Global Coaching Survey - Frank Bresser Consulting

Global Coaching Survey 2008/2009 aSia
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2.3 GeoGRapHiCal aReaS witHin aSia
After having a look at the whole of Asia, let us now revisit
various geographical areas within the continent and see what
more can be said about these.
a. eastern asia
(China, Japan, north korea,
South korea, mongolia)
This region represents the biggest coaching industry within
Asia and comprises around 65% (2,800 - 3,000) of all
Asian business coaches (4,300 - 4,700). However, there
is a strong divide within the region in the development of
coaching.
On the one hand, Japan (2,000 coaches) and South Korea
(500) can be regarded as the biggest and most dynamic
coaching area in Asia. In both countries, business coaching
is in the growth phase, widely accepted and used, and far
advanced in becoming a real profession. Coaches also use
coach supervision. Japan may be some years ahead in the
development when compared with South Korea, but the
latter is catching up.
Major differences between the two are that the predominant
style in South Korea is more directive, whereas it
is non-directive in Japan. The coaching culture concept is
well known and used in Japan, but in South Korea it is not.
Typical for both countries is that there are few, but very
big key coaching providers in each national coaching market.
Also coaching is very business-oriented (only very little life
coaching takes place). In Japan, the coaching leadership/
management style is also a big issue today.
On the other hand, there is Mongolia and North Korea
where business coaching hasn’t yet visibly developed. No
coaching market could be identified from outside.
China is in between these two poles. Coaching is in the
introduction phase overall (depending on the specific region,
this may also differ: Hong Kong, for example, is in the growth
phase) and there are about 300 - 500 business coaches in
the country (Hong Kong: about 80). While coaching may
not yet be widely accepted and used or far advanced on its
way to becoming a real profession, it is making progress. For
example, coaching associations or chapters do exist in different
regions of the country.
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The coaching culture concept is very differently known
and used within China (e.g. well known in Hong Kong; not in
Beijing). Both, the directive and non-directive coaching style
can be found in China. What style is actually used, highly
depends on clients’ educational/knowledge background.
In the Taiwanese coaching market which is in the introduction
phase, there are another 50 to 100 business coaches.
Interestingly, many of the coaches do not separate business
and life coaching that clearly.
b. Southeastern asia
(brunei, Cambodia, indonesia, laos,
malaysia, myanmar, philippines,
Singapore, thailand, vietnam)
Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines may be regarded
as the second biggest and highly dynamic coaching region
(besides Japan/South Korea) in Asia. They comprise at least
400 business coaches (around 10% of all Asian business
coaches).
One-to-one coaching is widely accepted and used in Singapore
and Malaysia. In fact, Singapore is the country with
the second highest density of coaches in Asia (1 coach per
32,000 inhabitants). In the Philippines, this is undecided,
but using a coaching management style is more widespread
there than professional one-to-one coaching.
Coaching is in the growth phase in Singapore and the
Philippines (introduction phase in Malaysia). Coach supervision
doesn’t play a major role. The prevailing 1:1 coaching
approach is non-directive in Singapore/Malaysia, but
directive in the Philippines. The coaching culture concept
is known and used in the Philippines and in Malaysia, in
Singapore it is not.
Interestingly, coaching is not yet too far advanced in becoming
a profession in the three countries, though various coaching
associations are very active in Singapore. In particular it
is worth highlighting that the Asia Pacific Alliance of Coaches
(APAC) is based and was founded in Singapore – it is one of
the first supra-regional, international coaching associations in
the world that has members in several countries and doesn’t
have an Anglo-Saxon origin/headquarter. (APAC will hold its
first international conference in Singapore in 2010.)
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