Conceptualizing Cognitive Coaching and Examining Its Effect on Employees’ Prosocial Behavior from a Developmental Governance Approach in Khorasan Razavi Gas Company

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 . Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

3 Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Objective: Identifying the components of managers’ cognitive coaching and examining its impact on employees’ prosocial behavior: Explaining cognitive coaching as a human resource governance mechanism and a driver of development-oriented capacity in public service organizations.
Research Philosophy and Methodology: The philosophical foundation of the research is pragmatism, and the overall approach is mixed‑method. The qualitative phase of the study follows a phenomenological strategy. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews with 18 company employees who had obtained a cognitive competency assessment score above 60 percent at the Talent Assessment Center, and whose managers also had an average cognitive competency score above 60 percent. Sampling was conducted using a purposeful judgmental sampling technique. Data were analyzed according to Colaizzi’s phenomenological method with the aid of MAXQDA software. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of technical and operational employees possessing at least a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years of work experience. Out of a total population of 200 employees, a sample size of 127 participants was determined using the Morgan table, and sampling was carried out randomly. To test the hypotheses, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. The data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS software packages.
Validity and Reliability: Content validity was assessed and confirmed by academic experts and specialists. Construct validity, including convergent and discriminant validity, was evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The reliability of the measurement instruments was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, Composite Reliability (CR), and internal consistency reliability.
Findings: The qualitative findings led to the identification of four main components and twenty‑one sub‑components of cognitive coaching, encompassing cognitive skills, motivation and inspiration, individual and team empowerment, and emotional intelligence. The quantitative results revealed a positive and significant relationship between cognitive coaching and employees’ prosocial behavior in the company.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that cognitive coaching goes beyond a managerial intervention and can serve as a core element of a development-oriented governance framework in public and semi-public organizations, contributing significantly to human capital development and the promotion of responsible and prosocial employee behaviors.

Keywords

Governance and Development
Volume 6, Issue 1
April 2026
Pages 5-26

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