Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the dimensions of psychological type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to the coaching behaviors and activities of corporate middle managers. The coaching behaviors of the 90 corporate middle managers studied included providing positive and negative feedback to employees, providing direction to coaching discussions, emphasizing facts or concepts, adhering to schedules in coaching activity, and identifying employee development needs. Data regarding coaching behaviors was obtained by means of a specifically designed instrument, The Research Survey of Coaching Activity, which was administered during formally defined coaching activity sessions. The data was analyized by means of Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, t-tests and Chi square measures. Significant relationships were found between the extraversion-introversion and sensation-intuition dimensions of type and the amount of time spent in coaching activity areas. A relationship was also found between manager preferences for extraversion and intuition and higher effectiveness ratings by subordinates of manager coaching behavior. In addition, a significant relationship was found between amount of time spent in coaching by managers and employee perceptions of manager effectiveness in coaching. Preferences for extraversion and intuition correlated significantly with giving more positive feedback. Managers with preferences for jUdgement placed more emphasis on tight scheduling, and manager preferences for intuition and thinking were related to more attention to identifying the development needs of subordinates. There was a significant positive relationship between manager coaching effectiveness and all of the management coaching behaviors studied. Manager ratings of difficulty with coaching activities did not relate significantly to type. There were no significant differences in time spent in coaching activities by older or younger managers. However, a significant relationship was found between functional work assignment of managers and their preference on the extraversion-introversion dimension of type. Recommendations were made both for further research and for the professional development of coaching skills of practicing managers. Training programs which provide information on type and the potential influence of type on coaching behavior were recommended.
