Entrepreneurial coaching: how to be modeled and measured?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to model the coaching practice on the one hand, and, on the other, develop and validate an integrative measurement scale that is associated to the following dimensions, namely, the coach’s enforcement of standards, the coach’s empathy and the coach’s expectation for entrepreneurial performance. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study of 111 Tunisian successors, which is based on the structural equation method, has enabled mentioning that the required dimensions are the coach’s enforcement of standards, the coach’s empathy and the coach’s expectation for entrepreneurial performance. Findings First, the coach’s enforcement of standards and the coach’s empathy are the main parts of the coaching practice in regard to the Tunisian successors. Second, this study shows that it is necessary to include entrepreneurial behavior on the research that treats successor’s coaching. Originality/value Coaching programs concern essentially employees and orient their careers through assistance, advice and orientation. However, although successors face some hardships throughout their careers, they are outside the focus of attention. Thus, this study contributes to the coaching literature by modeling the coaching practice and by developing and validating an entrepreneurial coaching scale.