Repertory grid for exploring managers' identities in a coaching programme

Abstract

Originally devised by George Kelly (1955/1991) based on his personal construct theory (PCT), the repertory grid (RG) is a technique that seeks to explore how an individual constructs personal theories to make sense of and predict the world. These theories are made up of meanings that Kelly (1955/1991) regarded as bipolar constructs, which capture distinctions in the similarities and differences perceived in the flow of experience. They are called “bipolar” to reflect the fact that, according to the PCT (dichotomy corollary), we think in terms of contrasts. For instance, the word “good” does not mean much by itself until it is compared against the word “evil,” “bad,” “poor” or “mediocre”. So, “good-evil” is a bipolar construct that conveys a meaning that differs from, for example, “good-mediocre.” Personal constructs are organized into a relatively complex and hierarchical network of meanings employed to make sense of the world, oneself and others. Hence, RG was initially designed to systematically explore the meanings that form the personal identity of interviewees (Kelly, 1955/1991), not for research purposes but for counseling purposes, to help individuals understand themselves better.