Bob Garvey r.garvey@yorksj.ac.uk

1. How far is coaching converging, diverging or cross-verging around the world – a sociological perspective? Bob Garvey r.garvey@yorksj.ac.uk

2. Staring point 1… • Globalization brings us neofeudalism (Shearing, 2001; Bauer (2014) • ‘Neofeudalism replaces a broadly prosperous middle with a highly stratified society, in which a tiny elite lords it over a vast mass of the struggling poor.’

3. Starting point 1… (Reuters, Oxfam) • 50% of worlds wealth held by 8 men • In 2010, 43 richest = 50% • Bill Gates’ wealth grown by 50% since 2006 • The gap between rich and poor has grown • Yes, there is philanthropy but inequality is huge and growing

4. Starting point 2… ‘…..firms are increasingly pressured to develop coherent global strategies, resulting in the coordinated internationalization of HR at all levels. To effectively meet this challenge, firms seek to lower costs by identifying best economic practices in general business operations, and in human resource management (HRM) in particular, and standardizing these practices across their global operational units.’ (Paik et al., 2011: 648).

5. Starting point 2… What of: • Local differences in management practices • The political climate • Religious and social differences • Attitudes, values and ethics • The stage of technical development • Workforce demographics?

6. Starting point 3… • How far is convergence possible? • How far does divergence happen? • How far does cross-vergence happen? (compromise)

7. Starting point 4…. • Convergence limited by local practices (Frenkel and Peetz, 1998) • Some argue convergence and divergence are often the norm (Katz and Darbishire, 2000) • Paik et al (2011) argue that crossvergenace (pick and mix) or hybrid is most common • Parboteeah et al (2009) show that religion is the strongest factor • Crossvergence moderates instrumentalism vs humanism

8. Method – not research…. Yet! • Eight places - USA, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Russia, Australia, South America and the Czech Republic • Collected commentaries • How far are professional bodies following the same patterns as the neofeudalistic tendencies of globalized business?

9. The vehicle of analysis • The ICF - membership offers ‘enhanced credibility’ to coaches, ‘global connections’, ‘life long leaning and professional development’ and ‘cutting edge insights’. • Individual and programme accreditation • A hierarchy of competencies (in 5 different languages) • Bylaws, a code of conduct, a code of ethics and a recommendation that coaches received regular supervision by a trained supervisor. • Alignment on CPD with the CIPD, AC and EMCC A heavy weight of power indeed!

10. Reflective Questions • In relation to coaching: • How far is convergence appropriate and necessary across the world? • How far is convergence possible and desirable? • How far is divergence manageable and appropriate? • Within the discourse of professionalization in coaching, what are the implications of divergence, convergence and crossvergence?

11. Australia • Coaching and mentoring widespread • ICF dominant • Claimed that clients expect their coaches to be well qualified and to be signed up to an ethical code • Supervision developing - currently CPD route • Supervision training important • Mentoring mainly voluntary • Various trade of professional associations offer education for mentors • Mentoring enjoying a resurgence in Australia

12. USA • Mentoring associated with development • Coaching with performance • Mentoring viewed as ‘worthwhile’ • No regulatory body • Training offered in the workplace • Clear matching process and voluntarism • Coaching both external and internal • Coach education inconsistent • ICF dominant - approx 6000 members • Mixed understanding of the purpose of coaching • Directive approaches, feedback, guided process based on ‘powerful’ questioning and coachee led goal setting

13. South America(Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Chile, Peru) • Coaching increasing and developing • ICF presence • Political issues • Local concerns more present • Strong charitable orientation of coaching and mentoring • Movements for social change?

14. Czech Republic • Coaching and mentoring developing and growing as business activities • Many different approaches and 3 main professional bodies in operation • Coach training on the increase • Few recognized educational institutions engaging • Internal coaching or perhaps, mentoring activity increasing as costs are creating pressures on businesses. • Supervision infancy and not fully understood

15. Russian Federation • Coaching established since the 1990s • Mentoring is more recent • Coaching in decline due to economic factors • Coaching either therapy based or performance based • Mentoring developed in relation to youth entrepreneurship • Based on international practice and not on any one approach • YBI invites various country members to establish a consistent approach to mentor training whilst respecting local and cultural variations • Willing to learn from good practice from where ever it comes and adapt this to suit the Russian context (technology)

16. Hong Kong • Coaching developed g through the development of its own professional association • Coaches are mostly Western educated with US influences • Hong Kong people seem able to live with the tensions between an individual’s status in society and the role of a coach • A coach is viewed as a facilitator of learning • Comfortable with the idea that a coachee is able to come to their own conclusions

17. Saudi Arabia • Cultural differences towards leadership and power dominate coaching practice • The law dominates cultural elements • Mainly in relation to gender, although there are some noticeable changes here • No infrastructure for coach/mentor education despite there being some interest

18. Africa (Uganda) • Both relatively new concepts • Coaching is expert knowledge and paid • Self-proclaimed coaches with limited training • Some influence from visiting coaches and mentors • A self-organized community of practice for coaches and in Kenya and Uganda (trade links) • ICF stronger in Kenya • Cultural issues big time: • Gender issues • The dominance of advice giving • Power issues, compliance and empowerment • Attitudes to time are ‘African’ • Lack of boundaries and professional separation

19. So what? • Coaching is widespread • Mentoring voluntary and widespread • Industrialised more accepting of convergence • Dominant body ICF • Divergence and cross-vergence Hong Kong, Russia South America

20. Key Influencers • The economic context – present in all cases above • The philosophical underpinning – highlighted particularly in the African, South American and Hong Kong cases • Technology – found in the Russian case • The legal context – notably in the Saudi case • The political climate – raised in the South American case • Sociological and cultural issues – found in all cases

21. The Future? • More influences on coaching and mentoring than just psychology • In mentoring, psychology develops theory • In coaching it drives practice and the professionalization agenda • How far is commercial coaching is sustainable? • Internal coaching and mentoring on the increase • Voluntary nature of mentoring new voice • Social use of mentoring and coaching aimed at societal change and emancipation is increasing

22. The Future? • The globalized world is changing • Since 2008 questioning of the ethics of business and its ability to lift the majority of people in the world out of poverty • Professional bodies claim policies and rules reassures potential clients or sponsors and ensures quality control • But are these neofeudalisticconvergence model? • Paradox between inclusive diverse philosophy of C&M and professional associations

23. The Future? • There are a few glimmers of a more divergent or crossvergent approach to coaching and mentoring beginning to emerge. If these are the small seeds of social change happening in localized settings then the future holds some optimism for humanity.