooperation with a professional coach. A total of 71% of the respondents would like to implement the subject of “Foundation of Coaching” at their university or college study program. According to the results of the survey, this assumption was met. Question No. 1: What do you think the term coaching means? According to the survey, we found that 68% (468 students) were aware of coaching, as their answers to this question were correct. On the other hand, we found that 32% (221 students) did not know about coaching because their responses were incorrect. The participants in the survey regarded coaching as: management (28.16%), training (15.09%), guidance (11.90%), mentoring (4.21%), management (3.05%), development (9.58%), motivation (3.77%), helping students (9.87%), improvement (1.02%), learning (6.10%), support (2.32%), and the process of achieving a goal using questions the coach asks (1.31%). Meanwhile, 1.45% of the involved students considered coaching to be the transfer of experience from the coach to the coachee. Also, 2.18% of the students could not answer this question. Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 7 of 16 Question No. 2: Do you have experience—have you ever worked with a coach? We found that some respondents had experience with coaching and have been coached. Out of the total number of respondents, only 172 students had experience with coaching, representing 25%. Most students, 75% (517 students), had no experience with coaching. Question No. 3: Would you be interested in working with a professional coach? With this question, we asked the respondents who had not yet had experience with a coach whether they would be interested in working with a professional coach. This question was answered by 517 respondents, i.e., those respondents who do not yet have experience with coaching. A total of 249 students (48.2%) were more interested in working with a coach, and 153 students (29.6%) were more uninterested in working with a coach. A total of 65 students (12.6%) were interested in coaching, and 50 students (9.7%) were not interested in coaching. Question No. 4: Did you use the services of the following experts during your studies? (Option to mark multiple answers.) The respondents had the option to mark multiple answers. Most respondents did not use the services of any expert during their studies (539 responses). The second most marked answers were psychologists (85 answers), career counselors (31 answers), and coaches (31 answers). The respondents also used the services of a psychotherapist (27 responses) or a psychiatrist (21 responses). A total of 17 respondents also marked the option “Other”, suggesting they used the services of a coach, educational advisor, special pedagogical advisor, teacher, or trainer when writing their final thesis. They also used counseling services from their friends, acquaintances, or classmates. Question No. 5: To what extent do you believe you would achieve your goals more effectively when working with a coach? As many as 461 students (67%) rather believed and 118 students (17%) believed that cooperation with a coach would help them achieve their goals more effectively. A total of 85 students (12%) rather did not believe, and only 25 (4%) students did not believe that working with a coach would help them achieve their goals more effectively. The following hypotheses were established for the fulfillment of the individual goals: Hypothesis No. 1: This hypothesis was based on the questions “To what extent the cooperation with a coach was beneficial for you” and “Based on your experience with a professional coach, would you recommend cooperation with a professional coach to your friends?” Question No. 9: To what extent was working with a coach beneficial to you in achieving your goal? This question was answered by only those students who already had experience with coaching, and therefore, the total number of responses was 172. For 76 students (44%), cooperation with a coach in achieving their goal was beneficial, and for 55 students (32%), cooperation with a coach was very beneficial. A total of 36 students (21%) could not determine the degree of benefit. We could also positively evaluate the fact that for only 5 students (3%) cooperation with a coach was not beneficial, and for no student was it not beneficial at all. Question No. 10: Based on your experience with a professional coach, would you recommend working with a professional coach to your friend? Cooperation with a coach was evaluated positively by the students, and up to 84 students (49%) would recommend it to their friends. A total of 75 students (44%) would rather recommend it, 12 students (7%) would rather not recommend cooperation with a coach, and 1 student (1%) would not recommend it at all. We established the following null and alternative hypotheses: H0: There is no dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. H1: There is a dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 8 of 16 The values of Cramer’s V and Phi are at the level of 0.404 (Figure 4), which means that there is a moderately strong dependence between the variable of the benefit of working with a professional coach and the variable of recommending working with a professional coach because the value is in the interval of 0.3–0.8. To summarize, we state that based on the statistical evaluation of Hypothesis No. 1, we found out that there is a mediumstrong dependence between the benefit of working with a professional coach and the recommendation of working with a professional coach. Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 16 H0: There is no dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. H1: There is a dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. The values of Cramer’s V and Phi are at the level of 0.404 (Figure 4), which means that there is a moderately strong dependence between the variable of the benefit of working with a professional coach and the variable of recommending working with a professional coach because the value is in the interval of 0.3–0.8. To summarize, we state that based on the statistical evaluation of Hypothesis No. 1, we found out that there is a medium-strong dependence between the benefit of working with a professional coach and the recommendation of working with a professional coach. Figure 4. Cramer’s V and Phi values for Hypothesis No. 1. Hypothesis No. 2: This hypothesis is based on the questions “What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach?” and “Is it important for you to work with a coach from a specific field?” Question No. 12: What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach? The surveyed respondents were most interested in working with a coach on the topics of career (286 answers), personal development (282 responses), education and study (258 responses), and stress (206 responses). The respondents were also interested in coaching on the topics of finance (201 responses) and time management (171 responses). Among the topics that the respondents were not very interested in were time management (171 answers), fears and anxieties (165 answers), sports (164 answers), and life partners and relationships (151 answers), as shown in Figure 5. In response to this question, seven respondents indicated another option, suggesting they would be interested in topics such as a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating, writing a bachelor’s thesis, eating disorders, and coping with urges and conflict situations. Figure 5.The topics of coaching. Figure 4. Cramer’s V and Phi values for Hypothesis No. 1. Hypothesis No. 2: This hypothesis is based on the questions “What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach?” and “Is it important for you to work with a coach from a specific field?” Question No. 12: What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach? The surveyed respondents were most interested in working with a coach on the topics of career (286 answers), personal development (282 responses), education and study (258 responses), and stress (206 responses). The respondents were also interested in coaching on the topics of finance (201 responses) and time management (171 responses). Among the topics that the respondents were not very interested in were time management (171 answers), fears and anxieties (165 answers), sports (164 answers), and life partners and relationships (151 answers), as shown in Figure 5. In response to this question, seven respondents indicated another option, suggesting they would be interested in topics such as a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating, writing a bachelor’s thesis, eating disorders, and coping with urges and conflict situations. Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 16 H0: There is no dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. H1: There is a dependence between the benefit of cooperation with a professional coach and the recommendation of cooperation with a professional coach. The values of Cramer’s V and Phi are at the level of 0.404 (Figure 4), which means that there is a moderately strong dependence between the variable of the benefit of working with a professional coach and the variable of recommending working with a professional coach because the value is in the interval of 0.3–0.8. To summarize, we state that based on the statistical evaluation of Hypothesis No. 1, we found out that there is a medium-strong dependence between the benefit of working with a professional coach and the recommendation of working with a professional coach. Figure 4. Cramer’s V and Phi values for Hypothesis No. 1. Hypothesis No. 2: This hypothesis is based on the questions “What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach?” and “Is it important for you to work with a coach from a specific field?” Question No. 12: What topic would you like to solve when working