2008 ICRF Research Proposals

The International Coaching Research Forum (ICRF) was attended by a group of forty internationally recognized researchers, coaching professionals and other coaching stakeholders from around the world. In September 2008, they gathered for a historic meeting on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, MA. Never before has such an accomplished group of coaching researchers and professionals convened in one place for the single-minded purpose of fostering coaching research on a global scale. While by no means inclusive, we gathered together with a goal of building coaching research networks and supporting coaching research. These prominent individuals who are among those at the forefront of academic coaching research and professional coaching practice hail from seven different countries. They have collectively: • Published hundreds of books and peer-reviewed journal articles on coaching and coaching-related topics. • Delivered coaching-related presentations and taught academic and practical coaching principles to literally thousands of people. • Worked to facilitate positive change in the lives of hundreds of professional and executive clients via direct, one-on-one coaching sessions. The meeting was held in the spirit of mutual openness, communication and camaraderie. The result: an emerging foundation for cohesive, focused, worldwide coaching research. Our belief is that solid research is one of the keys to advancing coaching as an evidence-based discipline, which can pave the way toward a future for coaching as a powerful force for positive individual and societal change. In order to further the goal of fostering progress and community in coaching research, the thought leaders of the ICRF developed the 100 coaching-related research proposals published in this document. The hope is that these research ideas will be instrumental in prompting new coaching studies among researchers and graduate students, either by direct adoption or by inspiring new research ideas.