ABSTRACT
Since the 1990s, an enormous range of theories has been used to support coaching as a service, mostly from the field of psychology. These include humanistic or person-centred theory, behaviourism, cognitive psychology, neuro-linguistic programming and psychodynamics through to narrative psychology, Gestalt theory, positive psychology, systems theory and the field of neuroscience. This chapter considers the theoretical orientation that best suits the culture of business, and therefore business coaching practice. It exposes and relates the underlying theoretical basis for decision-making in business with that of human science. The chapter shows how an integrative and eclectic theoretical orientation is most aligned with the world of work's decision-making culture. It provides the notion of the modern scientist-practitioner as a bridge to help coaches draw on both the objective power of science and the subjective freedom of business and remain aligned to marketplace reality. Integrative theory then really gained traction because health-care practitioners, more so than academics, became dissatisfied with single-school approaches.