with a professional coach? The surveyed respondents were most interested in working with a coach on the topics of career (286 answers), personal development (282 responses), education and study (258 responses), and stress (206 responses). The respondents were also interested in coaching on the topics of finance (201 responses) and time management (171 responses). Among the topics that the respondents were not very interested in were time management (171 answers), fears and anxieties (165 answers), sports (164 answers), and life partners and relationships (151 answers), as shown in Figure 5. In response to this question, seven respondents indicated another option, suggesting they would be interested in topics such as a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating, writing a bachelor’s thesis, eating disorders, and coping with urges and conflict situations. Figure 5.The topics of coaching. Figure 5. The topics of coaching. Question No. 15: Is it important for you to work with a coach from a particular field? We can see that the professional focus of the coach was important to the respondents, because for up to 305 students (63%), it was important that their coach would be focused exactly on their topic. A total of 108 students (22%) preferred a coach with a general focus, and 73 (15%) respondents did not care about their coach’s professional focus. We established these null and alternative hypotheses. Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 15 of 16 Eldridge, Fiona, and Sabine Dembowski. 2004. Creating a Coaching Culture: 10 Success Factors for Bringing It to Life. Coach the Coach. Hull: Fenman Limited. Available online: http://www.coachingnetwork.org.uk/information-portal/articles/pdfs/CtC4.pdf (accessed on 20 December 2023). Ely, Katherine, Lisa A. Boyce, Johnathan K. Nelson, Stephen J. Zaccaro, Gina Hernez-Broome, and Wynne Whyman. 2010. Evaluating leadership coaching: A review and integrated framework. The Leadership Quarterly 21: 585–99. [CrossRef] Filsinger, Claudia. 2014. The virtual line manager as coach: Coaching direct reports remotely and across cultures. International journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 12: 188–202. Grant, Anthony M. 2003. The impact of life coaching on goal attainment, metacognition and mental health. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal 31: 253–63. [CrossRef] Grant, Anthony M. 2009. Executive coaching enhances goal attainment, resilience and workplace well-being: A randomised controlled study. Journal of Positive Psychology 5: 396–407. [CrossRef] Greif, Siegfried, Heidi Möller, Wolfgang Scholl, Jonathan Passmore, and Felix Müller. 2022. International Handbook of Evidence-Based Coaching: Theory, Research and Practice. Cham: Springer Nature. Hagen, Marcia S., and Shari L. Peterson. 2015. Measuring coaching and skill-based managerial coaching scales. Journal of Management Development 34: 114–33. [CrossRef] Hastings, Ross, and William Pennington. 2019. Team Coaching: A thematic analysis of methods used by external coaches in a work domain. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching 100 and Mentoring 17: 174–88. Hawkins, Peter. 2014. Leadership Team Coaching in Practice. Developing Highperforming Teams. London: Kogan Page Limited. Hills, Laura. 2018. Staff Coaching: Using Active Listening and Powerful Questions to Unleash Your Staff’s Potential. The Journal of Medical Practice Management: MPM 33: 302–8. International Coaching Federation. 2022. Available online: https://coachingfederation.org/about (accessed on 15 November 2023). Jimenez, Bellaria, and John F. Bucsek. 2019. The Role of a Coach in Building an Effective Team? Available online: https://www.tlnt. com/the-roleof-a-coach-in-building-an-effective-team/ (accessed on 20 November 2023). Kim, Joohee, and Yonghiwi Noh. 2016. The effects of psychological capital and risk tolerance on service workers’ internal motivation for firm performance and entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 12: 681–96. [CrossRef] Klarin, Mira. 2014. Professional Standard “Coach”: Development of Coaching as a Profession. Russian Science Citation Index, Penn State: The Pennsylvania State University 4: 6–16. Lefdahl-Davis, Erin M., Levi Huffman, Jackie Stancil, and Alexandra J. Alayan. 2018. The Impact of Life Coaching on Undergraduate Students: A Multiyear Analysis of Coaching Outcomes. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 16: 69–83. Lin, Bilian, Charalampos Mainemelis, and Ronit Kark. 2016. Leaders’ responses to creative deviance: Differential effects on subsequent creative deviance and creative performance. The Leadership Quarterly 27: 537–56. [CrossRef] Louˇcanová, Erika, and Martina Nosál’ová. 2020. Eco-innovation performance in Slovakia: Assessment based on ABC analysis of eco-innovation indicators. BioResources 15: 5355–65. [CrossRef] Louridas, Marisa, Ajit K. Sachdeva, Andrew Yuen, Patrice Blair, and Helen MacRae. 