Response to Nieminen et al.'s Feature Article on Executive Coaching and Facilitated Multisource Feedback: Toward Better Understanding of a Growing HRD Practice

Executive coaching is a booming, but understudied, HRD-related practice. Given the limited number of available studies that have been deployed with rigor and systematic methods, the study by Nieminen et al. adds to our understanding of the impact of executive coaching and multisource feedback on leadership development. Explored in the context of a U.S. government agency, the study used two large groups of respondents. One group received executive coaching as part of a leadership development program and was compared to a group not receiving coaching. The study design and limitations articulated by the authors provide both interesting results and insights regarding design improvement for future studies.