Career and Coaching

Professional Orientation, Career research

Research on professional orientation and career addresses factors that benefit or hinder career decisions. Our research on professional orientation focuses on choosing to study or not to study, and on the “first generation”. Furthermore, we examine career paths of junior scientists in Germany, taking a multi-factorial, prospective-longitudinal, multi-methodological and psychological perspective.

(Career-)Coaching, Coach-Client-interaction

Coaching is a collaborative process, during which a coach supports the client in improving performance, personal and job-related development, and enhancing self-reflection and well-being. An important topic of our research is how Coaching in the context of career orientation and career planning should be designed. Using interaction analyses, we investigate the verbal and nonverbal interaction of coach and client: For example, we look at questions, relationship-enhancing factors and the solution finding process.

Current and concluded projects (selection):

ProWi+: Quo vadis Post-Doc: Professorship, Industry or precarious employment situation? Individual, social, and organizational factors for the career development and the career success of junior scientists (2016-2019; BMBF)
ProNet+: With networking to the top - Career promotion of female doctoral candidates (2012-2013; BMBF)
CHO1CE+: Wege ins Studium öffnen - Chancengerechtigkeit bei der Studienaufnahme erhöhen (2018-2021; MWK)
CHO1CE: Du hast die Wahl - Wege ins Studium für die First Generation öffnen (2017-2018; realization in cooperation with central Student Advisory Service, TU Braunschweig)
Fit4TU - The Online Self-Assesment for TU Braunschweig Prospective Students (since 2012; stabilized by long-term student fees, in cooperation with the TU Braunschweig Student Advice Centre)
NTH-Project "University Dropout" (2015-2016; in cooperation with LU Hannover & TU Clausthal)
XIST-Start-Up-Culture - The Founder Academy (2012-2016; BMWi)

Publications (selection):

Books:

Cover des Buches Karriere und Laufbahnmanagement

Kauffeld, S. & Spurk, D. (Eds.) (2019). Handbuch Karriere und Laufbahnmanagement [Handbook career and career management]. Berlin: Springer.

ISBN 978-3-662-48749-5

Kauffeld, S., & Gessnitzer, S. (2018). Coaching: Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen und Praktische Anwendung [Coaching: Scientific bases and practical use]. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

ISBN 978-3-17-030179-5

Articles in professional journals:

2025

Gehreke, L., Hirschberger, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2025). Building bonds, achieving goals: surface and deep-level characteristics similarity in higher education group-coaching. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17521882.2025.2467628

2024

Gehreke, L., Schilling, H., & Kauffeld, S. (2024). Effectiveness of peer mentoring in the study entry phase: A systematic review. Review of Education, 12, e3462. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.346

Mehner, L., Rothenbusch, S. & Kauffeld, S. (2024). How to Maximize the Impact of Workplace Training: A mixed-method analysis of social support, training transfer and knowledge sharing. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2024.2319082

2023

Kauffeld, S. & Wittner, B. (2023). Coaching zur beruflichen Orientierung: Du hast die Wahl und suchst deinen Weg. Organisationsberatung, Supervision, Coaching. Vorab-Onlinepublikation. doi.org/10.1007/s11613-023-00831-5

Mehner, L. & Kauffeld, S. (2023). Welche Faktoren machen den Unterschied? Eine Mixed Method Untersuchung zum Transfererfolg und der Wissensweitergabe nach Weiterbildungen. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift Für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO). DOI: 10.1007/s11612-023-00693-6

2022

Spurk, D. & Kauffeld, S. (2022). Why does psychological capital foster subjective and objective career success? The mediating role of career-specific resources. Journal of Career Assessment, 30, 285-308.

2021

Bargmann, C., Thiele, L., & Kauffeld, S. (2021). Motivation matters: predicting students’ career decidedness and intention to drop out after the first year in higher education. Higher Education. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1007/s10734-021-00707-6

Grohmann, A., Schulte, E.M. & Kauffeld, S. (2021). Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Kurzfragebogens zur Beurteilung von Trainer/innenkompetenzen in beruflichen Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO) 52(1), 79-90. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s11612-021-00562-0

Spurk, D., Hofer, A., & Kauffeld, S. (2021). Why Does Competitive Psychological Climate Foster or Hamper Career Success? The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Pathways and Leader-Member-Exchange. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 49(3). doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103542

2020

Aymans, S., Kortsch, T., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). Gender and career optimism - The effects of gender‐specific perceptions of lecturer support, career barriers and self‐efficacy on career optimism. Journal of Higher Education, 74(3), 273-289. doi: 10.1111/hequ.12238

Jordan, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). A mixed methods study of effects and antecedents of solution-focused questions in coaching. International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring, 18(1), 57-72. doi: 10.24384/w8ne-fx80