2022. Coaching in surgical education: A systematic review. Annals of Surgery 275: 80–84. [CrossRef] [PubMed] Milner, Julia, Trenton Milner, and Grace McCarthy. 2020. A coaching culture definition: An industry-based perspective from managers as coaches. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 56: 237–54. [CrossRef] Molyn, Joanna. 2017. The impact of common factors on coaching outcomes. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Pracice 15: 214–227. [CrossRef] Muñoz Obino, Karen Fernanda, Caroline Aguiar Pereira, and Rafaela Siviero Caron-Lienert. 2016. Coaching and barriers to weight loss: An integrative review. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy 10: 1–11. [CrossRef] [PubMed] Nadeem, Erum, Alissa Gleacher, and Rinad S. Beidas. 2013. Consultation as an implementation strategy for evidence-based practices across multiple contexts: Unpacking the black box. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 40: 439–50. [CrossRef] [PubMed] Newnham-Kanas, Coartney, Don Morrow, and Jennifer D. Irwin. 2012. Certified Professional Co-Active Coaches: Why They Enjoy Coaching. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 10: 48–56. Nyfoudi, Margarita, and Konstantinos Tasoulis. 2021. Effective coaching for high-potentials: A talent management approach. In The Routhledge Companion to Talent Management. New York: Routledge, pp. 471–82. O’Connor, Donna, Paul Larkin, Samuel Robertson, and Peter Goodyear. 2022. The art of the question: The structure of questions posed by youth soccer coaches during training. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 27: 304–19. [CrossRef] O’Connor, Sean. 2023. Mastering Life Coaching: A Comprehensive Guide for Professional Coaches. Chicago: Independently Published. Okeke, Francisca Chinwendu, Charity N. Onyishi, Paulinus P. Nwankwor, and Stella Chinweudo Ekwueme. 2021. A blended rational emotive occupational health coaching for job-stress among teachers of children with special education needs. Internet Interventions 26: 17–25. [CrossRef] [PubMed] Passarelli, Angela M. 2015. Vision-based coaching: Optimizing resources for leader development. Frontiers in Psychology 6: 412. [CrossRef] [PubMed] Passmore, Jonathan. 2009. Diversity on Coaching. Kogan Page. London: Association for Coaching. Pimpinelli, Francesco. 2017. Overview of Systemic Constellations. International Coaching News, May 22, 28–29. Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 114 16 of 16 Plotkina, Lidia, and Subramaniam Sri Ramalu. 2024. Determinants and trends of executive coaching effectiveness in post-pandemic era: A critical systematic literature review analysis. Management Review Quarterly, 1–39. [CrossRef] Pullen, Bill, and Erin Crane. 2011. Creating a Coaching Culture in a Global Organisation. The International Journal of Coaching in Organisations 8: 1–15. Reynolds, Marcia. 2020. Coach the Person, Not the Problem: A Guide to Using Reflective Inquiry. Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Rosinski, Philippe. 2003. Coaching Across Cultures. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Rousseau, Vincent, Caroline Aubé, and Sébastien Tremblay. 2013. Team coaching and innovation in work teams: An examination of the motivational and behavioral intervening mechanisms. Leadership & Organization Development Journal 34: 344–64. Saberr. 2018. A Guide to Coaching: One to One vs. Team Coaching. Available online: https://medium.com/saberr-blog/a-guide-tocoaching-is-one-to-one-or-team-coaching-for-you-3461cde8ccef (accessed on 10 December 2023). Seemann, Peter. 2018. KomunikaˇcnéTechniky. Žilina: EDIS-vydavatel’skécentrum ŽU. Seemann, Peter, and Katarína Repková. 2017. Benefits of coaching in the manager development and learning. Paper presented at EDULEARN17: 9th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Barcelona, Spain, July 3–5; pp. 6419–28. Sherman, Stratford, and Alyssa Freas. 2004. The wild west of executive coaching. Harvard Business Review 82: 82–90. [PubMed] Steyn, Linda, and Antoni Barnard. 2024. The coaching experience as identity work: Reflective metaphors. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology 50: 2132. [CrossRef] Stofkova, Jana, Radovan Madlenak, and Katarína Repkova Stofkova. 2015. Business Management. Bratislava: Dolis. Straub, Josh, and Christi Straub. 2022. Famous at Home: 7 Decisions to Put Your Family Center Stage in a World Competing for Your Time, Attention, and Identity. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wang, Xiao-Hua, Tae-Yeol Kim, and Deog-Ro Lee. 2016. Cognitive diversity and team creativity: Effects of team intrinsic motivation and transformational leadership. Journal of Business Research 69: 3231–39. [CrossRef] Whitmore, John. 2010. Coaching for Performance: Growing Human Potential and Purpose: The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership. London: Hachette UK. Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.