Coaching in a higher education institution in the Middle East: Reflections on the obstacles and the way forward

P Mathew, A Nawaz Hakrob International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring 2022

Coaching is widely adopted by various types of organizations in order to facilitate the achievement of personal, professional and organisational goals. This case study of a coaching programme in a private higher education institution (HEI) in Oman, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, identify the challenges encountered by the participants, and provide recommendations to design coaching programmes that are sensitive to participants’ contexts. Participants were senior and mid-level leaders in academic and professional services departments in the institution. Focus group discussions involving coaches and written feedback from coachees informed the evaluation process. The participants affirmed the effectiveness of the coaching programme in building professional capacity but also drew attention to a number of barriers such as cultural aspects and trust issues. Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of coaching in Middle Eastern HEIs and therefore this case study may provide unique contextual insights to other HEIs in the region.