Powazny, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). The impact of influential otherson student teachers’ dropout intention – a network analytical study. European Journal of Teacher Education. doi:10.1080/02619768.2020.1793949

2019

Barthauer, L., Kaucher, P., Spurk, D., & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Burnout and career (un)sustainability: Looking into the Blackbox of burnout triggered career turnover intentions. Journal of Vocational Behavior. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103334

Klauke, F., Müller-Frommeyer, L. C., & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Writing About the Silence: Identifying the Language of Ostracism. Journal of Language and Social Psychology. doi: 10.1177/0261927X19884599

Klonek, F., Will, T., Inario-Dahm, P., & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Opening the Career Counseling Black Box: Behavioral Mechanisms of Empathy and Working Alliance. Journal of Career Assessment 28(3), 363-380. doi: 10.1177/1069072719865159

Müller-Frommeyer, L. C., Frommeyer, N. A., & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Introducing rLSM: An integrated metric assessing temporal reciprocity in language style matching. Behavior research methods, 51(3), 1343-1359.

Thiele, L., Zorn, V., & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Quid pro quo? The Benefit of Reciprocity, Multiplexity, and Multireciprocity in Early Career Peer Support. Applied Network Science, 4, 7. doi:10.1007/s41109-019-0118-3

Will, T., Schulte, E.M. & Kauffeld, S. (2019). Coach's Expressed Positive Behaviour Linked to Client's Interest to Change: An Analysis of Distinct Coaching Phases. Coaching | Theorie & Praxis 4(4), 1-10. doi: 10.1365/s40896-019-0027-6

2018

Barthauer, L., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). The role of social networks for careers. Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), 49(1), 50-57. doi: 10.1007/s11612-018-0401-2

Ebner, K., Schulte, E.-M., Soucek, R., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). Coaching as stress-management intervention: The mediating role of self-efficacy in a framework of self-management and coping. International Journal of Stress Management, 25(3), 209-233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/str0000058

Ebner, K., Thiele, L., Spurk, D., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). Validation of the German Career Decision-Making Profile - an Updated 12-Factor Version. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(1), 111-136. doi:10.1177/1069072716679996

Kauffeld, S., & Spurk, D. (2018). Editorial: "Karrieren in Organisationen". Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. Zeitschrift für angewandte Organisationspsychologie (GIO), 49(1), 1-2. doi:10.1007/s11612-018-0407-9

Thiele, L., Atzmueller, M., Stumme, G., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). Frequent and/or durable? The predictive impact of initial face-to-face contacts on the formation and evolution of students’ developmental peer network relationships. Psychology, 9, 633-654. doi:10.4236/psych.2018.94040

Thiele, L., Sauer, N. C., Kauffeld, S. (2018). Why extraversion is not enough: The mediating role of initial peer network centrality linking personality to long-term academic performance. Higher Education. 76(5). doi: 10.1007/s10734-018-0242-5

Thiele, L., Sauer, N. C., Atzmueller, M., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). The co-evolution of career aspirations and peer relationships in psychology bachelor students: A longitudinal social network study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 106, 48-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2017.12.005

Will, T., & Kauffeld, S. (2018). Relevanz von Empathie für dyadische Beziehungen - Über ein unterschätztes konstrukt in der Coach-Klienten-Interaktion. Coaching | Theorie und Praxis, 1(4), 45-54. doi: 10.1365/s40896-018-0023-2

2017

Endrejat, P. C., Baumgarten, F., & Kauffeld, S. (2017). When Theory Meets Practice: Combining Lewin’s Ideas about Change with Motivational Interviewing to Increase Energy-Saving Behaviours Within Organizations. Journal of Change Management, 22(2), 1–20.

Jordan, S., Gessnitzer, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2017). Develop yourself, develop others? How coaches and clients benefit from train-the-coach courses. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 10(2), 125-139.doi:10.1080/17521882.2017.1330353

Seiberling, C. & Kauffeld, S. (2017). Volition to transfer: mastering obstacles in training transfer. Personnel Review, 46(4), 809-823. doi: 10.1108/PR-08-2015-0202

2016

Barthauer, L., Estel, V., Dubbel, A., Kauffeld, S., & Spurk, D. (2016). Woran erkenne ich eine erfolgreiche Laufbahn? Ein qualitativer Ansatz zur Definition von Laufbahnerfolg bei Wissenschaftlern. Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung, 38(1-2), 42-63.

Barthauer, L., Spurk, D. & Kauffeld, S. (2016). Women's social capital in academia: A social network analysis. International Review of Social Research, 6(4), 195–205.

