The role of executive coaching is becoming an important practice in management development. Executive coaching involves the relationship between clients, coaches and the organization. The most important role of executive coaching is improving the professional human functioning and success in organizations. The role is also viewed as a form of partnership between a client at the management level and a coach employed by an organization to help the executive become a more successful and effective manager (Hannafey & Vitulano, 2013). There have been few considerations about the ethical issues concerning the role such as potential conflicts of interest, confidentiality, professional standards and financial matters.
According to an agency theory approach, executive coaching involves the relation of an agency to specific moral obligations that extend beyond the normal standards of professional ethics. The relationship between an individual executive and a coach can be clearly defined as an agency relation. The relation is based on trust and strict confidentiality high levels. The role of executive coaches can be compared to that of attorneys and physicians since it involves the duty to serve each other’s interests (Hannafey & Vitulano, 2013). Ethical considerations and decision making should reflect on the uniqueness of the relationship between coaches and their clients and organizations.
Understanding the role of coaching as an agency brings more clarity to the ethical concerns that arise. Since there are a lot of considerations about executive coaching developing into a new profession, there is need to establish professional and moral standards to bound coaches (Whitmore, 2009). An agency relation exists in the role of executive coaching, and the relation is the basis of present moral obligations. The agency theory and the consideration that executive coaches are in agency relation to clients and organizations are expected to guide and positively inform the continuing development of professional standards.
References
Hannafey, T.F., & Vitulano, A.L. (2013). Ethics and executive coaching: An agency theory approach. Springer Science+Business Media.
Whitmore, J. (2009). Coaching for performance: Growing human potential and purpose: The principle and practice of coaching and leadership. 4th ed. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
