Role of virtual coaching to develop human capacity among organisations

Abstract

Managerial capacity development is an abiding concern that has been the hallmark of progressive organisations all over the world. Recent challenges brought about by global recession, widening disparity in labour costs, growth of knowledge work, increasing internet reliability has meant that such capacity development is an imperative that organisations shun at their peril. Case studies of well known multinational organisations can demonstrate that above average human capacity can be raised to exceptional levels through specific types of guidance. The latter in human resource development parlance is known as ‘coaching’. As organisations try to develop human capacity in a milieu underscored by depleting manpower resources, virtual modes are gradually becoming the mainstay of such coaching. This research by considering a conceptual framework containing demand and supply dimensions of virtual coaching has enabled exploration of an area that is going to occupy centre stage over the next decade. Evidence for the research was collected through extensive use of primary and secondary data collected through an action research oriented consultancy project at Rankin Associates, a Bristol based SME that specialises in virtual coaching. USA, UK, India, and China were some of the locations that informed surveys and country study outputs for this project. The research pointed out that effectiveness of virtual coaching is dependent on ensuring appropriateness of formats through which such coaching would be delivered. Second it would also be necessary to have an appreciation of the learning cultures of recipients of such coaching. Although appreciation of virtual coaching is embryonic at this stage yet this research demonstrated the vast potential that it has in extending human capacity among organisations.