Choosing a coach: the influence of age, gender and experience in shaping preferences for business coaches

Abstract

The present study examined people’s preference for an executive coach. A sample of 504 participants completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate eight potential coaches stratified by sex (male vs. female), age (under 40 vs. over 50 years), as a proxy for experience, and background experience (business vs. psychology). There was a significant main effect of gender, with female coaches being preferred over male coaches; effect of experience, with less experienced coaches being preferred over those with more experience; and background, with those from a business background being preferred over those with a psychology background. There were more important interaction effects, particularly around the sex of the coach. These results are discussed in relation to the extant literature on preferences for different types of professionals. Implications and limitations are noted.