Coaching For Capacity Or Incapacity? Self-Actualization and Consumer Welfare

Consumption of personal coaching is growing rapidly. Based on a utopian and a dystopian vision on the contemporary culture of self-actualization, we formulate a framework for investigating consumption of self-improvement therapy, exemplified by personal coaching. 16 consumers have been interviewed about their motivations for engaging in as well as their experiences of personal coaching and its consequences for their lives before, during and after the therapy. We analyse the results of the interviews in the light of its contribution to consumer welfare using insights from positional economy, the ideology of performance, and critical perspectives on the self-help ideology and industry.



Citation:

Soren Askegaard and Dannie Kjeldgaard (2009) ,"Coaching For Capacity Or Incapacity? Self-Actualization and Consumer Welfare", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 112-113.

Authors

Soren Askegaard, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Dannie Kjeldgaard, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark



Volume

NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36 | 2009



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