The Role of Coaching, in Social Responsibility and Consciousness Development based on Primary Research Findings
Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, vol.22, no.9, pp.325-340, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 22 Issue: 9
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.12700/aph.22.9.2025.9.16
- Journal Name: Acta Polytechnica Hungarica
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.325-340
- Keywords: awareness, coaching, Generation Z, social responsibility
- Open Archive Collection: Digital Heritage Collection
- Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This study examines the role of coaching in developing the awareness, careers, and life planning of Generation Z (1995-2009) and Generation Alpha (2010-), with a particular focus on social responsibility and sustainable development. In an era defined by the transition from VUCA to BANI, younger generations are facing unprecedented complexity that requires self-awareness, resilience, and soft skills such as empathy, communication, collaboration, and systems thinking. Coaching, complemented by frameworks such as Inner Development Goals (IDG), offers a structured approach to developing these competencies, thereby supporting both individual growth and social sustainability. In 2024, mixed-method primary research was conducted in Hungary and Albania, starting with qualitative mini-focus group interviews to refine a standardized questionnaire, followed by quantitative data collection using a non-representative, heterogeneous snowball sampling method. The Hungarian sample consisted of 2,033 respondents, while the Albanian sample consisted of 131 respondents, predominantly from Generation Z. The data analysis used descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and post hoc tests. The results show that Albanian respondents consistently attributed greater importance to coaching in dimensions such as self-development, career path determination, community building, and the promotion of social responsibility. In Hungary, Generation X and female respondents were most supportive of the impact of coaching on Generation Z. Both samples highlighted the link between increased awareness and stronger social responsibility. The results suggest that integrating coaching and awareness-raising programs into higher education ‒ in the form of life planning spaces, workshops, and individual or group coaching ‒ can significantly strengthen students' self-awareness, goal orientation, and proactive commitment. This dual effect ‒ personal and collective ‒ makes coaching a transformative tool in shaping a sustainable, future-oriented generation.