Human Resource Development International

Coaching and Mentoring as HRD Practices for Social Justice, Sustainability and Inclusion in a Socially, Technologically and Politically Disrupted World

Rationale

Coaching and mentoring are uniquely positioned as Human Resource Development (HRD) approaches and practices that can contribute to social justice by enhancing human functioning and potential. They can play significant roles in assisting recovery and in encouraging and supporting individuals and their communities to identify how to realise meaningful lives. Both interventions are widely deployed as organisational, professional, educational and social interventions to remedy inequalities and enhance access to elite and exclusive resources and opportunities (Maher & Hastings, 2023; Roche & Passmore, 2023). More recently, coaching (and mentoring) has been reframed as forms of activism and mechanisms for social change at organisational, national, and international levels (Shoukry & Fatien, 2024; Gannon, 2021; Shoukry & Cox, 2018; Western, 2017). Beyond academic research, reports (IOC, 2021; BACP, 2022) have highlighted the role of coaching and mentoring in developing leaders during periods of political, economic and environmental uncertainty and social upheaval (e.g. Covid-19 pandemic; the social unrest and ongoing social injustices, for example the murder of George Floyd), and also assisting personal and collective change in situations of social inequality (e.g. health and wellbeing, access to education, employment).

Amidst the possibilities of coaching and mentoring contributing to social justice and leading to democratisation, there are also counterbalances and tensions. Coaching (and mentoring) have also been construed ‘at the service of capitalism’ and as tools of exploitation in post-truth capitalist societies (Fatien, Persson & Gannon, 2023; Salman, 2021; Salman, 2019; Tabarovsky, 2015). It is essential to recognise the potential of coaching and mentoring in promoting soft skills, which mitigate the most punitive practices and experiences in business and service settings. These settings offer redemptive spaces for individuals to navigate organisational and social injustices and ‘cope with’ or even tolerate inequalities (Tabarovsky, 2015). There is also evidence that coaching and mentoring may contribute to ‘auto-exploitation’ by supporting the formation of the ‘perfect auto-exploiting, achievement-obsessed employee’ (Bachkirova & Borrington, 2020 p.18). Concerns regarding the lack of theory-informed examinations of coaching and mentoring, and questionable endorsements of their neutrality, altruism, and benevolence among practitioners, trainers, and educators, appear at best to be false or ignorant, given evidence from contemporary organisations (Fatien, Louis, and Islam, 2022). The pressures of professionalisation also remain underexplored, with coaching and mentoring readily reinforcing compliance with structures, cultures, and practices that subtly perpetuate social injustices (Salman, 2021; 2019).

While coaching and mentoring have developed as distinct fields of practice and scholarship, they rremain central HRD interventions. This special issue seeks to examine how coaching and mentoring contribute to contemporary debates regarding learning, development, employability, leadership, organisational change, sustainability, and social justice within HRD. Further to this, the rapid expansion of digital and AI-driven coaching practices is often framed through a discourse of accessibility, inclusion, cost-efficiency, innovation, and the democratisation of developmental support within organisations (Passmore, Olafsson, & Tee, 2025; Chemnad & Othman, 2024). Yet, this narrative conceals critical ethical and social justice concerns. Persistent global technological divides risk creating new barriers to coaching and mentoring, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and under-resourced contexts (Clutterbuck, 2022). Moreover, the emergence of a two-tier system, in which middle and junior managers primarily access AI-enabled coaching while senior leaders retain exclusive access to human-led programmes, may perpetuate existing structural hierarchies rather than dismantle them.

From a sustainability perspective, AI coaching relies on access to extensive data for machine learning and continuous improvement, raising questions about privacy, consent, and equity (Diller, 2024; ICF, 2024). While professional bodies such as EMCC and ICF have begun to address ethical considerations through global codes and AI-specific standards, the absence of robust international regulations and institutional policies may leave participants vulnerable and uncertain within digital coaching relationships (EMCC Global, 2023; ICF, 2024). Furthermore, the integration of AI into HRD practices imposes significant demands on energy and water resources, challenging claims of sustainability, and exacerbating global inequalities in access, cost, and environmental impact (United Nations, 2025).

Contributions

We hope that contributions to this special issue will address some of the theoretical, empirical, and practical dilemmas of coaching and mentoring for social justice amid current and persistent global inequalities and uncertainties. We welcome empirical, conceptual, and literature review-based contributions to this issue. Whether you are a master’s or doctoral student, a practitioner, an early-career academic, or an experienced professor, we look forward to receiving your submission for our consideration. We warmly encourage submissions from a wide range of employment, national, and international contexts.

 Contributions are invited on, but not restricted to, the following themes:

 ●      Coaching and mentoring as mechanisms of empowerment, compliance, exploitation, or resistance?

●      To what extent are coaching and mentoring enacted as mechanisms for social justice, and what alternative purposes do they serve?

●      The value of critical perspectives in deploying coaching and mentoring for social justice purposes

●      Internal coaches and mentors - role models, social agents, change agents or keepers of the status quo?

●      Coaching and mentoring in social movements, campaign organisations and trade unions - not always an easy fit?

●      The ethical challenges of coaching and mentoring for social, political, economic and environmental justice

●      Widening access to coaching and mentoring - revolutionary, reforming or repeating conformity?

●      Leadership coaching in social movements and third sector organisations - where are the similarities and differences with organisational leadership coaching in business?

●      The perils of formal and informal mentoring in alternative organisations in the VUCA and/or BANI (see Kruse, 2025) environment.

●      How do justice, equality, diversity and inclusivity professionals use coaching and mentoring to address their professional and organisational challenges?

●      How much can we trust AI coaching and mentoring to support social justice?

●      How do coaching and mentoring relationships impact participants' engagement with issues of social, political, and economic injustice?

●      Line manager coaching in charity, campaign and protest organisations - is there such a thing? 

●      What is the role of coaching supervision in coaching for social, political, environmental, and economic justice?

●      How can HRD professionals ensure that technological innovations in coaching and mentoring align with principles of social justice, equity, and sustainability?

●      What coaching and mentoring frameworks or practices can mitigate risks of exclusion, exploitation, and ecological harm while promoting ethical and inclusive development?

●      What theoretical, philosophical, conceptual frameworks may underpin a re-conceptualization of coaching and mentoring for social justice?

 Please note that this list is not exhaustive. We would be delighted to answer any questions you may have about submitting to our issue.