Informal Employee Coaching and Job Performance in Higher Education: The Influence of Perceived Organizational Support and Transformational Leadership

Despite the increasing focus on coaching in academic literature, our understanding of informal coaching, particularly in higher education, remains limited. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the impact of informal coaching on academic staff’s job performance and perceived organizational support within higher education institutions. Using data from 768 survey responses from university staff, we explore the role of informal coaching from both supervisors and colleagues, the mediating effect of perceived organizational support, and the moderating influence of transformational leadership.<br><br>Our analysis utilizes Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess these relationships. The results highlight significant direct effects of informal coaching on job performance and perceived organizational support. Additionally, perceived organizational support was found to mediate the relationship between informal coaching and job performance, while transformational leadership moderated the effects of informal coaching on both job performance and organizational support.<br><br>These findings provide important insights for university leaders, HR professionals, and policymakers, suggesting that fostering informal coaching and transformational leadership can enhance job performance through stronger organizational support.