Exploring the contemporary ethical challenges in coaching psychology in South Africa

Abstract

Orientation: This article focuses on the contemporary ethical challenges in coaching psychology in the South African context.Research purpose: The primary objective was to qualitatively explore the contemporary ethical challenges faced by coaching psychologists when coaching clients and organisations and develop an exploratory framework of ethical challenges.

Motivation for the study: There may not be sufficient practical guidance to resolving the ethical challenges coaching psychologists encounter when coaching clients within organisations.In addition, available codes of ethics may not fundamentally cover all important ethical challenges, particularly in the South African context.

Research approach, design and method: An interpretative paradigm with an explorative approach was applied. Semi-structured interviews and the Delphi technique were used to gather data from 16 participants who were purposively selected: six coaching psychologists were interviewed, whilst feedback from 10 expert panel members was obtained using the Delphi technique. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.

Main findings: The findings point to a number of common ethical challenges in coaching psychology, as well as the typical ethical principles used by psychologists who coach as a guide to best ethical practice. The exploratory framework represents the broad systemic outline of factors that contribute to the ethical challenges and articulates these from the coach’s, coachee’s and organisation’s perspective.

Practical/managerial implications: The framework can be applied by professionals and coaching clients and can be utilised proactively in identifying potential ethical challenges in the coaching relationship.

Contribution/value-add: The framework identifies ethical principles that could be used as the foundation for a code of ethics in coaching psychology.