Variations in coaching style and their impact on subordinates' work outcomes

Variations in the coaching style used by supervisors and/or managers (n = 51) at a variety of businesses in mainland China were examined for their impact on a range of subordinates' (n = 373) work outcomes. The data, collected in four waves over several months, showed as hypothesized that style variations reflected by guidance versus facilitation-based coaching had differential effects on subordinates' adaptive performance (AP), task performance, and job-related feelings of anxiety. Guidance coaching, for example, was negatively related to AP, whereas facilitation was positively associated; this pattern was reversed for task performance. Also, as expected, AP partially mediated both the positive relationship between guidance coaching and task performance, as well as the negative association between facilitation and task performance. Finally, a post hoc study revealed that subordinates' job-related anxiety partially mediated the negative relationship between guidance coaching and AP, as well as the positive association involving facilitation and AP.