Gessnitzer, S., Schulte, E.-M., & Kauffeld, S. (2016). "I am going to succeed": The power of self-efficient language in coaching and how coaches can use it. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/cpb0000064

Jordan, S., Gessnitzer, S., & Kauffeld, S. (2016). Effects of a group coaching for the vocational orientation of secondary school pupils. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice. 2, 143-157. doi: 10.1080/17521882.2016.1210185

Klonek, F. E., Wunderlich, E., Spurk, D. & Kauffeld, S. (2016). Career counseling meets motivational interviewing: A sequential analysis of dynamic counselor–client interactions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 94, 28-38. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2016.01.008

Spurk, D., Hirschi, A. & Kauffeld, S. (2016). A new perspective on the etiology of workaholism: The role of personal and contextual career-related antecedents. Journal of Career Assessment, 24(4) 747-764. doi:10.1177/1069072715616127

Spurk, D., Kauffeld, S., Meinecke, A. L. & Ebner, K. (2016). Why do adaptable people feel less insecure? Indirect effects of career adaptability on job and career insecurity via two types of perceived marketability. Journal of Career Assessment, 24, 289-306. doi:10.1177/1069072715580415

Will, T., Gessnitzer, S. & Kauffeld, S. (2016). You think you are an empathic coach? Maybe you should think again. The difference between perceptions of empathy vs. empathic behaviour after a person-centered coaching training. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research & Practice, 9, 53-68. doi:10.1080/17521882.2016.1143023

2015

Aymans, S. C. & Kauffeld, S. (2015). To leave or not to leave? Critical factors for university dropout among first generation students. Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwickung, 10, 23-43.

Gessnitzer, S., Hahn, M.-C., Saathoff, J. & Kauffeld, S. (2015). Gründerteams zum Erfolg führen: Was Teamcoaching neben Organisationsberatung für Gründungsprozesse tun kann. Gruppendynamik und Organisationsberatung, 46, 265-288.

Gessnitzer, S. & Kauffeld, S. (2015). The working alliance in coaching: Why behavior is the key to success. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 51, 177-197. doi:10.1177/0021886315576407

Gessnitzer, S., Schulte, E.-M. & Kauffeld, S. (2015). VaMoS: Measuring the “within person fit” of affective Values, cognitive Motives, and Skills. Journal of Career Assessment, 23, 559-581. doi:10.1177/1069072714553080

Ianiro, P. M., Lehmann-Willenbrock, N. & Kauffeld, S. (2015). Coaches and clients in action: A sequential analysis of nonverbal interpersonal styles in coach-client interactions. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30, 435-456.

Spurk, D., Kauffeld, S., Barthauer, L., & Heinemann, N.S.R. (2015). Fostering networking behavior, career planning and optimism, and subjective career success: An intervention study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 87, 134-144.

Spurk, D., Meinecke, A. L., Kauffeld, S. & Volmer, J. (2015). Gender, professional networks, and subjective career success within early academic science careers: The role of gender composition in inside and outside departmental support networks. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 14, 121-130. doi:10.1027/1866-5888/a000131

2014

Ianiro, P. M. & Kauffeld, S. (2014). Take care what you bring with you: How coaches mood and interpersonal behavior affect coaching success. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 66, 231-257. doi:10.1037/cpb0000012

Sauer, N. C., Spurk, D. & Kauffeld, S. (2014). Männer, Frauen und ihre Art zu netzwerken - Einfluss auf die Karriere von Berufsanfängern. PERSONALquarterly, 69, 18-23.

2013

Ianiro, P. M., Schermuly, C. C. & Kauffeld, S. (2013). Why interpersonal dominance and affiliation matter: an interaction analysis of the coach-client relationship. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research & Practice, 6, 25-46. doi:10.1080/17521882.2012.740489

2012

Ianiro, P. M. & Kauffeld, S. (2012). Wann stimmt die "Chemie" im Coaching? Untersuchungen zur gemeinsamen "Augenhöhe" von Coach und Klient. Coaching Magazin, 1/2012, 44-48.

2011

Gessnitzer, S., Kauffeld, S. & Braumandl. I. (2011). Karriere-Coaching: Personalentwicklung für Berufseinsteiger. PERSONALquarterly, 63, 12-17.

2010

Hoppe, D. & Kauffeld, S. (2010). Positive Gefühle zählen - Ein Analyseverfahren zeigt, was in Beratungen wirkt. Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell, 3, 34-37.

Schneider, H. & Kauffeld, S. (2010). Persönlichkeit bestimmt Beratungserfolg: Eine Studie zeigt Zusammenhänge. Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell, 3, 41-46.

Career and Coaching

Professional Orientation, Career research

(Career-)Coaching, Coach-Client-interaction

Current and concluded projects (selection):

Publications (selection):

Articles in professional journals:

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