The impact of coaching orientation on subordinate performance: the moderating effects of implicit person theory and LMX

Manager-as-coach (MAC) has been critical for facilitating and enhancing subordinate learning and development. ‘Regulatory fit’ and ‘leader–member exchange’ (LMX) can be two key factors in the coaching relationship between coaches (supervisors) and coachees (subordinates). This study investigated the impact of different coaching orientations – promotion and prevention – on subordinate performance, and examined the moderating effects of coachees' implicit person beliefs and LMX. Four results were found. First, a promotion coaching orientation was positively related to subordinate performance, and it had a more positive effect on subordinate performance than a prevention coaching orientation. Second, subordinates with incremental beliefs relative to subordinates with entity beliefs experienced a better regulatory fit and demonstrated better performance following promotion-oriented coaching. Third, the subordinates in higher quality LMX relationships had better performance following a promotion coaching orientation. Fourth, LMX had a main effect on the subordinate performance following prevention-oriented coaching, which implies a compensatory effect between a high-quality LMX relationship and a prevention coaching orientation.