May 20, 2025
Version 1
A study protocol of a realist synthesis to develop programme theories for cognitive behavioural coaching in the workplace in an Egyptian consultancy organisation. V.1
- Ola Amr Abdelfatah1,
- Jane Simpson1,
- Sabir Giga1,
- Andrew Harding1
- 1Lancaster University
Protocol Citation: Ola Amr Abdelfatah, Jane Simpson, Sabir Giga, Andrew Harding 2025. A study protocol of a realist synthesis to develop programme theories for cognitive behavioural coaching in the workplace in an Egyptian consultancy organisation.. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.kqdg3qeb1v25/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: October 25, 2024
Last Modified: May 20, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 110920
Keywords: Realist Synthesis, Cognitive behavioural Coaching, Organisational Context, Programme Theory, Protocol, programme theories for cognitive behavioural coaching, cognitive behavioural coaching, realist methodology, coaching programme, regarding workplace cbc intervention, workplace cbc intervention, based coaching, methodology, cognitive behavioural framework, workplace in an egyptian consultancy organisation, realist synthesis, strategy, egyptian consultancy organisation, effectiveness, study protocol, realist review, realistic goal, intervention, consultancy firm in egypt, consultancy firm, proposed methodology, integrative approach, evidence about the program, programme theory, practice, study, trial run in collaboration, systematic review, research
Abstract
Cognitive behavioural coaching (CBC) is “an integrative approach which combines the use of cognitive, behavioural, imaginal, and problem-solving techniques and strategies within a cognitive behavioural framework to enable clients to achieve their realistic goals” (Palmer & Szymanska, 2008, p. 86). Although CBC has been the most cited approach of evidence-based coaching, its utility has not been universally supported (Minzlaff, 2019). This synthesis proposes further research using a methodology from an emerging approach to address some evidence shortcomings and thus better inform practice.
The proposed methodology, referred to as realist methodology aims to uncover more about the context and mechanisms by which an intervention generates intended and, at times, unintended outcomes. This study adopts a realist methodology to evaluate an organizational ‘CBC trial run’ to gather evidence about the program’s mechanisms and effectiveness in generating employee well-being related outcomes (Graf & Dionne, 2021). The research question investigated is:
“Regarding workplace CBC interventions, what works, or does not work? For whom? In what context and how?”
The research is operationalized in three phases. First is a realist review, which is a form of systematic review that aims to understand deep generative mechanisms (Pawson et al., 2005). The second is designing a coaching programme and conducting a trial run in collaboration with a consultancy firm in Egypt. Finally, attempting to understand “what works for whom in what circumstances” empirically, through collecting and analysing primary data to refine review findings (Greenhalgh et al., 2017b, p. 1).
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