Page - 83 - in Coaching im digitalen Wandel

Through the eye of the camera 83 coaching happens via video, text messages, email or via specifically created plat- forms, either synchronously or asynchronously, using a single way of delivery or choosing a blended approach (Clutterbuck, 2010; Boyce & Hernez-Broome, 2010; Otte, Bangerter, Britsch, & Wüthrich, 2014; Kanatouri & Geißler, 2017). One seemingly obvious way of re-creating a face-to-face situation while reaping the benefits of technology is the use of a webcam or video-conferenc- ing device in order to connect a physically dispersed coaching pair. The ICF Global Coaching Study 2016 reports that two thirds of 15,380 coaches from 137 countries use an audio-video platform. The Sherpa 2017 report evaluates responses from 900 coaching practitioners from 65 countries, reporting 21 % of all coaching services were delivered remotely. While these industry-led reports are based on information provided by coaches, the present study aims to investigate the individual experience of clients engaged in a video-mediated coaching relationship, starting from the research question: »What is the impact of the camera in Skype coaching on the coachees’ experience of being coached?« Literature review In reviewing the literature pertinent to the subject of the present study, three opical areas were investigated: First, literature on the use of technology in coaching in general and in career coaching in particular was analysed. Sec- ondly, research on the working alliance in a technology-supported coaching relationship was examined. Closely related to this proved the question of the comparability between virtual and face-to-face coaching encounters. Thirdly, due to the focus of the research topic on coaching via Skype, academic litera- ture on the specifics and challenges of communication via video-conferencing tools was explored. The use of technology in (career) coaching The search for research on the technology facilitated delivery of coaching yielded many results relating to therapy rather than coaching (Cook & Doyle, 2002; Hanley, 2009; Anthony, 2015; Blake Buffini & Gordon, 2015; Day & Schneider, 2002; Suler, 2004; Weitz, 2014). The key topics addressed here, namely effec- tiveness, the functioning of the working alliance and the comparability to face- to-face interactions, are also recurrent concerns in the literature on (career) coaching using technology. Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY-NC-ND 4.0