Managerial coaching as the foundation for building felt-trust and motivation among employees working remotely

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how managerial coaching builds felt-trust among remote working employees by meeting the psychological needsof autonomy and relatedness,outlined in Social Determination Theory. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 employees revealed that managerial coaching plays a critical role in establishing and maintaining trust among employees so they feel trusted in their abilities and valued as a person. This fills a gap in the managerial coaching literature and supports evidence to suggest that felt-trust is more powerful than trust in the leader, in determining employee performance when working remotely. The implication is that managerial coaching training will deliver the necessary skills to effectively motivate and demonstrate trust to a remote workforce.