Agile coaching 5.0 as a tool for workforce development and employee engagement

Purpose This study aims to examine how the role of the Agile Coach is enacted across diverse organisational contexts, with a focus on software (SW) and non-software (N-SW) teams operating within engineering-influenced environments. This paper provides a context-sensitive understanding of coaching practices associated with employee engagement and development, in line with the human-centred orientation of Industry 5.0. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an exploratory qualitative case study approach in a multinational organisation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 team leaders, a co-creation workshop with 20 team members from both SW and N-SW domains and field observations of 6 Agile Coaches. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis and triangulated across sources to support a comparative interpretation of coaching practices across contexts. Findings The findings suggest that while Agile Coaches engage in similar types of activities across SW and N-SW teams, the ways in which these practices are interpreted and embedded differ depending on structural and cultural conditions. SW teams tend to operate within environments where agile principles are more readily integrated, whereas N-SW teams appear to require greater contextual adaptation. The study presents two Agile Coach Journey Maps and representative personas that synthesise observed practices, challenges and contextual differences across the two domains. Originality/value This study provides an empirical and comparative account of Agile Coaching practices beyond software-centric settings. Rather than proposing a universal model, it offers a structured interpretation of how coaching practices are adapted across contexts, along with practical insights for organisations seeking to implement agile approaches in complex and traditionally structured environments.